WILFORD WOODRUFF AND THE FOUNDING FATHERS-A TEMPLE VISITATION #WilfordWoodruff #TempleWork

In the St. George Temple, President Wilford Woodruff had an unforgettable spiritual experience: the Founding Fathers of the United States, including the signers of the Declaration of Independence, appeared to him and asked him to perform their temple ordinances. For two days and two nights, these "choice spirits" conversed with him, leaving Wilford with a profound conviction — men who never had the chance to accept the restored gospel in mortality had embraced it in the spirit world.
 #SpiritWorld #LatterDaySaints #ThinningOfTheVeil #LDS #FamilyHistory #TempleOrdinances #Founding Fathers

In this episode, we explore:
✨ What Wilford Woodruff taught about this remarkable visitation
✨ Why he believed the Founding Fathers were inspired by God to establish this nation
✨ What this experience reveals about temple work and the spirit world
✨ How the dead accept the gospel and receive ordinances performed on their behalf

This is a powerful reminder that temple work is not just about our own ancestors — it's part of God's plan to redeem all of His children, even those who shaped the destiny of nations.


"She Had a Dream- Her Friend Needed Her — Then a Miracle Happened: Discussion with Ricelli Mordecai" Episode: https://youtu.be/4x_SbrIxj9Y?si=Hr_UJWgtb3Jcba4H

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📖 Sources:

Wilford Woodruff Papers (wilfordwoodruffpapers.org): https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/wilford-woodruff-founding-fathers)

Richard O. Cowan and Clinton D. Christensen, "The First Temple Completed in Utah," in Temples in the Tops of the Mountains: Sacred Houses of the Lord in Utah (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book), 26–43.

Journal of Discourses, 19:229

Brigham Young Granddaughters Association: https://www.brighamyounggranddaughters.org/bygablog/2020/3/7/getting-to-know-lucy-bigelow)



#WilfordWoodruff #FoundingFathers #TempleWork #SpiritWorld #LatterDaySaints #ThinningOfTheVeil #LDS #FamilyHistory #TempleOrdinances

