Wilford Woodruff's Witness: The Development of Temple Doctrine

by Jennifer Ann Mackley

The temple doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is unique. Understanding its origin and development through the experiences of Wilford Woodruff will answer questions posed by individuals inside and outside of the Church. What is the relationship of temple ordinances and Old Testament rituals? Why have some ordinances been discontinued? Why did married women choose to be sealed to Joseph Smith? What is priesthood adoption? When were proxy ordinances introduced?

Many books and articles address a specific temple ordinance or a period of time in Mormon history, but the development of all temple ordinances has never been included in a single volume - until now.

Jennifer Mackley's meticulously researched biographical narrative chronicles the development of temple doctrine through the examination of Wilford Woodruff's personal life. The account unfolds in Woodruff's own words, drawn from primary sources including journals, discourses, and letters. Mackley elucidates the doctrine's sixty-year progression from Old Testament practices of washings and anointings in the 1830s, to the endowment, sealings, and priesthood adoptions in the 1840s, through all of the vicarious ordinances for the dead in the 1870s, to the sealing of multigenerational families in the 1890s. Her narrative is enhanced by 120 archival images (some previously unpublished), as well as extensive footnotes and citations for the reader's further study. More information can be found at www.wilfordwoodruff.info.

Genres: Lds, Religion, Church, History, Church History, Nonfiction, Biography

454 pages, Paperback

First published May 16, 2014

About the author

I am married to my favorite person on earth and we are the parents of three amazing human beings. My husband and I are partners in our own lawfirm. As a transplant recipient, I am blessed to be alive and appreciate each day I live.

Reviews

[John Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superbly researched and well-written. The author gets you into the mind of this great man and illustrates the gradual development of the temple ordinances and policies. Rich depiction of the culture in which this all evolved. Answers many questions I had about what seemed to be odd practices in early church history. I now have a much richer understanding of how the saints struggled to comprehend the greater light the Lord was trying to give them. Much of the wonderful insight we have today is the product of Wilford Woodruff's lifelong efforts to understand the will of God concerning the temple ceremony. Many neat photos. Highly recommend this book.

[Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that is half biography of Wilford Woodruff, and half history of the LDS temple ordinances, it does a passable job of both, but doesn't do either with particularly well-done insight. Mackley is a competent biographer and a thorough research historian, but her lack of training in history and historiography shows on some occasions.

I sound like I didn't like the book. I rather did. The sheer amount of work and dedication that Mackley put into the book makes it well worth the read. Whereas other books that cover the development of LDS temple ordinances are more a series of individual documents (I'm looking at you Devery Anderson) this book does a good job of showing the slow development, sometimes confusion, and final completeness of all of the temple ordinances from Moroni's first visit to Joseph Smith all the way until the end of Wilford Woodruff's life (when, I would argue, the last of the major changes to LDS temple worship changed-the changes after Woodruff are more window dressing and refinement than major changes). To that end, it's a good book for anybody looking for either some insight into LDS temples and the development of the rituals performed therein, or looking for a biography of Woodruff, who was heavily involved in the development of those ordinances throughout his life. While it doesn't do either particularly greatly, it does them both competently. I leave it to the other readers to determine if splitting the book into two (biography vs. temple ordinances) would have served the subject matters better. I think the argument could be made either way, and am glad I read this book.

[Jennifer Mackley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the author I highly recommend it, of course, but I thought you might be more interested in what others have said after reading it:

“I was blown away by the depth of research documented in this well written book. What a truly inspiring account of modern day temples and associated doctrines brought about through the power of the priesthood and revelation. Mackley has given us a true literary gem, a must read for anyone desiring to learn more about the evolution of temple doctrines and our individual responsibility to our ancestors. Bravo!”
Kristi B., Reader

"I learned more about the development of the church in [this] book than I have ever learned at church."
Ella M., Reader

"Mackley ... organizes an immense amount of statistics, events, numbers, and peoples covering almost nine full decades. She then presents a compelling history, at times personally intense, of Wilford Woodruff and the Restoration with its myriad events and people....
The large and inclusive body of end notes permits the discriminating reader and researcher and scholar to pursue issues of interest further....
Reading the work was pleasurable for me, not a remark that I can easily make for all those who write in our field. . . . Her narrative is easily delivered and easy to follow. . . . Mackley has done very well, and her work will fill the slot on the bookshelf. Buy one for yourself and give copies as gifts for your friends because this is a serious book for serious scholars of Mormonism."
Melvin J., Reviewer

