Abraham O. Woodruff

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Abraham Owen Woodruff (November 23, 1872–June 20, 1904) (commonly known as Abraham O. Woodruff) born in Salt Lake City, Utah, was a member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1896 until his death in 1904. He was also the son of church president Wilford Woodruff. He was ordained at the remarkably young age of 23, but served less than 8 years.

Abraham Owen Woodruff was born November 23, 1872 to Wilford Woodruff and his wife Emma Smith Woodruff just south of Salt Lake City, Utah in a log house built by his father. He attended Latter-day Saints' College after he graduated from high school. Upon completion of his studies, he became employed in a bank at the age of 18. In 1893, at 21 years of age, he was called to the Swiss-German Mission, despite his father's poor health that year. While on his mission, he had to endure persecution of the missionaries and saints that lived in Germany. In order to preach and meet, he would dress and act like a common worker in the cities, and preach in secret in private homes at night. He was released after three years of service in 1896.

After his mission, he returned to work at the bank. On June 30, 1896, he married Helen May Winters. That October, in General Conference, he was called as an apostle at the very young age of 23. He was ordained by his father on October 7, 1896. He served as the other apostles, in helping to establish settlements and organize stakes and the church throughout the area. He developed a close and very personal relationship with his father during this time as well.

He took a second wife, Eliza Avery Clark, on November 1, 1900, thus practicing plural marriage 10 years after the 1890 Manifesto. It is not known who sealed the marriage or where it was performed. He may have been married outside of the U.S. He had one child with his second wife.

In May of 1904, he was called to visit the settlements of the saints in Mexico with his family. There, his wife, Helen Woodruff, contracted smallpox. She died on June 7, 1904 from that disease, with her husband patiently and faithfully waiting by her side. He contracted the disease himself, and died on June 20, 1904 in El Paso, Texas, at the young age of 31, after serving as an apostle for less than 8 years.