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

I will here say before closing that two weeks before I left St. George, the spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them. Do we have eyes to see the spirits that are gathering around us, wanting to know from us why we aren't redeeming them? If that's not happening now, it will happen. We will have them gathered around us with those questions of either asking why or in deep thanks for the work that we did do. Now, the reason why I've included the story this week is because we've talked to Ricelli earlier in the week on a different episode, and I will leave that link in the description, of how she found out that her friend on the other side of the Vell needed temple work done through a dream. Now, we know and has been testified on this channel forever that thinning of the Vell experiences happen as the gathering is in play in our lives. And this is another added testimony to the testimony that we heard from Ricelli and from me and all of the other guests that you that we've had on this channel, knowing that God will bless us through revelatory experiences to know specifically which person or which one of his sons and daughters are ready for their temple work to be done. Now, I also wanted to point out really quickly and give a huge thanks to your patience as I've navigated this very difficult time. Uh, I did injure my knee. It's a root complete tear of my meniscus on the back of my left leg. And I have surgery scheduled for the 16th. So things are gonna be a little bit crazy and it will be a little bit different. I'm thinking moving forward, and maybe, maybe not, maybe I'm just gonna kill it. So please continue to be patient with me, but there's some cool things coming up. Tuesday we're going to be talking about Elijah and the prophets of Baal and how that interaction actually um pointed us to the work of temple work in the last days. We also have Brent Top coming up in future episodes, so I'm really excited about that. Um, if you have your own Thinning of the Vell experiences, please email them to me at Tia at thinningofthevail.com. And as always, like, subscribe, and comment because that helps this to move forward. Believe me, when I say opposition is at play almost daily in this podcast, it helps, every little bit helps in moving it forward to overcome the opposition that is currently just plaguing me and the podcast. So take that for what it's worth. Um, all right, so now we're going to get into uh the beginning of this experience. I wanted to kind of set the stage with a statement by Brigham Young that was get given at the Temple Dedication, St. George, of in January 1st of 1877, because I believe it will go to kind of like a fulfilling of prophecy. Now, Brigham Young asks some questions and in and has invitations and even uh prophesies a little bit in there. And sometimes it takes a while for us to see the fulfillment of prophecy, but in this one, it only actually took a few months for some of these questions that he asked to be answered with the opening of the heavens. Now he he says, Now we have a temple which will all be finished in a few days, and of which there is enough completed to commence work within which has not been since the days of Adam, that we have any knowledge of. Where are the eyes and the hearts of this people? Where is their interest for their own salvation and that of their forefathers? We enjoy privileges that are enjoyed by no one else on the face of the earth. Suppose we were awake to this thing, namely the salvation of the human family, this house would be crowded, as we hope it will be from Monday morning until Saturday night. Then he gives this famous quote, and it's actually one of my most favorite quotes. What do you suppose the fathers would say if they could speak from the dead? Would they not say, We have lain here thousands of years here in this prison house, waiting for this dispensation to come? Here we are, bound and fettered in the association of those association of those who are filthy? What would they whisper in our ears? Why, if they had the power, the very thunders of heaven would be in our ears, if we could but realize the importance of the work we are engaged in. All the angels in heaven are looking at this little handful of people and stimulating them to the salvation of the human family. I will echo that testimony that the thunders in heaven, and I actually pray for that gift quite a bit. Please give my voice power that the testimony of the plight of others on the other side of the veil will echo in many different people's ears. I literally pray for that all the time. That we may realize the importance of the work we are invited to engage in as well. He then points out so also, this is evident in my life lately, so also are the devils in hell looking at this people too and trying to overthrow us, and the people are still shaking hands with the servants of the devil instead of sanctifying themselves and calling upon the Lord and doing the work which he has commanded us and put into our hearts to do. When I think about this subject, I want the tongues of seven thunders to wake up the people. Can the fathers be saved without us? No. Can we be saved without them? No. They are given the opportunity from time to time to whisper from the other side of the bell. They are given the opportunity to let us know in some way, shape, or form, some kind of revelatory process, that they are ready to receive the gospel. And as we turn our hearts to this work and to our ancestors, we will have those experiences. Now I'm going to share a little bit of a few of the St. George Temple facts because I think that this helps to give context to the story. The St. George Temple is the first Latter-day Saint temple that was dedicated in Utah, and it's the oldest operating temple in the church. It was also the