In those days, Elder Woodruff was occupied largely in the historian's office reading Church history to President Young. From the beginning of the Church in Utah, President Young had felt the importance of keeping an accurate and extended history of God's dispensation in the Valleys of the Mountains. Many important things connected with the Church in its infancy had not been recorded, and were then even becoming matters of hearsay. On the 6th of September, 1856, a large number of missionaries were set apart and the burden of the instructions to them then was the keeping of a journal. The special instructions on that occasion were given to them by Parley P. Pratt and Wilford Woodruff, the latter outlined in a general way what should make up a journal. The record was to be "full, correct, and proper." Matters were to be so fully given that future generations would not be at a loss to understand them. They should be so correct, that credence could be given to what was written, and so proper that inappropriate and irrelevant matters should not fill up and make a journal tedious and of no consequence, except, perhaps, to the one who wrote it. All official acts in the exercise of the authority of the priesthood should be carefully kept. Whenever it became important for the Church to give a history of any event, it should be able to put its hands on the records of those who took part in them. Parley P. Pratt said: "I have reflected upon this subject for years to know what a man should write, and have come to the conclusion that he should write his official acts in the priesthood. I am sorry that I have not kept more of a journal than I have. I wish I had written every man's name that I ever baptized, or administered to in any manner. In setting forth the hand dealings of God with this people, the elders of the Church become personal {371} witnesses for God, and every event which is a manifestation of God's power in their lives and ministry should be recorded." They fully appreciated the fact that though an event may not be of great importance to-day, it may be valuable to-morrow in the light of all that follows it.