Wilford Woodruff's divine prompting to find his strayed horses
Published October 5, 2026 at 5:50 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
Wilford Woodruff had a distinct impression to go to a farm, despite not knowing why. Upon arriving, he discovered his horses had strayed into a lot and were in danger of being lost or wandering away, and his timely arrival allowed him to retrieve them and prevent the loss.
Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):
I had a pair of horses, and one day I felt a strong impression to go to the farm. I did not know what for, but I felt I must go. I went to the stable, harnessed my horses, and started off. My wife asked me where I was going. I told her I did not know. I drove to the farm, and when I arrived there I found my horses had broken into a lot where they were in danger of being lost or killed, and I arrived just in time to save them. I have had many such manifestations during my life.
In Their Own Words
“As I was hitching the horses to the carriage, Mrs. Woodruff asked where I was going. I said, 'To the farm.' 'What for?' she asked. 'I do not know,' I replied; but when I arrived there I found out. My horses were wading in the river, and had broken the fence to get from the lot into the river. I saved my horses and carriage, through my own exertions I soon returned them to their place. — Millennial Star 43:50”
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 12 December 1881 (Vol. 43, No. 50). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1881-12-12_43_50 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Fuller account: Leaves from My Journal, Third Edition, Chapter 24 https://archive.org/details/leavesfrommyjour00wood/page/92/mode/2up
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