Author Description

"Volume 1-July 1828-June 1831, marks the beginning of the Documents series of The Joseph Smith Papers. When complete, the Documents series will publish more than a thousand documents created, authorized, or owned by Joseph Smith, including each of his revelations in its earliest form, reports of his discourses, and correspondence... Among the contents of this volume are more than five dozen revelations that were presented in the first-person voice of Jesus Christ, including texts later published in the Doctrine and Covenants, the expansive "visions of Moses" (now found in the Pearl of Great Price), and revelations never canonized. In addition, several documents in this volume trace the process of translating and printing the Book of Mormon, as well as early efforts to evangelize using the book and its message."--Deseretbook.com. "Volume 2-July 1831-January 1833, opens in the summer of 1831 with the designation of Jackson County, Missouri, as the location of Zion and follows a period of administrative growth and doctrinal development in the church Joseph Smith founded. The volume contains revelations, correspondence, minutes of meetings in which Joseph Smith participated, and licenses provided to church officers. It documents the creation of the United Firm, the decision to print Joseph Smith s revelations, and the first meeting of the School of the Prophets. The volume also illuminates Joseph Smith s family life through two poignant letters from Joseph to his wife Emma"--Amazon.com. "Volume 3... features primarily minutes of meetings, letters, and revelations but also includes city plats, priesthood licenses, a warrant, a deed, and an attempt to classify the scriptures by topic."--Page xvii. Volume 4. "Between April 1834 and September 1835, Joseph Smith and the church he led faced tumultuous times. The documents in this volume of The Joseph Smith Papers highlight Joseph Smith's struggle for Zion's redemption during this period, whether through the calling of the Camp of Israel (later known as Zion's Camp) or through the continued construction of the House of the Lord in Kirtland, Ohio, where the Saints would be endowed with power. Other documents highlight the development of new leadership positions in the church, such as those of Apostle and Seventy. Still other documents show the great efforts that Joseph Smith and other church leaders made to publish a compilation of Smith's revelations, called the Doctrine and Covenants, in 1835. Together, the documents provide insights into the development of the church and characteristics of Joseph Smith as a husband, father, and leader of a growing religious movement."--Amazon.com. Volume 5. "Perhaps no volume of the Joseph Smith Papers conveys the highs and lows of Joseph Smith's life better than Documents, Volume 5. Through letters, revelations, and meeting minutes--as well as more unusual documents such as a map, an essay on abolition, and a study of the Egyptian language--this volume brings to life the consequential and often emotionally charged months from October 1835 to January 1838."--Deseretbook.com Volume 6. "Fearing for his life, Joseph Smith fled Kirtland, Ohio, in January 1838 and traveled hundreds of miles to Far West, Missouri. Over the next year and a half, he sought to establish Far West as a city of Zion with a temple, was involved in armed conflict between the Latter-day Saints and other Missourians, was arrested and imprisoned, escaped custody and fled to Illinois, and helped establish new settlements in Illinois and Iowa Territory for the Saints."--Deseretbook.com "Volume 7 contains personal correspondence, discourses, minutes, a revelation, and a memorial to the United States Congress, among other documents. The volume shows Joseph Smith and the church endeavoring to establish another gathering place for the Saints. Specific topics addressed in these documents include the practical and spiritual building up of Nauvoo, Illinois; the struggle to obtain redress for the property and lives lost in Missouri; the missionary efforts of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in England; and the introduction of new teachings and doctrines, including baptism for the dead"--Amazon.com. Volume 8-February-November 1841. "The ten months covered by this volume were relatively peaceful and optimistic--the Nauvoo charter had just been approved, and Joseph Smith and the Saints were busy building the Nauvoo temple and establishing the municipal infrastructure of the new city. While performing his duties as a member of the newly formed Nauvoo City Council and as the lieutenant general of the Nauvoo Legion, Joseph Smith faced the challenges of accommodating the influx of immigrating converts and making debt payments on land acquired in the Nauvoo area. Though heavily preoccupied by these civic and business matters, Joseph Smith continued to lead and teach the Saints in his role as prophet"--Amazon.com. Volume 9. "This ninth volume in the Documents series features over a hundred letters, revelations, meeting minutes, deeds, sermon accounts, and other documents from December 1841 through April 1842. They chronicle developments in the Church, community, and Joseph Smith s personal life during these important months in Nauvoo, Illinois. The rich documentary record from this period details the creation of the Relief Society, the establishment of a Freemason s lodge in Nauvoo, and the opening of Joseph Smith s store. This book offers a unique portrait of the breadth of Joseph Smith s daily activities as he serves as a military leader and vice mayor of Nauvoo, becomes editor of the Church s newspaper, takes advantage of the nation s new bankruptcy law, and continues to instruct Latter-day Saints near and far through discourses and correspondence. Readers will come away from this volume with an increased understanding of the Prophet s life and this pivotal period in the creation of the restored Church of Jesus Christ."--Amazon.com