“Brigham Young usually gets all the attention because of his brashness and long tenure; this book gives Wilford Woodruff his due. He was a tough hombre, completely committed and loyal, and without an ounce of ambition to be in charge it seems. He survived scores of serious mishaps that could have killed him . . . more than once hiked 50 miles in a day in his missionary travels, he liked guns, hunting and fly fishing. He was the chief scribe of the early Mormon church, chronicled in his 7,000 page journal (extensively cited by the author, who has read every page). But probably his most significant contribution, and this book's focus, was his bringing greater organization to the Mormon temple ceremonies . . . and saving the temples from government confiscation (by suspending polygamy).”
Carter M., Reader

“. . . There are a large number of great photos, some of which had never been published previously. It seemed that every few page turns there would be another photo. The photos were relevant to the surrounding text and really helped bring the book to life.
The book does a great job of juggling the biographical discussion of Wilford’s life along with covering temple development and now extinct temple rituals. I thought it flowed very well. …This book has the potential to influence how members view the fluidity of our ordinances. Following Wilford through the changes in the church highlights how these practices have been adjusted over time while also delivering a narrative flow that is often lacking in an abstract discussion of ritual development. . . .
I’d love to see members who wouldn’t normally venture into reading new Mormon history read this book. It is faith-affirming yet can be paradigm shifting. In our current phase of church development, the best thing all members can do is to learn about how we went through earlier phases. This is a book that you can share with family which can do just that. . . .
Mackley is clear that this book is meant to convey the thoughts and words of Wilford Woodruff and that she sought to keep all commentary to a minimal level. This holds true through the book. Woodruff is quoted extensively and on issues where Woodruff is silent, Mackley avoids imposing her own psychoanalysis of Wilford. . . .
If you are someone who can’t stand reading faithful views on problematic issues in Mormonism, then this book might not be for you. If you are such a person but are interested in trying to see things through the lens of Wilford Woodruff, then I think you would enjoy the book. Viewing the temple and church through Wilford’s eyes can give new insight even to those who are very familiar with Mormon history.”
Geoff N., Reviewer

“A meticulous history of the early days of Mormonism. . . . as a feat of sheer research and historical synthesis, Mackley’s work is remarkable, providing deep insight into an obscure corner of the past.

“Joseph Smith and Brigham Young tend to be the stars of stories about Mormonism’s founding, but Mackley’s debut focuses instead on one of their lesser-known contemporaries: Wilford Woodruff, an early and influential leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Drawing heavily from Woodruff’s journals as well as an extensive selection of other archival materials, Mackley paints a detailed picture of the first several decades of Mormonism. In particular, she focuses on the construction and uses of Mormon temples, describing the practices instituted there and how they changed over time. . . . History buffs will also appreciate the wealth of primary sources, including archival black-and-white photographs and documents often interspersed with the text as well as more than 100 pages of citations and appendices in the backmatter.”
Kirkus Reviews

“The author has a very firm grasp of the subject matter. She has written a great tribute to a woefully under-appreciated leader.”
Brian H. Stuy, Editor of Collected Discourses Delivered by Wilford Woodruff, His Two Counselors, the Twelve Apostles and Others

“Jennifer Mackley’s background as an attorney is evident in her impeccable research and reliance on primary sources. Wilford Woodruff couldn’t have asked for a more eloquent or convincing advocate.”
Ruth H. Maxwell, Author of Eighteen Roses Red and Living with the Question

“Amazing, truly amazing. 303 pages of great information. 135 pages of careful documentation. I don't believe I have ever read such a well-documented work. Thank you for the scholarly and faithful way you presented this unique and interesting part of LDS heritage.”
Steven C., Reader

“Jennifer captures the intensity of Wilford’s commitment to God and the depth of his belief in the restored gospel. Every reader will feel his spirit in the message. Although I have been a life-long student of Wilford Woodruff, I gained a better appreciation for my own great-grandfather. Truly inspiring.”
Richard N. Woodruff Lambert, Woodruff Family Association President

“The book is meticulously researched and brings together much information about the development of temple worship in the LDS Church. I learned some new things as I read it.”
Linda L., Reader

