Wilford Woodruff, Fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: History of His Life and Labors, as Recorded in His Daily JournalsWoodruff, Wilford
Religion
Wilford Woodruff, Fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: History of His Life and Labors, as Recorded in His Daily Journals
Woodruff, Wilford
Woodruff, Wilford, 1807-1898
The following are the words of President Young which give his views of
the ball room, and which he gave on the evening of the 2nd: "I consider
this a suitable place to give some instructions. The world considers it
very wicked for a Christian to hear music and to dance. Many preachers
say that fiddling and music come from hell, but I say there is no
fiddling, there is no music in hell. Music belongs to heaven, to cheer
God, angels, and men. If we could hear the music there is in heaven, it
would overwhelm us mortals. Music and dancing are for the benefit of
holy ones, and all those who come here to-night who are not holy and
righteous and do not worship God have no right to come here."
Men and women were taught that in all they did on the week day as upon
the Sabbath they should honor God. If, {355} later on, excesses in
dancing and its improper practice were corrected by a Prophet of God,
John Taylor, it was because of the excesses and the improprieties of
certain classes, and not because of the ball room itself. To him, there
was great objection in permitting the dance room to become a financial
scheme.
In the year of 1854 President Willard Richards was suffering from
palsy, and the attention which he received at the hands of Elder
Woodruff was characteristic of the latter's tender regard and loving
administration for those whom he esteemed. Besides giving his attention
to the sick, he also began the work of teaching and preparing the young
men for their duties in the office of the lesser priesthood. He was
especially solicitous of the training of his young sons, especially
Wilford junior.
Those were days of extreme sociability and neighborly love. In his
journal Elder Woodruff writes of a visit to his home of Ann Whitney and
Eliza R. Snow: "I read over several of the old sermons of Joseph that
were not recorded anywhere except in my journal. We passed a pleasant
evening together, and before they left they sang in tongues in the pure
language which Adam and Eve spoke in the Garden of Eden. This gift
was obtained in the Kirtland Temple through a promise of the Prophet
Joseph Smith. He told Sister Whitney if she would rise upon her feet
she should have the pure language. She did so, and immediately began to
sing in tongues. It was nearer to heavenly music than anything I ever
heard." This beautiful gift Sister Whitney retained throughout her life
time, and upon appropriate occasions exercised it to the edification
and joy of the Saints.
In those days Elder Woodruff found some time in the midst of public
duties to devote to the reading of good books, among them was the first
volume of the life of Benjamin Franklin, and into his journal he copied
Franklin's rules of perfection. Whatever was high-minded, choice, or of
value as discipline, Wilford Woodruff cherished.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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