This article was originally published in Meridian Magazine by Reid N. Moon. Below is an excerpt.
As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, I’m a treasure hunter–of historical artifacts. I am particularly interested in early Church history. A few months ago I spent several hours combing through stacks of letters that were written between Phebe and Wilford Woodruff. This large group of letters had been recently acquired from descendants of Wilford Woodruff. I was both fascinated and intrigued by the content of these letters. It seemed as if each letter filled in a missing piece or clarified familiar stories in Church history. I was especially interested to learn more about Wilford Woodruff’s wife Phebe.
I first heard the name “Phebe W. Carter [Woodruff]” when I watched the Church video Mountain of the Lord [1993] many years ago. There’s a scene in the movie that shows Wilford Woodruff walking along a dirt road in Kirtland. While he is walking, he hears the angelic voice of a woman [Phebe W. Carter] singing a hymn. Wilford Woodruff soon joins in. This surprises Phebe and she opens her second-story window to find out who is singing along . It was Wilford Woodruff. They were soon properly introduced and after a “lengthy” courtship of 2 1/2 months they were married.
To read the rest of the article, go to Meridian Magazine.