Absolom's Obituary

Ada’s grandfather, Absolom Woolf, was part of one of the first companies to come to Utah from the midwest and had an influential role in the building up of the new area. Some of these responsibilities included a mail carrier and a member of the Utah Militia.

Absolom’s obituary goes into detail about three primary chapters of his life.

First, he was raised within the LDS Church, mentioning specifically his remembrance of the death of Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the LDS Church.

Second, he explained the exodus of the LDS peoples from Illinois to the Great Salt Lake Basin, their settlement, and development. During this development phase, Absolom was ordained a Seventy for the LDS Church (see ordination certificate of Joseph Morrell below for more information on that position).

Third, Absolom’s life was consumed by his marriages. Absolom engaged in polygamy, a somewhat common practice among early Mormon settlers, and married two different women on the same day. All together, he witnessed the birth of 22 of his own children (16 of whom would live into adulthood). The obituary focuses on the idea that Absolom was the only man in the previous 53 years who married two women on the same day. The article addresses the fact that he lived with both of them to their Golden (50th) Anniversary, a feat that was recorded in newspapers in New York as well as in Europe. He lived out the last portion of his life in Cache Valley, raising many of his children there, and leaving a large descendancy to help with the further development of the valley.

Ada's Family Chart

This family tree is specific to Ada Morrell, showing the last five generations of her ancestry. This chart is an example of the genealogy that LDS members felt an obligation to complete. At a semiannual general conference for all of the members of the church in 1972, Theodore M. Burton, a general authority for the LDS church (who also lived in Cache Valley for some time) gave a speech on the importance of members researching and studying their family histories. Some excerpts of that speech include:

“Stated, then, in simple words, I say to every member of the Church that you have a personal, individual responsibility to become engaged in priesthood genealogical activity. The real impact of the priesthood genealogy program is one of individual responsibility...so I must say that this work is your individual responsibility and each of you, as an individual, must become converted to this work as a personal responsibility.”

Burton then goes on to quote Brigham Young, the second President of the LDS Church, who explained, “We have a work to do just as important in its sphere as the Savior’s work was in its sphere. Our fathers cannot be made perfect without us; we cannot be made perfect without them. They have done their work and now sleep. …Now, all you children, are you looking to the salvation of your fathers? Are you seeking diligently to redeem those that have died without the Gospel, inasmuch as they sought the Lord Almighty to obtain promises for you? For our fathers did obtain promises that their seed should not be forgotten. O ye children of the fathers, look at these things. You are to enter into the temples of the Lord and officiate for your forefathers.” [1]

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are taught they have a responsibility to their predecessors for finding the information that is required in order to perform ordinances on behalf of the deceased. As is evident by the above quotes, the leadership of the church took this topic quite seriously, and encouraged the members of the church to take it seriously as well. The  gathering and preserving of family history documents is not just seen as a hobby to members of the LDS church, it is a responsibility and a necessity for the salvation of their ancestors’ souls. Evidence of this idea in Ada’s case is the fact that most of her scrapbook collection is comprised of sheets of family history charts with papers and documents glued to the front and back of each sheet.

Joseph's Ordination Certificate

Ada’s husband, Joseph Morrell, was ordained (called) to the Quorum of the Seventy in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1927. This position is one of influence over the proceedings of the church in certain geographical areas. A Seventy is responsible for the spiritual and physical welfare of the other church members in that area. The main responsibility for this quorum of men was to assist the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (another group of men who hold higher office within church government) in ecclesiastical duties and responsibilities, along with assisting the president of the church (the highest position within the church government, believed by the members of the LDS church as a prophet of God).

To be called to the Quorum of the Seventy is viewed as a great honor, and Ada must have felt strongly about preserving this document for her own children and grandchildren to see. This is just one example of the type of documents that members of the LDS church would want to preserve. There are many different documents and certificates that members still keep today- whether it be a baptismal certificate, mission call (where young men and women can go preach a gospel message for 18-24 months, most often a great distance away from where they are raised), or certificates commemorating a call to a high office within the church. While the certificates and documents may not be as grand in style as they use to be in Ada’s days, they are still kept and preserved for their significance in commemorating special occasions within the church.