Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-02-27
PRESIDENT WOODRUFF.

day, March /, q. 10 am, horeiwill be
exercises In the Tabernacle In honor Of
tho nine,ieib anniversary Of the birth
Of Elder Wiliord Woodruff, President
OF the Church OF jesus Christ OF Lat.
ier-day seints, ami ono OF the first
company OF Utah Pioneers that entered
the valley OF the Great Salt Lake.
DECORATIONS IN THE TABERNACLE
For this occasion the Tabernacle
has been beautifully decorated.
The spoHksrs' stands are decorated
In white and old golc. with numerous
Il Jwers anu polted forms and other
plants and arou nd the organ. Tho
table It the foot oithe stands is covered
with fjwers, and Ia front OF this seats
arc raised above the 1our Tot President
Woodruff aud wife to occupy during
the reception on Monday. Over this
Is canopy drapsd with the 5tars and
Stripes, with electric lights in the top
to lhro W light upon the couple. This
canopy will remain thrown back upon
tue table until the time OF the recop'
Hon. The uppe r stand, which VIII be
occupied by the President and mis-
vile during the rendering OF the pro-
gram, has been raised ABOUT sixteen
inches higher than lis usual posi-
ton 30 that iull view can be
mad OF them from every part OF tue
building. In front Of ana near the top
VI the organ ia a beautiful BtGr COM
posed Of sixty-one electric lights; over
this and extending from south TO
north across the building 10 white
slreamer bearing the inscriptions
"GlOty b. to G:u," "Hono; to His
RrJphel," and The three dates, 1907,
lS47, 1897. Around the gallery bunt.
ing is stretched, with q star over each
poet, ana at the rear Of the building IL
the inscription, 1--WE honor the man 30
honored OF Co.." Above the rear Of
tue gallery 10 q banner on which lie
painted lS47-lS97. Below this Is q
Union flag which passed through the
war.
PRESIDENT wOoDRUFF's LIFE.
Herewith ID brief Hketch OF Pest.
dUnt Woodruff long and eventual lie,
furnished by himael':
/ was born Marsh l,lS07, al Nothing
ton, part OF Pennington Cnow AVON,
Hartford county, Connecticut. Iu
IA 10
and miller. U course my childhOou
was passed under the Influence OF the
remnants OF the Blue Laws OF Con.
necucut. | remember tie day well
when the Bsptists and the MethOdists
in Connecticut were almost as un.
popular as the MOtmoEs afterwards
became. Presbyterians and Congre-
gationalists were the ruling religions
Of New England in my childhood.
IN attending the Sunday school In my
early boyho.d under DR.. Noah Porter,
and learning chapters OF the Bible
by heart, l saw what Jesus Christ and
the Apostles taught. phoae principles
were 30 firmly impriuted On my mind
that l could never Join auy church,
because the churches OF that day did
not believe them, until / heard y rn
PuIsipher, n Mormon Elder, preacu TO
me and my Brother Azmon, ard
large cODgregRliOu OF neighDore, at
Richland (now Dlnsville), Oswego
county, New York, on the Both day OF
December, 1888 On hearing the first
sermon anu my b other Azmon were
convinced, and we went forth anu
were bantlzed ON the Slst Of Dozen.
Der, 1888.
went in Zion's Camp,in the spring
Of 1885, TO Missouri, to the assistance
OF our people who had been driven
out OF Jackson county. Very few Of
the members OF that Camp are living
today. That thCuland fhiles' journey
with the Prophet Joseph Smith was 10
nae a school Of experience that | shall
never forget in this world or the world
TO come. When the Prophet returned TO
Klrtlsnd with most OF his company
remained In Clay county, Missuuri,
until the 1871 OF January, 1885, when
L lett Lyman Wighps, ia company
with Henry Brown, to go on mission
TO the Southern states. We passed
through jackson county, Missouri, and
through Arkansas, anu from Little
Rock to Memphis, Tennessee. | spent
TWO years in Tennessee and Ken.
lucky. While there was ordained to the
OlllGe VI hh A1lANA Aht VI
Warren Parrish. aud afterwards
member OF the Second quorum of the
Seventy, under the hands OF David
w. Pstten. ordBined A. o. Smoot TO
the office OF an Elder In 1886, and he
Travelled with me- through Kentucky
and Tennessee, and accompa MED me
to Kirkland in the fall OF that year.
organized four branches OF the Church
ia Tennessee ana Kentucky.
In 1887 | Travelled through part OF
Canada, New York, Massachus etls,
Connecticut ana Maine and Fox
Islands. During that mission bap.
tIzed several hundred persons ami
organized five branches Of the Church
in Connecticut, Maine and Fox =
lands. In January, 1887, | was ep.
pointed TO the Flrst quorum OF Seven
ties.
In 1885 l Travelled on three Islands o;
the sea and In twelve states OF the
Union, established three preaching
places anu organized one branch Of
lhe Church In Pennington. Conn.,,
with nlno OF my relatives, including
my fathers houfe.
On the 26lh Of April, 1889, myself
anu George n, smith were ordained
h the Apostleship, on the Temple cor
ner at Fer W1s', Missouri. The came
year 1 crossed tue Atlantic ocean IN
company with John Taylor to Eng.
land, speuIing thenext year there with
the Twelve Apostles. Fret 1 wen
INH.H NJ ~ Na-. -.