first house of the Lord where Latter-day Saints could perform all temple ordinances for the dead. Endowments previously to that had not been performed for deceased ancestors. And it was also the only temple dedicated during Brigham Young's 29 years as church president. He passed away almost five months after the dedication. So after he gave this stirring speech, this pleading speech, he passed away five months after joining those who he was trying to speak in behalf of on the other side of the bill. We also, in the St. George Temple, in the first year of operation, as recorded by Alfred Woodruff, who was the first president of the St. George Temple, it was recorded that approximately 25,000 baptisms for the dead and 12,000 endowments and 38 ceilings were performed. So you have the first president of the temple is Wilfred Woodruff in St. George. And there's a mighty work being brought to pass. The numbers are staggering in what they did during that first year. Now, for Wilfred Woodruff and his own personal work that he did in the temple, he prepared a list of 3,000 family members and focused on completing their proxy baptisms, confirmations, and endowments. During the first eight months of the ordinance work in the St. George's Temple, Wilford actually participated in or presided over 24,384 baptisms, 11,597 endowments, the sealing of 3,706 couples and 268 children to their parents, 309 second anointings, and 53 priesthood adoptions. So the work that he was doing himself was crazy awesome when you think about how things have changed. The time that it took, he was literally in the temple 24-7 almost. I mean, you would had to have been to be able to complete that much work in that short period of time. Now, this story also includes a woman by the name of Lucy Bigelow Young, and I wanted to give you a backstory on her before we learn about the miracle that happened in this thinning of the bell experience, because I believe it goes to one of the reasons why she was actually given the opportunity to help in this awesome thinning of the bell experience. What's written of her is that people are, if people are ever to be known by their most prominent characteristics, Lucy would be known for faith, humility, and her gift of healing. That's interesting because I think we think about healing as physical healing on this side of the veil, mental, emotional. But I also think of the gift of healing of the ability to heal the generations. And I think this was part of her gift. She was a constant companion of Zina D. Young and Eliza R. Snow, doing much good and healing many. She was the first matron, so you have Wilfred Woodruff as the president. Lucy Bigelow Young was the first matron of the St. George Temple, where many who are sick and afflicted would conto her for her healing touch. She was also the first woman to perform the endowment for the dead in this dispensation, so far as is known. She was also called upon to assist in starting the ordinance work in both the Logan and Mantite temples, returning in between to continue her service in the St. George Temple. Her life was filled with spiritual experiences and her childlike faith in the gospel, making her quite susceptible to many impressions and experiences. Now, when you think about the distance, the distances between the Logan, the Mantite, and the St. George Temple, and that she regularly visited each, assisting where she could in each one of those temples, her sacrifice is noted. Now, the sacrifice also then stipulates that you have spiritual experiences. And it was known that she had many impressions and experiences, obviously, because not only was she serving her fellow members on this side of the veil, but because she was heavily involved in helping those on the other side of the veil heal. Now, in her earlier life, after arriving in winter quarters, she was courted by a young man by the name of David Ward, who for the first time he saw Lucy back in Nauvoo, wished to gain her love. Eventually she gave him a reluctant promise to somebody to be his wife. David and Lucy eventually became engaged, and he decided to go to Wisconsin to look after some property belonging to his mother before it was time to join the General Move West. Now, here's the part of the story, and that's why this promise of engagement matters, because this also moves to why she probably was chosen to participate in this work, why the Lord allowed her to or gave her the opportunity to. So arrangements were made, and he, David, received a blessing before departing. In this blessing, the officiator set him apart to preach to the spirits in prison. Now, at the time, no one thought much about that. They didn't think really that had anything to do with the blessing, and they just kind of said, Well, that's cool. But sadly, he did not return from this mission mission. He contracted measles during his passage on the river and passing away four days after his arrival in Wisconsin. So you have this first love of hers that is giving a blessing that he's actually set apart to preach to the spirits in prison. Now that meant to the to the prisoners clearly on the other side of the veil, as circumstances took him there. When you have a loved one on the other side of the veil, you very, very quickly start to study and understand that connection. And I believe that probably helped her in becoming a temple matron because the spirit world becomes close when you have learned about that. Now you're going to no, we're going to look here the actual experience of Wilfred Woodruff and the baptism of the signers, but I want to give um something that he testified after it happened to help us understand the context and also to help us to know what was actually said. The proxy baptisms for the signers had been completed in stages by various people starting in Abu and ending in 1876. John D.T. McAllister, who helped