The diary of Wilford Woodruff, fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is one of the significant documents of Mormon history. Covering the years from his acceptance of the faith in 1833 until his death in 1898, President Woodruff’s diary offers a keenly perceptive view of life in the early Church from the perspective of a leading official. Joining the Church during the Kirtland era, Woodruff’s rise to leadership was almost immediate. He was appointed to the seventies quorum in Kirtland in 1836 and two years later was called to the Council of Twelve Apostles—a calling that culminated with his appointment as President of the Church in 1889. He also served as Church Historian for thirty-three years and was president of the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association. Among his civic assignments, Wilford Woodruff sat with the Nauvoo City Council, the Utah Territorial Legislature, and was president of the Utah Horticultural Society.