“Wilford Woodruff's Witness is a fascinating work. It is a thorough and well-structured historical journey. I saw both the attorney and the historical researcher in the written word, yet the author treats a sacred subject with the proper sensitivity and reverence that it requires. The book’s content flows well to enlighten and leave no doubt as to the importance of the message. I loved it.”
Alan H., Reader

“This book contains information about how temple ordinances in the latter-days came together. I learned about the revelations received that pertained to the saving ordinances and how they were interpreted and implemented by the church leaders. To my knowledge this is the first book to bring all of the pieces together and put all of them into context. I was inspired and motivated to continue learning about the temple ordinances as a result of reading this book. There are many references to other articles and books written about the subjects contained in this this book, which makes it easy to explore the subjects even further. I also felt a profound gratitude for all of the growing pains and faith that produced such a beautiful gift for those on both sides of the veil. Well done.”
Debi H., Reader

“I am not paid and do not know the author. I collect and read biographies of the modern Apostles. This is one of the best Apostle biographies I have read. It is very readable, informative and it inspired me to be better and to do more of my temple work. The biography is unusual and admittedly so in that it is a thematic biography, written about President Woodruff's life from a temple perspective. Thus it is not like Alexander Thomas's authoritative and exhaustive biography on President Woodruff. (I have not read Alexander's biography of President Woodruff but I believe he missed much of the information contained therein.) One constant theme of the book is that revelation and temple ordinance doctrine are evolutionary. For example, it was not until 1877 that ordinances for the dead, other than baptisms were performed. It was not until 1894 that linking of the generations was encouraged and done. And each new evolutionary temple tended to happen with the opening of a new temple, Manti excepted.”
Merrill C., Reader

“Wilford Woodruff's Witness is a wonderful book. One of the strongest messages was Wilford Woodruff's plea to the Saints to complete temple work for their kindred dead. That message was expected. A unexpected but rich lesson I learned in addition to that was on how the revelatory process works. The apostles and prophets had the precepts, authority, and keys but could only act according to the light and knowledge that they had at the time. After years of putting into practice what they understood, they truly had to study things out in their minds and petition the Lord to give them further light and knowledge. President Woodruff had a deep testimony of revelation and expected church leaders, including himself, to continue to receive revelation. He didn't rest until he got the answers and clarification from the Lord that he needed and expected concerning the saving ordinances of the gospel.

“As far as the mechanics of reading the book, it was very enjoyable in that aspect, as well. The book flows so smoothly you can easily forget how nearly every paragraph is referenced from journals and other historical documents. This is an astounding work.”
Reo M., Reader

“In a word – AWESOME. What could have been a hollow attempt to merely lay out a time-line, has instead become a masterpiece to educate the reader regarding pivotal LDS doctrine and its development. This tome will obviously take its place on the shelf as the definitive reference for the foundation of LDS temple doctrine.”
David T., Reader

“A great book on the development of Mormon temple practices during Wilford Woodruff's lifetime. Well-documented and insightful.”
Sherman F., Reader

[Jermaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a compelling book that I devoured it in less than a week. If anyone is interested in this topic, this is a must read.

[Joe Pratt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a pretty good book. The only reason I didn’t give it four stars was because it was a bit longer than it was good. I particularly enjoyed Chapter 5, the chapter about temple ordinances performed in Nauvoo.

I was impressed with Wilford Woodruff’s trust in “the living oracles of God.” He really understood the importance of continuous revelation. I also loved how intensely committed he was to the work of redeeming the dead. It was a inspiring and made me want to do family history work and attend the temple.

I had read the book hoping it would clearly map out the development of temple rituals. I was disappointed in that it focused more on the development of the doctrine of temple work. Looking at the title now, I should have recognized that difference going into it. Still it was an interesting read and I’m glad I read it. There were a lot of great notes and further sources that I’m excited to look into more!

