Woodruff initially focused on building cabins, farming, and grazing his cattle.
He experimented with different varieties of wheat.
He sold goods from outside of Utah in a retail store.
His efforts were not successful, and he focused on farming and herding in 1856.
In 1852, Woodruff began serving as church historian.
Phebe gave birth to Bulah in 1851, and to a son who died shortly after birth in 1853.
Wilford adopted an orphaned Paiute boy named Moroni Bosnel in 1855.
He also purchased a 6-year-old Paiute boy; it is unclear if the boy was part of the household as a slave or a son.
An adopted son named Saroquetes helped Wilford Jr. manage day-to-day ranching duties in the 1850s and 1860s.

Woodruff served multiple terms in the Utah territorial legislature.
He was a member of the legislative house from its formation in 1851 until 1854, and then served in the legislative council from 1854 until 1876.
Woodruff promoted public schools and noted attendance statistics when he traveled to southern Utah.
Woodruff served as a member of the 1862 Utah Constitutional Convention and as a member of the committee that drafted the appeal to the U.S. Congress to approve the constitution and grant statehood for Utah.
This attempt to join the Union failed.
Woodruff served as a member of the Provo City Council in 1868 and 1869.

Woodruff was also on the Board of Regents of the University of Deseret, where he chaired a committee to prepare spelling books in the Deseret Alphabet.
Woodruff spent some time in 1854 educating his own children at home before public schools were established.
He was president of a society for a lecture and discussion group called the Universal Scientific Society, founded in February 1855 and disbanded in November 1855.
He also attended meetings of the Polysophical Society, a literary group including Lorenzo and Eliza Snow.
The society stopped meeting after the Mormon Reformation in 1856.
Woodruff was president of the Deseret Horticultural Society, founded in September 1855, which sought to find the most productive trees and bushes.
By his own report, he had cultivated over 70 kinds of apples via importing and grafting, along with apricots, peaches, grapes, and currants in 1857.
On multiple occasions, his products won prizes at the Utah Territorial Fair.
Woodruff led the Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society 1862–1877.
The organization encouraged experimentation and shared knowledge about what plants would grow well in the territory.
The Utah Territorial Legislature chartered it in 1856.

Woodruff sometimes led ceremonies in the Endowment House after it was built in 1855, officiating every Saturday in sealings and endowments 1867–1868.
He served a "home mission" to reactivate lapsed members and call them to repentance, preaching for a renewed commitment to their religion throughout the Mormon Reformation.
During the time of the Utah War, he moved his family south to Provo in April 1858; they moved back to Salt Lake City in July.
During this time there were no public worship services in Salt Lake City, and Woodruff and the other members of the Twelve Apostles organized groups of priesthood holders that met regularly to pray and preach to one another.
Woodruff's wife Sara lived and taught school in Fort Harriman in 1960; she returned to Salt Lake City by 1965.
Delight moved to Fort Harriman in 1862 and her parents also lived there.
In 1866, Emma moved to a house on Woodruff's farm just outside Salt Lake City.
In 1868 Woodruff was elected to be part of the city council in Provo; his wife Delight moved to Provo to facilitate his work there.

Woodruff was the founding director of Zion's Cooperative Savings Bank in August 1871.
He was also on the board of directors for ZCMI.
When Brigham Young set up United Order communities in 1874, Woodruff helped organize United Orders in Provo, Pleasant Grove, American Fork, and Lehi, but did not enroll in the communalist program himself.
Most United Order programs stopped functioning after a few months.
Woodruff started keeping bees in 1870, and founded a society for bee-keepers in
Woodruff initially focused on building cabins, farming, and grazing his cattle. He experimented with different varieties of wheat. He sold goods from outside of Utah in a retail store. His efforts were not successful, and he focused on farming and herding in 1856. In 1852, Woodruff began serving as church historian. Phebe gave birth to Bulah in 1851, and to a son who died shortly after birth in 1853. Wilford adopted an orphaned Paiute boy named Moroni Bosnel in 1855. He also purchased a 6-year-old Paiute boy; it is unclear if the boy was part of the household as a slave or a son. An adopted son named Saroquetes helped Wilford Jr. manage day-to-day ranching duties in the 1850s and 1860s.
Woodruff served multiple terms in the Utah territorial legislature. He was a member of the legislative house from its formation in 1851 until 1854, and then served in the legislative council from 1854 until 1876. Woodruff promoted public schools and noted attendance statistics when he traveled to southern Utah. Woodruff served as a member of the 1862 Utah Constitutional Convention and as a member of the committee that drafted the appeal to the U.S. Congress to approve the constitution and grant statehood for Utah. This attempt to join the Union failed. Woodruff served as a member of the Provo City Council in 1868 and 1869.
Woodruff was also on the Board of Regents of the University of Deseret, where he chaired a committee to prepare spelling books in the Deseret Alphabet. Woodruff spent some time in 1854 educating his own children at home before public schools were established. He was president of a society for a lecture and discussion group called the Universal Scientific Society, founded in February 1855 and disbanded in November 1855. He also attended meetings of the Polysophical Society, a literary group including Lorenzo and Eliza Snow. The society stopped meeting after the Mormon Reformation in 1856. Woodruff was president of the Deseret Horticultural Society, founded in September 1855, which sought to find the most productive trees and bushes. By his own report, he had cultivated over 70 kinds of apples via importing and grafting, along with apricots, peaches, grapes, and currants in 1857. On multiple occasions, his products won prizes at the Utah Territorial Fair. Woodruff led the Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society 1862–1877. The organization encouraged experimentation and shared knowledge about what plants would grow well in the territory. The Utah Territorial Legislature chartered it in 1856.
Woodruff sometimes led ceremonies in the Endowment House after it was built in 1855, officiating every Saturday in sealings and endowments 1867–1868. He served a "home mission" to reactivate lapsed members and call them to repentance, preaching for a renewed commitment to their religion throughout the Mormon Reformation. During the time of the Utah War, he moved his family south to Provo in April 1858; they moved back to Salt Lake City in July. During this time there were no public worship services in Salt Lake City, and Woodruff and the other members of the Twelve Apostles organized groups of priesthood holders that met regularly to pray and preach to one another. Woodruff's wife Sara lived and taught school in Fort Harriman in 1960; she returned to Salt Lake City by 1965. Delight moved to Fort Harriman in 1862 and her parents also lived there. In 1866, Emma moved to a house on Woodruff's farm just outside Salt Lake City. In 1868 Woodruff was elected to be part of the city council in Provo; his wife Delight moved to Provo to facilitate his work there.
Woodruff was the founding director of Zion's Cooperative Savings Bank in August 1871. He was also on the board of directors for ZCMI. When Brigham Young set up United Order communities in 1874, Woodruff helped organize United Orders in Provo, Pleasant Grove, American Fork, and Lehi, but did not enroll in the communalist program himself. Most United Order programs stopped functioning after a few months. Woodruff started keeping bees in 1870, and founded a society for bee-keepers in
Wilford Woodruff