Woodruff in the temple, had even participated in doing some of the signers' work six years earlier. Woodruff discovered that all of the temple work for signers, John Hancock and William Floyd, had already been performed in the St. George Temple prior to the vision. This left 54 signers who still needed to have their endowments completed. He decided he would inaugurate their temple work by redoing their baptisms. Now, at the time, that was a standard practice for people to be re-baptized before they were actually going to take them through the temple for the endowments. Wilford also decided that he would choose 46 other men to make it an even hundred. And I thought that was cool. He had this experience, but he also wanted to extend that to other people that he felt compelled to extend those promises to. He writes in September of 1877, so about a month after, he gave an address on the importance of temple work, affirming that those on the other side of the valve would seek after the saints, as they had reached out to Wilfred Woodruff in the St. George, Utah Temple. This is what he shared. They called upon us, knowing that we held the keys and power to redeem them. I will here say before closing that two weeks before I left St. George, the spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them. Do we have eyes to see the spirits that are gathering around us, wanting to know from us why we aren't redeeming them? If that's not happening now, it will happen. We will have them gathered around us with those questions of either asking why or in deep thanks for the work that we did do. This is what they said to Wilfred Woodruff. You have had the use of the endowment house for a number of years, and yet nothing has ever been done for us. Now remember, some of these baptisms were performed earlier. This is why this particular quote matters, and this is from the Founding Fathers. You have had the use of the Endowment House for a number of years, and yet nothing has ever been done for us. We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we remained true to it and were faithful to God. These were the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and they waited on me for two days and two nights. How did that happen, though? Because it's instructive for us in our doing the work of our forefathers. They came to him in a vision for two days and two nights. He writes, I straightway went into the baptismal font and called upon Brother McAllister to baptize me for the signers of the Declaration of Independence and fifty other eminent men, making one hundred in all, including John Wesley, Columbus, and others. I then baptized him for every president of the United States except three, and when their cause is just, somebody will do work for them. And in a later address, Wilford explained that these eminent men had called upon him in the temple and demanded that he go forth and attend to the ordinances of the house of God for them. He then stated, Would those spirits have called upon me as an elder in Israel to perform that work if they had not been noble spirits before God? They would not. He then shared his belief that those men who laid the foundation of the American government and who signed the Declaration of Independence were, quote, the best spirits the God of heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits inspired of the Lord. Now remember, the work that those forefathers in bringing about the Declaration of Independence, we know that it was a revelation from God. It was miraculous. God was in the details of every single part and piece of that. Had those forefathers ignored the experiences and revelation that they were receiving, the work of the Lord could not have worked moved forward after that, because we needed the independence of religion to be able to do that. And at the time, the United States of America was the only one that gave us freedom to worship how we deemed fit and right. And that was given to us by the work and sacrifice of those forefathers. So they are demanding that was the word they used. They were demanding that their work be done as they sacrificed to lay uh to lay the stones of the foundation that was built so temples could be built and the rest of the race of God could be saved. Now his description of his experience in St. George was very, very specific. He said the signers not only converse with him, so they're speaking with him, but they were with him for two days and two nights. So you have not only this conversation going on, but you have their presence with Wilford, Wilford Woodruff, for two days and two nights. Different ways of experience the thinning of the veil. Obviously, he was having many different ways in this singular experience. He believed that the founding fathers were inspired in their combined efforts to establish the United States while they were yet alive. But none of these men had the opportunity to hear the restored gospel or accept it in mortality. The fact that they came to Wilford and asked him to attend the temple ordinances for them suggested to Wilford that they had accepted the gospel in the spirit world. Now, I am so grateful for that extra testimony because I add my testimony to that as well. That when I have had thinning of the veil experiences, I feel like those who are coming to me have accepted the gospel in the spirit world and that they are ready and willing to have their work done. And Wilford Woodruff is witnessing to that fact. I'm adding my witness to that among many other witnesses. And that as you receive the revelation that's intended in saving those on the other side of the veil, that you can have many kinds of revelatory experiences, allowing that the work of the God of God would be completed for them in their life. Now, he was inspired by this experience, and he spent that Sunday evening, August 19th, 1877, preparing a list