[Renae Mackley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is heavier reading than I usually do, with a lot to absorb. It's not a book to rush through. I learned a lot and the subject matter is thoroughly covered. A persistent theme runs the book's entirety but hopefully leaves readers inspired to share in Woodruff's vision of temple work. Many little-known facts keep the reader's interest. Also, I loved that there were photographs on every page or two.
What amazed me the most was the author's ability to work quoted and footnoted material seamlessly into her narration. This historical, religious book reads like a narrative story with events and dialogue and interesting facts. The research and level of organization is astounding. How she kept track of everything and put it together so well leaves me impressed and amazed.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The amount of research that went into this book is mind-boggling. (Don't take my word for it, check out the notes at the end.) It's one of those books where you have to continually flip back to read the notes. But, you don't have to flip back for pictures because they are integrated into the text. The author is also willing to answer questions and has her contact info at the beginning of the book. The most interesting part was understanding how revelation occurs within the church, much like we receive revelation: piecemeal, line upon line, over time, and during trial and error. I'm really glad I read it.

[Alan Dahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I consider myself well versed in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the temple, but this book taught me so much! Seeing how some ordinances have changed (or been outright abandoned) over time while others have remained nearly the same was fascinating. What’s more, this book moves along at a rapid pace, perfectly blending narrative with theological analysis.

The only critique I have is that more than once certain ideas or details that appeared in a prior chapter make their way into a later chapter. This seems like an editorial oversight that could easily be corrected in future editions.

[Jamon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well researched and I learned alot. It flowed well. It is getting me excited about the Hartford Temple which is in proximity to where Woodruff lived. The last two chapters were the best part...very inspiring.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book, and helped me learn a lot of Wilford Woodruff and his committment to the temple and family history.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Jennifer Mackley has done some wonderful, in-depth research for this book, her writing style is simple, straightforward, understandable, and relatable. She has demonstrated excellent scholarship, yet her writing does not come across as overly erudite or academically esoteric. So this book was very easy and enjoyable to read.
Mackley traces the most relevant aspects of Wilford Woodruff's life in relation to the development of temple doctrine and practice in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As she so frequently points out, he not only had a front row seat to that development, but he was a key participant in the line upon line, precept upon precept process of revelation that brought the Church to where it is today in regard to temple doctrine and practice. She also provides some excellent historical background for some of those key developments. For example, Mackley provides a longitudinal look at President Woodruff's life full of examples of how he came to appreciate the significance of the work of the redemption for the dead through his own personal experience. Also, even though I have read quite a bit about the issuing of the 1890 Manifesto, Mackley provided some details that were very helpful, especially in regards to the Dyers' 1888 implementation of the Edmunds-Tucker Act and the pending Cullom-Struble bill in 1890. She also provided some more references for the vision that President Woodruff had that completely changed his mind about continuing to practice plural marriage.
The book highlights how sometimes the Lord prepares his prophets through a lifetime of experience to receive key revelations at just the right time and place to move His work forward. This was the case with the revelation that President Woodruff received to end the practice of the law of adoption and implement the practice of sealing families along genealogical lines. This was a revelation that President Woodruff was prepared throughout his life to receive. This revelation to replace the law of adoption with genealogical sealings make the point that sometimes the Lord gives revelation to his prophets that they seem completely prepared to receive and seems to flow along a line that "makes sense" to them. On the other hand, sometimes prophets receive revelation that takes them in a direction that is completely different from the course they seemed to be following. The revelation to end the practice of plural marriage seemed to run counter to Wilford Woodruff's personal inclinations on that subject and took the Church in where the Prophet personal did not seem inclined to go. Prophets simply have to be willing to do whatever the Lord requires.
While there were a couple of points in the book where Mackley's comments (possibly inadvertently) seem to lack a little faith in the success of the Church, overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book and I absolutely loved it. Jennifer Mackley researched the information well and presented this in a readable format. I knew many of the things presented in this book from my previous research, but I have not found as much info like this in one volume before. If you have any interest in how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints learned "line upon line" regarding temple ordinance work, this book is for you. A friend loaned me this book, and I put a sticky note in every spot where I wanted to make a note. Well, the book is filled with sticky notes! I am going to buy this book.

This book highlights potential barriers to revelation as well. Jennifer Mackley shows how Wilford prayed many times about ending polygamy in order to stop the troubles the church was having in the 19th century, but Wilford repeatedly felt that polygamy should continue. Mackley indicates that when the possibility of the temples being confiscated became real, the nature of Wilford’s question changed. Now he was asking how to save the temples from being lost and if ending polygamy was that answer. To me, this is important. I have had times when the nature of my questions have changed and this has brought added revelation. This shift in focus prepared Woodruff to receive the dream-vision which led to the Official Declaration that ended plural marriage for the Church.

