As the private secretary to two LDS Church presidents, the dedicated diarist L. John Nuttall knew much about the inner workings of the church bureaucracy. Brother Nuttall's tenure happened to be during the raid, as Presidents John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff hid from federal marshals intent on arresting polygamists. A polygamist himself, Nuttall could not approach his own children, whom he had not seen for years, when he saw them walk past the building where he was sequestered. Not inclined to tell anecdotes or confide personal feelings to his diary, Nuttall nevertheless kept meticulous records of business dealings, political maneuvering, private correspondence, and leadership decisions. He was a behind-the-scenes observer of the contentious probate settlement of Brigham Young's estate, the Manifesto ending polygamy, and the quest for statehood. Occasionally he gave voice to some of the anger Mormons felt over non-Mormon influence in Utah.