Waiting for World's End: The Diaries of Wilford Woodruff
Woodruff, who served as the fourth president of the Mormon Church, was a prolific diarist. He left written records for almost every day of his life after converting to Mormonism--the period of 1833 to 1898. Editor Staker has worked in the Latter Day Saints Historical Department and is the compiler of the index to Woodruff's (nine-volume) unabridged diaries. In this new manuscript, she has done an excellent job of selecting entries that, though condensed, tell an intelligible, coherent story. Despite the "distinctive spelling, diction, and punctuation of the original," Staker has made this a readable work of the major events in the life of both the president and his church, as well as the Utah Territory in the late 19th century. An important purchase for libraries with an interest in Mormon history or those with a need for well-edited primary source material of the time.- Diane H. Albosta, Episcopal H.S. Lib., Alexandria, Va.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.