I ran across this interesting event in Wilford Woodruff’s life that may be of interest to you.

For President Woodruff’s 70th birthday (at the time he was serving as an apostle and president of the St. George Temple), he requested that the local sisters perform the endowments for his dead female relatives. This is what he said to them on this occasion:

My beloved sisters, I present myself before you this morning, not only with prayer and fasting but with a heart filled with praise and thanksgiving to my Heavenly Father, for his many mercies, and for his kindness to me this day. I am thankful to you also, my sisters, for a blessing of such magnitude as you are bestowing upon me. I do not suppose such a scene as this was ever before enacted upon the earth. Ever since I have been working in this Temple, my mind has been exercised in behalf of the dead. I have a great desire to see my dead redeemed before I pass away.

A few days ago, I went before the Lord in this holy Temple, where I often go to pray. There is no more acceptable spot on this earth to the Lord than this Temple. While in humble prayer, with the subject of temple ordinances resting upon my mind, I prayed the Lord to open the way for the redemption of my dead. The Spirit of the Lord rested upon me and gave me the following testimony:

‘Let My servant Wilford call upon the daughters and mothers in Zion and let them enter into My holy Temple on the 1^st day of March, the day that my servant Wilford shall see the time allotted to man, three score years and ten. There let them receive their endowments for his dead kindred, and this shall be acceptable unto Me, saith the Lord. The dead relatives of My servant shall be redeemed in the spirit world and be prepared to meet my servant at the time of his coming, which shall be at the time appointed unto him, yet not revealed to man in the flesh. Now, go to and perform this work and all shall be accomplished according to the desires of thy heart.’

This was merely a key to me, a light burst upon my understanding, and I saw an effectual door opened to me for the redemption of my dead. When I beheld this, I felt like shouting, ‘Glory hallelujah to God and the Lamb.’ I did not pursue this course, however, without first making known my testimony to President Young. Upon consulting him, he said that my course was proper; what I did was right; and what I received came from the Lord. He offered to provide several persons himself. I feel thankful to you, my sisters, for this manifestation of your kindness to me. Had you sought the world over, you could not have found a birthday present so precious to me as this. If I can redeem my dead and save myself and family, I shall be highly gratified. I feel that when we get into the spirit world, we shall see the importance of this day. I pray that we may meet with your kindred dead in the celestial kingdom of God.”

Utah Genealogical & Historical Magazine, “A Testimony from President Woodruff,” January 1914, p. 97-98.