Image of a house in the Cotswolds taken by Amy Harris

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.

By Elder Kyle S. McKay, Church Historian and Recorder

The contribution that Wilford Woodruff makes to Church history might be summed up in one sentence, and that is, Wilford Woodruff is Church history. Without him we just don’t have the history of this Church that we currently enjoy. It is remarkable whatever stirred within him to impel him, compel him to keep a record—and some of the things that he did and some of the things that he said to keep that record and to keep it true, are just phenomenal.

By Erin Hills

I never thought I would find myself on a ferry to the island of North Haven, Maine. Before I worked for the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation, I didn’t even know this island existed.

In the spring of 1837, Wilford Woodruff was called to serve a mission to New England, and on May 31, 1837, he left Kirtland to begin his journey eastward with his companion, Jonathan Harriman Hale. While they traveled, they felt inspired to focus their missionary efforts on the Fox Islands in Maine, which included two large islands, simply known as North and South Vinalhaven. Wilford also visited many smaller islands within Penobscot Bay.

"A Timely and Heaven-Sent Blessing"

By Maddie Christensen

“The process of volunteering with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation was a timely and heaven-sent blessing,” shares Michelle Hall. “I’ve been able to find family members and make connections on my husband’s side because of the valiant recordkeeping of Wilford Woodruff. He had connections to many of God’s children, and being a part of researching those individuals he mentions throughout his papers is extensive and exciting!”



Michelle had been praying for an internship opportunity for several months when a message appeared on a genealogical social media page looking for interns. She immediately applied, went through the interview process, and was accepted as a volunteer. She was especially thrilled about the opportunity because Wilford Woodruff is her third-great-grandfather.

Insight from the Content Team

When I read the news and see the direction the world is headed in, it can feel depressing and overwhelming. I worry for my children and especially for my grandchildren. I came across an inspiring message in an 1887 epistle from Wilford Woodruff to the youth that gave me hope. 

I wish I had power to express myself as I feel to the children, to the young men and women of the Latter-day Saints, who dwell in these mountains. I wish the veil could be lifted from off their eyes, that they could see what lies before them, that they could see their destiny . . .

The Wilford Woodruff Papers will have a booth at BYU Education Week from August 21 to 25. Stop by for a chance to win prizes, learn more about the Project, and check out the new updates to our website.

The Technology Team has been working hard to expand the search capability on our website. Improvements include the ability to search all content on the site, including documents, media, and images, and the ability to sort by topic, document type, and date.

We have partnered with FamilySearch to create "experience" pages based on information from Wilford Woodruff's records. The first experience debuted on July 24, 2022: Journey of Faith. Two new experiences based on Wilford’s unique mission records have been published: 1840 British Converts and 1835 Southern States Converts. Descendants of the hundreds of individuals named in these documents will be notified of these primary sources for pursuing additional family history research, including their biographies available at wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/people.

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