Articles

Big Questions Come, Follow Me Insights Volunteer Spotlights

Sep 12, 2023

"This Is My Testimony, Spoken by Myself into a Talking Machine": Wilford Woodruff's 1897 Statement in Stereo

by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Steven C. Harper

In March 1844, just weeks before his martyrdom, Joseph Smith “called the Twelve Apostles together and he delivered unto them the ordinances of the Church and kingdom of God.” Wilford Woodruff noted the events of the day in a terse journal entry. March “26th A rainey day. I met in council with the brethren.” Perhaps the sacredness and magnitude of the meeting called for the brief, cryptic note. Or perhaps it would take hindsight for Wilford to recognize the momentousness of the day’s events. In either case, fifty-three years later at age ninety, President Woodruff recorded his spoken testimony of the historic meeting.

“Be Ye Reconciled to God”

by Craig Lindquist

Come, Follow Me

Yesterday, I sat helplessly by as my precious grandson wailed his little heart out. He had a terrible rash, and his sweet mother was doing all she could for him. It wasn’t enough. Even though the years of life have taught me that pain is inevitable, my heart still ached. Knowing that he had only recently left the bosom of his Heavenly Father, I wondered how much of this mortal life he understood before he left those celestial realms. I think we all can feel for my grandson, as most of us likewise still struggle to understand much of life.

Sep 6, 2023

Asking Big Questions: How Can I Recognize the Spirit?

by Maddie Christensen

Big Questions

In today’s tumultuous world it can be difficult to make decisions and know what is right. As Latter-day Saints, we have the gift of the Holy Ghost to help us. Through the Holy Ghost, we can know the truth of all things (Moroni 10:5).

Asking Big Questions: How Can I Develop a Stronger Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ?

by Lyndie Jackson

Big Questions

While it is relatively easy to stay in contact and communicate with people across the globe, creating and maintaining deep personal relationships takes time and effort. Similarly, the Savior is always close to us, waiting for us with open arms, but it takes more than checking in now and then to develop a deep personal relationship with Him.

Finding President Woodruff

by Craig Lindquist

Long before George Washington became the great leader Americans are familiar with, he was just a young man, struggling to navigate a world that was challenging and perplexing. It is the same for all of us as we seek to find our way in this often mysterious world. Most will gain little prominence outside our circle of family and friends, but a rare few will rise to greatness as their names become synonymous with righteousness and integrity. It behooves us as a society and as individuals to learn from such remarkable men and women.

“God Is Not the Author of Confusion, but of Peace”

by Lyndie Jackson

Come, Follow Me

“The devil has great power; he will so transform things as to make one gape at those who are doing the will of God,” recorded Wilford Woodruff in 1842, quoting Joseph Smith. How much more applicable is that in 2023? We live in a confusing time. Many things are distorted to make us believe that good is evil and evil is good.

Aug 28, 2023

Ye Are the Body of Christ

by Natalie Hancock

Come, Follow Me

Paul taught that we can find unity through believing in Christ. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” Our Church is filled with many different kinds of people who all bring their own unique gifts to strengthen us as a whole. This was also the case during Wilford Woodruff’s time.

Aug 21, 2023

“Be Perfectly Joined Together”

by McKenzie Wood

Come, Follow Me

Wilford Woodruff once said, “In every age of the world the Saints of God have been obliged to be united. Babylon may divide; the inhabitants of the earth may have all the division they wish for . . . But the Saints of God cannot prosper unless they are united.”

Aug 21, 2023

“A Great Work”

by Maddie Christensen

Volunteer Spotlights

“It has been a blessing to me to be a very small part of such a great work,” shares Donna Turlington, one of the amazing volunteers for the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation.

Donna first heard about the Project after following the Joseph Smith Papers on BYUtv. She heard Steven Harper, Executive Editor, discussing the Wilford Woodruff Papers’ importance to Church history. Donna visited wilfordwoodruffpapers.org, signed up for the newsletter, and became involved after receiving an email about the need for volunteers.

Aug 18, 2023

British Context of Wilford Woodruff's Missions

by Amy Harris

April 2023 marked 20 years for me since I made my first research trip to England—my first trip to England, full stop. While there I took a bus to northern Gloucestershire in western England and began walking the public footpaths through villages where some of my ancestors had lived for centuries. It was an idyllic introduction to England, with the rapeseed and bluebells in full bloom. This is my photo of the rapeseed fields that day; unfortunately, my photo of the bluebells didn’t scan well, so I offer this one instead—just know it looked exactly like that.