The Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation has announced a conference scheduled for Nov. 13, 2026, at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City. The event, titled "2026: A Rich & Holy Legacy," will feature a lineup of historians and religious leaders to discuss the legacy of Wilford Woodruff and the documentation of the Restoration of the Gospel.
Featured Conference Speakers
The conference will include presentations from several prominent figures in religious history and administration. Jennifer Ann Mackley, the Executive Director of the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation, is among the featured speakers. Mackley co-founded the foundation in 2019 and is the author of "Wilford Woodruff's Witness: The Development of Temple Doctrine and Desarrollo de la doctrina del templo."
Religious Leaders to Present
Other scheduled speakers include Elder Kyle S. McKay, the Church Historian and Recorder and Executive Director of the Church History Department, who will present "Out of Obscurity: Documenting the Restoration of the Gospel." Elder LeGrand Curtis, Jr., an emeritus General Authority Seventy and current member of the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation Board of Directors, is also slated to speak on the same topic.
Historical Perspectives
Matthew C. Godfrey, a senior historian in the Church History Department and former managing historian of the Joseph Smith Papers, is also scheduled to speak. The event aims to explore the historical impact and documentation of the era associated with Wilford Woodruff.
The Legacy of Phebe Woodruff
The conference highlights the historical legacy of Phebe Carter Woodruff, the first wife of Wilford Woodruff. Born in Scarborough, Maine, on March 8, 1807, Phebe converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1834 at age 27. She and Wilford were married on April 13, 1837, in Kirtland, Ohio.
Life of Trial and Faith
Phebe Woodruff's life was marked by significant personal trials and religious devotion. According to historical records, she survived a serious bout of "brain fever" during a journey to Illinois, an event Wilford Woodruff recorded as a miracle of priesthood blessing. Of her nine children, only five survived beyond the age of two.
Leadership and Advocacy
Phebe was also a prominent figure in early church organizations and social causes. In 1856, she was chosen as President of the 14th Ward Relief Society. She later served on the Deseret Hospital Board of Directors and was a presiding member of the Board of the Ladies’ Cooperative Retrenchment Association. Additionally, in January 1870, she spoke at a "Great Indignation Meeting" in Salt Lake City regarding the legality of plural marriage and was later appointed to a committee to promote women’s suffrage.
Settlement in Utah
The Woodruffs eventually established a permanent home in Salt Lake City, known as the Valley House, after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley on Oct. 14, 1850.