Another thing I appreciated from this author is that she wrote what Wilford Woodruff thought and said, not what some historian thought he would say, or what he thought he was thinking. I appreciated this approach. I understand the importance of citing other historians, going to secondary and tertiary sources, but I wanted to get it straight from Wilford Woodruff. This book will give it to you straight from the primary source. Jennifer knows her stuff when it comes to Wilford Woodruff!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilford Woodruff played a huge role in building the first six temples in this dispensation: Kirtland, Nauvoo, St. George, Logan, Manti, and Salt Lake City. He standardized the temple ceremony by writing down all of the words to the ceremony that he had heard from Joseph Smith. In the St. George Temple he did the work for the signers of the Declaration of Independence who appeared to him. "He said the Signers not only conversed with him, but were with him for two days and two nights" p. 187. As president of the Church he issued the Manifesto in 1890 which initiated a transition away from plural marriage that he firmly believed in and practiced. The reason he issued the Manifesto during this time of intense government persecution was in accordance with a revelation he received that temple work would stop if he did not comply with the government. Temple work was the driving force of his revelation. Wilford received a revelation to seal people to their ancestors instead of Church leaders through adoption sealings. After this he founded the Genealogical Society of Utah for everyone, not just Church members. I think these two quotes on page 295-6 describe the essence of Wilford love for Christ's temple and the attendant work therein. "How would I feel after living as long as I have, with the privileges I have had of going into these temples, to go into the spirit world without having done this work?"
"These are grand principles. They are worth every sacrifice."

[Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be both inspiring and surprising. Wilfred Woodruff, the fourth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was immersed in the development of the doctrines and presentation of the teachings given in the temples of the church.
In his own words, from Wilford's journals, letters, discourses, and other first hand documents, we see his view of events as they transpired.
I appreciate more fully how Wilford and the other early church members were willing to take one step after another using the knowledge they had and trusted that if they acted on what they had, they would be given more. As the author summarizes, Wilford "not was not only comfortable with the idea of continuing revelation, he counted on it." As they faced new situations, the instructions given by revelation would follow.
Evan though the presentations changed, it did not change the principles being taught. He compared this to Christ's atonement ending of animal sacrifice, but it did not change the eternal laws of justice and mercy. They were simply taught in a different manner, through the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
Acting in faith based on what we know, and trusting we will receive more when it is needed, is a true principle clearly seen in the development of temple doctrine and practices.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, which I consider a bit remarkable because many biographies that I've read have been easy to put down and not so easy to get back to. Even some novelized histories of individuals don't keep me coming back very quickly.
This book, which focused on Woodruff's involvement with temple ordinances and how they were restored and revealed "line upon line, and precept upon precept" was fascinating to me. There wasn't any detail about the actual wording, just information about what kinds of ordinances were performed, when they started and were suspended and then restarted, revelation about them and how the practices were changed according to new revelation. Very interesting to me.
And there was plenty about Woodruff's life and his experiences as well.
I'm so glad I read this.
By the way, I read the "enhanced second edition" so this review applies to it.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was well researched and written. My knowledge about how revelation has worked for the development of the temple endowment broadened, it's so much more understandable to me when I learned the history behind it. The temple ordinances weren't complete at first, it was received line upon line over the years and through many different prophets. Jospeh Smith knew it wasn't completely right, but when he revealed it to the Saints it was the best he could do. Brigham Young changed it some and so did Wilford Woodruff as they pondered and had questions. Somethings didn't feel right to them about the temple endowment and when they went to the Lord about it they received more truth and then made changes. This book also gave me a better understanding into the background of President Woodruff issuing the Manifesto and the cause behind that. It was a Great Read!

[Aleta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended to me by a relative, this book was a well researched history of LDS temple doctrine and related to one of the early LDS prophets, Wilford Woodruff. It highlights his perspective and contributions to the topic.
It was a book that I kept handy to read on Sundays or more often. It took me a long time to read it- I think I got it with Christmas money a year ago, but it was good to let it sink in and think about it over the time I've been reading it. I learned things about LDS history I may never have heard before. It's helpful to understand how temple doctrine was developed and how temple work has changed over the last 100 plus years,

[Jeff Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book blending the history of Wilford Woodruff with the development of temple ordinances. I had heard that many changes had been made to the temple ordinances in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and this book discussed how those changes came to be. Pres. Woodruff's testimony of and dedication to temple ordinances was motivating and inspiring.

