Wilford Woodruff

Wilford Woodruff was the fourth President of the LDS Church, serving from 1889 until his death in 1898. A native of Connecticut, Woodruff converted to Mormonism in 1833 and became known as one of the most prolific missionaries and journal keepers in church history. His detailed journals spanning over 60 years remain invaluable historical records.

Woodruff served numerous missions, baptizing thousands of converts, particularly during his famous mission to England where he converted nearly 2,000 people. He was ordained an apostle in 1839. A practicing polygamist with nine wives, Woodruff faced the most consequential decision of any church president: whether to continue polygamy in defiance of federal law or abandon the practice.

In 1890, facing the imminent seizure of all church property and the imprisonment of church leaders, Woodruff issued Official Declaration 1, known as “The Manifesto,” which officially ended the church’s sanction of new plural marriages. He later claimed to have received a revelation instructing him to issue the Manifesto, though critics note that considerable legal and political pressure preceded it. This decision marked a turning point that eventually allowed Utah to achieve statehood in 1896.

His presidency also saw the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple in 1893, completing a project begun 40 years earlier.