Wilford Woodruff Journal 2: Phoebe Woodruff's Spirit Left Her Body — She Was Given a Choice, Chose to Return (1838)

This is one of the most extraordinary near-death accounts in all of LDS pioneer history, recorded in full detail in Wilford Woodruff's own journal and published in *Leaves from My Journal* (1882).

In November 1838, Wilford and his wife Phoebe were traveling by wagon from Maine to join the Saints in Illinois. Phoebe had been sick for weeks — brain fever following a severe headache. She was gravely ill. Their infant child was also sick.

Woodruff recorded:

'The 1st of December was a trying day to my soul. My wife continued to fail, and in the afternoon, about 4 o'clock, she appeared to be struck with death. I stopped my team, and it seemed as though she would breathe her last lying in the wagon.'

He stopped at a tavern, worked over her all night, praying constantly. The next morning he carried her into a house two miles down the road, determined to stay until she either recovered or died. That evening: 'She called me to her bedside and said she felt as though a few moments more would end her existence in this life.'

Then, on December 3rd, her spirit apparently left her body. She lay dead before him. The sisters gathered weeping. Woodruff stood in agony. Then:

'The spirit and power of God began to rest upon me until, for the first time during her sickness, faith filled my soul, although she lay before me as one dead.'

He anointed her with consecrated oil, laid his hands upon her, and in the name of Jesus Christ rebuked the power of death and commanded the spirit of life to enter her body.

Phoebe later described what she saw while her spirit was separated from her body. Two personages entered the room carrying a coffin, saying they had come for her body. One told her she had a choice: go to rest in the spirit world, or return to her body and continue her mortal life on one condition — that she could stand by her husband and with him pass through all the cares, trials, tribulations and afflictions he would be called to endure for the gospel's sake.

She looked at Wilford, at her baby, and said: 'Yes, I will do it!'

At that moment, Woodruff recorded, faith flooded his soul, he administered the anointing and blessing, and Phoebe's spirit returned. She saw the two personages carry the coffin out the door.

On December 6th, the Spirit said to Woodruff: 'Arise, and continue thy journey!' Phoebe arose, dressed herself, walked to the wagon, and they continued on their way rejoicing.