of some of the quote, noted men of the 17th and 18th centuries. He used a two-volume work titled Portrait Gallery of Eminent Men and Women of Europe and America. So he went through this book and he added the names of 54 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 13 of the first presidents of the United States, and members of George Washington's extended family to those he had gathered from that book. The two signers excluded from Wilford Woodruff's list were William Floyd and John Hancock, who had already been baptized by proxy in the temple. Then, two days later, on the day of the week designated for baptismal work, Word took his list to the temple and asked John D.T. McAllister to baptize him for the signers and 45 other eminent men. Included in this group were John Wesley, Christopher Columbus, Daniel Webster, and three generations of George Washington's extended family. Wilford then baptized all the deceased presidents of the United States, except Martin Van Buren and James Buchanan because of how they treated the sames. Now, in addition to the list of those eminent men, he also included an addition on Tuesday, August 21st, he writes, Sister Lucy Bigelow Young went forth to the font and was baptized for Martha Washington and her family and 70 of the eminent women of the world. So you also have these eminent women also being baptized at the same time that these men are being baptized. After the appearance of the signers, Wilford also commented. I thought it very singular that notwithstanding so much work had been done, and yet nothing had been done for them. The thought never entered my heart from the fact I supposed that heretofore our minds were reaching after our more immediate friends and relatives. He was apparently referring to all the higher ordinances, like the washings, anointings, the ordinations, the endowments, and priesthood adoptions that the saints had not been able to perform by proxy until the St. George Temple was completed and could now perform for all the dead. Now that's important as well when we're seeking and we find those dead ends, and we can't find that person we are supposed to find. God is in the details, and when it is time, and when you have the ability to complete that particular work, the way will be provided that you will be able to do that work. That was shown in this pattern of Wilford Woodruff. It couldn't have happened before. It had to happen when the St. George Temple was completed. Now, the appearance of the signers of the Declaration of Independence to Wilford not only changed his approach to temple work, but it also became a powerful example of the universal nature of proxy temple work. His experience underscored the role of the living in providing the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ's salvation to all who have ever lived. It also reminded the saints that those in the spirit world expected the saints to fulfill their responsibility. There is an expectation from those on the other side of the veil, and they are taught that us on this side of the veil, who have the authority and the right and who are have our temple recommends, that we will go to the temples and do the work for them. Can you imagine the prayers offered and uttered in our behalf that we may listen, that we may let go of the world and get this work done, that they too may also participate in these great and glorious blessings. Now, the message of universal salvation was one that Wilford frequently focused on over his subsequent 20 years of church leadership. All of God's children will be taught the principles of the gospel, and all will need to complete the saving ordinances. The signer's request reminded Wilford of this and expanded his circle of awareness. Now you think about Wilford Woodruff and not only the work that he was performing, but the he was going to be a prophet of God. This particular thinning of the belt uh experience influenced his further work of being a prophet, seer and revelator. He talked frequently about temple work. He was a champion of the saints to go to the temple and do the work for their dead and not just for their dead, but universally for all of God's children. And that thinning of the Vell experiences can also help us to understand further testimonies of how this work and the different parts of it that are important to us. Now, the eminent men that he listed in his journal are well known, and for the most part, their lives are well documented. But the imminent women, on the other hand, now remember this that was done by Lucy Bigelow-Young, as she was the matron of the temple, and this actually included many other people helping. But the women that were done ranged from infamous to unknown. Some were figures that are known, like Elizabeth Barrett Browning and novelist Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, and others, such as Char Charlotte Day Corday and Maria Antoinette, who were more controversial, were also done. And then there were 11 of the women who members of George Washington's extended family. Now, of the women on Wilford's list, 37 were wives of the eminent men, and another 24 of the women were married, but Wilford did not include their husbands on the corresponding list of eminent men, and proxy ordinances were not performed for them at that time. And we don't, we, we don't really know why. But I think eventually those were completed. Now, proxy endowments for the eminent men and women and proxy ordinations for the men were performed for the majority of the 160 individuals over the next few days. There was people, there was more than just Wilford and Lucy involved in this because that happened in two days, 168 total done over the next few days. The endowments for the remaining eminent men and women were finally completed after Wilford returned to preside over the St. George Temple in February 1878. So for