Wilford Woodruff’s Testimony Video

Today I ran across a video of Wilford Woodruff’s testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the restoration of the gospel. His testimony was recorded on March 19, 1897 using a graphophone – or “talking machine” – and was one of the first recordings used by one of those devices. When he gave this testimony, President Woodruff had just turned 90 years old (he was born on March 1, 1807). It’s a marvel that the recording has been preserved this long.

In this recording, President Woodruff talked of the Prophet’s character and divine appointment to lay the foundation of the Church and kingdom of God on earth. He mentioned his experience when Joseph Smith gave his “last charge”¹ to a select group of men and women in the spring of 1844, shortly before his death (see, for example The Kingdom of God).

President Woodruff also said that he received his endowments under Joseph’s hands and that Joseph was the author of those endowments. He made particular mention of the “power of God” that accompanied “all [the Prophet's] testimonies.”

It’s rather sobering to think that of all the things President Woodruff could have said in this recording, he chose those things which he felt would be most important.

The following is a transcript of the entire testimony:

I bear my testimony that the Prophet Joseph Smith said, before a large assemblage in Illinois, that if he were the emperor of the world and had control over the whole human family he would sustain every man, woman and child in the enjoyment of their religion. Those are my sentiments today.

I bear my testimony that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, ordained of God to lay the foundation of his church and kingdom in the last dispensation of the fulness of times.

I bear my testimony that in the early spring of 1844, in Nauvoo, the Prophet Joseph Smith called the Twelve Apostles together and he delivered unto them the ordinances of the Church and kingdom of God; and all the keys and powers that God had bestowed upon him, he sealed upon our heads, and he told us that we must round up our shoulders and bear off this kingdom, or we would be damned. I am the only man now living in the flesh who heard that testimony from his mouth, and I know that it was true by the power of God manifest to him. At that meeting he stood on his feet for about three hours and taught us the things of the kingdom. His face was as clear as amber, and he was covered with a power that I had never seen in any man in the flesh before.

I bear testimony that Joseph Smith was the author of the endowments as received by the Latter-day Saints. I received my own endowments under his hands and direction, and I know they are true principles. I not only received my own endowments under his hands, but I bear my testimony that Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards, George A. Smith, John Taylor and other brethren received their endowments under the hands and direction of the Prophet Joseph; and also my wife Pheobe, Bathsheba Smith, Leonora Taylor, Mary Smith and others whose names I cannot recall now.

The Prophet Joseph laid down his life for the word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ, and he will be crowned as a martyr in the presence of God and the Lamb.

In all his testimonies to us the power of God was visibly manifest with the Prophet Joseph.

This is my testimony, spoken by myself into a talking machine on this the 19th day of March, 1897, in the 91st year of my age.

Wilford Woodruff²

Sources:

1. Truman G. Madsen presented “Joseph Smith and the Last Charge” at the 2005 BYU Sperry Symposium. For an audio version of his talk, visit BYU Broadcasting. Although a video of his presentation was made and played on KBYU, only an audio version is currently available.↩
2. Wilford Woodruff Testimony. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Church Archives.↩

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