The Early Diaries of Wilford Woodruff, 1835–1839

In “The Early Diaries of Wilford Woodruff, 1835–1839,” Laurel Thatcher Ulrich turns her eye to a source long considered important in early Mormon history that she believes is also a “great American diary.” Examining the handwriting and ornamentation as well as the content of Woodruff’s journals, she shows the close relationship between nineteenth-century writing practices and an emerging religious faith. Ulrich’s essay reminds readers of the ways in which diaries and journals represent not just the thoughts and words of their author, but their lived experiences. Over five years, Woodruff’s ambitious hopes for his new-found religion reframed his responsibilities as a son, brother, husband, and father. The borders and drawings in his diaries, as well as the family records and autograph albums he created for others, document his struggle to reconcile earthly and heavenly bonds.