the most part, they were done in a couple of days and then finished over the next couple of months. And of all the eminent men who were ordained to the office of elder, except George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Horatio Nelson, John Wesley, and Christopher Columbus, they were ordained to the office of high priest. So you have not just the endowment, but you have the offices and ordinations of priesthood appointment. And even though no children were sealed to their parents at this time, several marriage ceilings were performed. Now, I want to talk about a witness that also witnessed these things because remember the law of witnesses helps us to know that A, this actually happened, and B, that when we have experiences, it's out of the mouth of many to testify of them. Now, this was from, I'm going to read this testimony was given specifically by the recorder in the temple at the time, who is James Gordon Bleak. He says, I was also present in the St. George Temple and witnessed the appearance of the spirits of the signers. So he witnessed, he was a witness of this as well, the appearance of the spirits of the signers, the spirits of the presidents, and also others such as Martin Luther and John Wesley, who came to Wilfred Woodruff and demanded, he uses that same word, that their baptism and endowments be done. Wilfred Woodruff was baptized for all of them, while I and brothers J.D.T. McAllister and David H. Cannon, who were witnesses to the request, were endowed for them. The rejoicing continues. It didn't stop on that day in the St. George Temple. It is echoing in every single temple around the world. The joy of the releasing of the prisons and the bondage that they have been in. Now, in April 1898 at a general conference, President Wilford again added his testimony of this sacred experience. He says, I'm going to bear my testimony to this assembly if I never do it again in my life. That those men who had laid the foundation of this American government and signed the Declaration of Independence were the best spirits that God of heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits, not wicked men. General Washington and all the men that labored for the purpose were inspired of the Lord. Another thing I'm going to say here because I have a right to say it, every one of those men that signed the Declaration of Independence with General Washington called upon me as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ in the temple at St. George two consecutive nights and demanded at my hands that I should go forth and attend to the ordinances of the house of God for them. The Lord has a pattern. It's this massive chessboard where he moves people who have covenanted before they even come to come forth at a certain time to produce and participate in that part of the work that eventually will move to Zion. These people who created America and laid the foundations of religious freedom wanted to be also free from the bondage that they experienced on the other side of the veil. Now, why did they come to Wilford Woodruff? Because this is important. He was an elder in Israel. He had a temple recommend. He was doing the work. So why wouldn't they come to him? The Lord allowed a thinning of the veil experience that those particular men and women at that time were able and ready to receive their ordinances. And it was through a two-day experience of visions where he was feeling and conversing with those on the other side of the veil. Now, because God is no respecter of persons and this work must move forward with all of his sons and daughters being offered that opportunity, we can also stand in the place and position that we are also part of that chessboard. We were put here now so that this work would move forward and be completed. Are you participating in that in the way that Wilfred Woodruff was or Lucy Bigelow did? Because if you are, then you stand in a position to receive revelation from God. This work, barring any other work, parts the veil faster and more efficiently than any that I know of. The invitation is there for you and I. It was there for Wilford. It was there for Lucy. We are invited to participate in this last great work, this last part of it. And how does it get completed? It's by you and I daily making those decisions to not only be worthy to be in the temple as and be set apart as priests and priestesses and to the most high God, to be invited to to do that, standing in that calling, standing vicariously for our relatives who need and want their work done. The day will come when we will stand face to face and they will either ask us and demand from us why we didn't participate in their work or thank us for doing their work for them. Their prayers are constantly sent to our Heavenly Father on our behalf that we will wake up, that we will have the tongue of seven thunders to testify of these things to those around us. That power will come through the Spirit, and as we do the work, he will loose our tongues and testify that we may testify that this work may move forward as we are a little piece in that big chess puzzle. Thanks for joining me. I'm reminding you again to join me on Tuesday as we talk about Elijah, the prophets of Baal, and how that has to do with temple work and other things that are happening this week. The format is a little bit different. I throw stories in once in a while and a talk in once in a while. And we will kind of move forward with this pattern. Again, being patient with me as I'm not quite sure how this is all going to end up with my surgery. So thank you, my friends, for joining me. I invite you to participate in the grandest and glorious work that is happening on the earth today. And promise you that as you do so, the veil will thin for you and you will receive revelation upon revelation and knowledge upon knowledge. Thanks for joining me. Bye.