Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Wilford Woodruff papers, 1833-1898
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Woodruff, Wilford, 1807-1898
- Title
- Wilford Woodruff papers
- Dates
- 1833-1898 (inclusive)18331898
- Quantity
- 2.35 linear feet, (2 boxes and 2 microfilm reels)
- Collection Number
- MS 0373
- Summary
- The Wilford Woodruff papers (1833-1898) contain a handwritten document by Woodruff regarding the successions of the Mormon Church Presidency, concerning Orson Hyde and Orson Pratt and their placement in line of succession of the LDS Church. Also included are copies of his journal as well as a revelation from 1877. Wilford Woodruff was the fourth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
- Repository
-
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860
Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Wilford Woodruff (1807-1898) was one of the most important record keepers in Mormon and early Utah History. His journal, which covers 1833-1898, is the best record for many of Joseph Smith's sermons. Born in Conneticut, Woodruff was in the saw-mill industry when he began a quest to find religion. He soon encountered the Mormon missionaries and was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Within the decade he followed in the footsteps of those missionaries by serving missions in the Southern States, New England, and Great Britain. He was called as an apostle in 1839 and in eight years participated in the vanguard group that entered the Salt Lake Valley on 24 July 1847. He was responsible for helping with Mormon temple work and was the first President of the St. George Temple when it opened. He also supervised a good portion of the construction of the Salt Lake Temple and dedicated it when finished in 1893. He had five wives and thirty-three children. He succeeded John Taylor as LDS Church President in the midst of the Polygamy controversy. With Federal laws fracturing the Church, Woodruff officially ended polygamy in 1890. In the last years of his tenure as President he dealt with the LDS Church's financial difficulties and church-owned businesses being hit by the Panic of 1893. He died in San Francisco in 1898.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Wilford Woodruff papers (1833-1898) contain a handwritten document by Woodruff regarding the successions of the Mormon Church Presidency, concerning Orson Hyde and Orson Pratt and their placement in line of succession of the LDS Church. Also included is a revelation of Wilford Woodruff from December 1877, two reels of microfilm which are of his original journals from 1833-1898, and two typed copies of extracts from his journal covering the years of 1834-1898.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.
Preferred Citation
Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Location of Originals
Microfilm provided by the LDS Church Historian's Office, Salt Lake City, Utah in 1965.
Original diaries are located at the LDS Church Historical Department, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Guy Potter in 1973.
Box 1, folder 2 was purchased in 2016.
Box 2 was purchased in 2017.
Processing Note
Processed by Sharon Thorup in 1983.
Addenda processed by Betsey Welland in 2018.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Volume | ||
1 | 1-2 | Typed selections from the journal of Wilford Woodruff | 1834-1898 |
Folder | |||
1 | 1 | Revelation Concerning the Last Days | 1877 |
1 | 2 | Funeral program of Wilford Woodruff
Program for the funeral of the fourth Prophet of the LDS Church, Wilford Woodruff. A short biographical sketch is followed by the full program that lists the hymns sung by the Tabernacle Choir, the order of procession and the various committees that were organized for the occasion and their members.
|
1898 |
1 | 3 | Photocopy of item in box 2 of Wilford Woodruff's notes regarding the successions of the Mormon Church Presidency, concerning Orson Hyde and Orson Pratt and their placement in line of succession of the LDS Church | 1861 |
2 | Handwritten document by Woodruff regarding the successions of the Mormon Church Presidency, concerning Orson Hyde and Orson Pratt and their placement in line of succession of the LDS Church
This item is in the Reserve Collection. Access must be given by the Manuscripts Curator. Researchers may use the photocopy of the item located in box 1, folder 3, without an appointment.
|
1861 | |
Reel | |||
1 | Microfilm of the journal of Wilford Woodruff | 1833-1898 | |
2 | Microfilm of the journal of Wilford Woodruff |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Latter Day Saint churches--Apostles--Diaries
- Latter Day Saint churches--History--Sources
- Latter Day Saints--Diaries
Personal Names
- Woodruff, Wilford, 1807-1898--Archives
Corporate Names
- Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society--Sources
Geographical Names
- Utah--History--Sources
Form or Genre Terms
- Diaries