Pres. Woodruff felt a great need to do temple work for as many of his ancestors as possible, and he devoted much of his time to performing those ordinances. After reading this book, I felt that I could make a better effort in that work.

[Kellyt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give it a 4.44 out of 5 on Goodreads if I could. A very worthwhile and informative read! Does a great job discussing the step by step development as questions came up and revealed answers were sought. “Line upon line, precept upon precept.” Very few other resources with this amount of good historical research information on this topic. The one minor quibble I have is that it could have been edited a bit better. There are quite a few redundancies in some areas that made it less enjoyable. For example, the repetitive statistics on numbers of particular ordinances performed between dates are over done. I would like to thank the author for all her efforts in bringing this to light.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I was interested in the evolution of the temple rituals from the Nauvoo days to the present. This book covers the history between Nauvoo until shortly after the manifest, with the primary source being Wilford Woodruff’s journey. The book gave me a fuller understanding of the start and end of adoption sealings, baptisms for healing, and, of course, the Manifesto. The book is well documented and insightful. I only gave it three stars because it just was not very engaging for me.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the book. The insights and trials that we’re experienced by Wilford Woodruff were both interesting and enlightening. I loved learning how The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints doctrine of temple worship has both evolved and been restored as we were ready to receive the blessings involved. Great book for a gospel scholar or historian that opens up Pres. Woodruff’s journal entries.

[Jonathan Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great history of the LDS temples and the way that the doctrine and history of them unfolded in the early years. Also gives great insight into Wilford Woodruff's life and his heavy emphasis on family history. I was impressed with his extensive work on his own family (around 4,000) and am definitely inspired to do more.

This also hits on some of the difficult evolution of doctrine on marriage and priesthood adoption.

[Abe Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm inspired by the deep conviction and testimony of President Woodruff. There are great lessons to be learned about the evolution of temple ordinances and that revelation often comes "line upon line". Interestingly enough, maybe the best part of the book were insights into polygamy and the Manifesto that I hadn't read before.
Actually well written but filled with a lot of evangelical hyperbole common to that time that doesn't resonate in the same way today.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of interesting and well-researched history. The author isn't shy about the fact that she's a believer and writing to other believers, freely interspersing her own mini-sermons with quotations from Woodruff's. I was fine with this once I adjusted my expectations. I didn't know (or had forgotten) how long the idea of "adopting" to Church leaders rather than being sealed to your own ancestors had persisted.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very interesting. Within the first couple chapters on hearing about all the illnesses and accidents that Wilford woodruff endured in his lifetime, I can see how his life was spared so that he could grow to be a righteous man who helped lead the church and helped establish temples and their ordinances and help teach why they are needed.
The history of building the first 5 temples and the things that went on during those years was very interesting.

[Ted Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone familiar with LDS doctrine, and temples in particular, this was a fascinating look at the development and evolution of temple practices and ordinances over time. All from the perspective of Wilford Woodruff who played a critical role over time, especially as the first president of the St. George temple.

[Amy Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent narrative account of Wilford Woodruff's role in the development of temple building and liturgy. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 is because it doesn't often engage with scholarship about the broader context. It quotes from it, but isn't explicit about challenging or supporting existing scholarship. That, said the comprehensive footnotes are excellent and the content well presented.

[Ezequiel Salas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! mind-opening book. It enlarged my comprehension of how the temple doctrine has developed and helps unravel some questions that we have from the beginning of the church. It shows how God has revealed line upon line to the Saints the importance of the Temple and the work that needs to be done.

[Rick Woodbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me new insight into the life and accomplishments of Pres. Woodruff viewed through the lens of the development of LDS temple ceremony and doctrine. It laid out the realities of how the temple procedures evolved balancing the role of revelation being added precept upon precept to the process.

[Evan Thacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in connection with other historical book-length treatments of the temple including Packer's The Holy Temple (1980) and Talmage's The House of the Lord (1912). Excellent biography, history, and gospel teaching. I want to do *more* temple and family history work as a result of reading this book.