Wilford Woodruff (1807–1898) served as the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death. Born in Connecticut, he worked as a miller before joining the Church in 1833. He was ordained an apostle in 1839 and served a remarkably successful mission in England, leading many converts to Nauvoo.
Woodruff’s journals constitute one of the most valuable records in Latter-day Saint history, documenting decades of Church development. In 1890, after receiving revelation, he issued the Manifesto that ended the practice of plural marriage, helping to resolve the conflict with the U.S. government that had plagued the Church for decades.
His presidency saw the 1893 dedication of the Salt Lake Temple and Utah’s 1896 admission to statehood. He founded the Genealogical Society of Utah and directed the first mission calls to single women, opening a new era of sister missionary service. He died in San Francisco on September 2, 1898.