Patriarch Joseph Smith Sr.'s blessing upon Wilford Woodruff

“When Father Joseph Smith gave me my patriarchal blessing, among the many wonderful things of my life, he promised me that I should bring my father's household into the kingdom of God, and I felt that if I ever obtained the blessing, the time had come for me to perform it. By the help of God, I preached the gospel faithfully to my father's household and to all that were with him, as well as to my other relatives, and I had appointed a meeting on Sunday, the 1st of July at my father's home. My father was believing my testimony, as were all in his household, but upon this occasion the devil was determined to hinder the fulfillment of the promise of the patriarch unto me. It seemed as though Lucifer, the son of the morning, had gathered together the hosts of hell and exerted his powers upon us all. I was tempted to leave the house and go away, but I prayed to the Lord, and the Spirit said, 'Preach the gospel to them.' I did so, and the power of God rested upon us. At the close of the meeting we assembled on the banks of the Farmington River, 'because there was much water there,' and I led six of my friends into the river and baptized them for the remission of their sins. All of my father's household were included in this number, as the patriarch had promised. My father, my stepmother, my sister Eunice, my cousin Seth Woodruff, my aunt Anna Cossett, and a Methodist class leader named Dwight Webster, were the persons baptized. It was truly a day of joy to my soul.”

— Wilford Woodruff, Leaves from My Journal