Description
Compiled by Larry E. Morris
The story of the creation of the Book of Mormon has been told many times, and often ridiculed. A Documentary History of the Book of Mormon presents and examines the primary sources surrounding the origin of the foundational text of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the most successful new religion of modern times.
The scores of documents transcribed and annotated in this book include family histories, journal entries, letters, affidavits, reminiscences, interviews, newspaper articles, and book extracts, as well as revelations dictated in the name of God. From these texts emerges the captivating story of what happened (and what was believed or rumored to have happened) between September 1823-when the seventeen-year-old farm boy Joseph Smith announced that an angel of God had directed him to an ancient book inscribed on gold plates-and March 1830, when the Book of Mormon was first published. By compiling for the first time a substantial collection of both first- and secondhand accounts relevant to the inception of the divine revelation-or clever fraud-that launched a new world religion, A Documentary History makes a significant contribution to the rapidly growing field of Mormon Studies.
Larry E. Morris, formerly an editor with the Joseph Smith Papers, is the author of The Fate of the Corps: What Became of the Lewis and Clark Explorers after the Expedition. Morris has published articles in such periodicals as The Missouri Historical Review, American History, the Journal of Mormon History, BYU Studies, and We Proceeded On.
“No other source contains in one volume such a comprehensive view of all the relevant documents to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Larry E. Morris has provided an invaluable resource for researchers and interested parties.” — Cheryl L. Bruno, Association for Mormon Letters
“Larry Morris brings together for the first time in one volume the essential documents for understanding the Book of Mormon’s origins. With abundant documentation and insightful commentary, Morris chronicles each scene of the book’s history—from Moroni’s first visit through the book’s 1830 publication, allowing the historical players to speak for themselves. While giving priority to sources closest in time and place to the events described, Morris brings together the voices of true believers and avowed skeptics, immersing readers in the drama and controversy of what is likely the most important literary work in American history. Scholars and laypersons alike will find the volume indispensable.” –Boyd Petersen, Program Coordinator for Mormon Studies, Utah Valley University
“Larry Morris’s book is the essential bedrock upon which future studies of the Book of Mormon will be based. Whether mined for understanding the believer’s viewpoint or its reception among the wider population, these are documents that matter. Morris has collected the essentials for both novice and specialist alike. The carefully edited and introduced collection provides a rich and rounded view of this important topic in American history.”–Brant A. Gardner, author of Second Witness: Analytical and Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon
“This book is indispensable for anyone, scholar or interested amateur, who wants to know and understand the documents related to Joseph Smith’s assertion that he found gold plates and translated them by the power of God into the Book of Mormon. Smith’s claims launched a radical religious movement that has had a major impact on American history and Morris has collected here, with impressive detail, the records essential to understanding its origins.” –Gerrit Dirkmaat, Assistant Professor of Church History and Doctrine, Brigham Young University
One: “He Appeared unto Me Three Times in One Night”
Joseph and the Angel: September 1823-September 1826
Two: “The Same Heavenly Messenger Delivered Them Up To Me”
Joseph and the Plates: September-December 1827
Three: “I Cannot Read a Sealed Book”
Martin Harris’s Venture to Eastern Scholars: February 1828
Four: “I Stood Alone, an Unlearned Youth”
The Translation Begins: April-June 1828
Five: “I Have Lost My Soul”
Martin Harris and the Missing Manuscript: Summer 1828
Six: “It Is Marvelous to Me”
Interlude: Autumn 1828-March 1829
Seven: “Days Never To Be Forgotten”
The Translation: April-May 1829
Eight: “I Often Sat By and Saw and Heard Them Translate and Write for Hours Together”
The Translation: June 1829
Nine: “An Angel of God Came Down from Heaven”
The Three Witnesses: Late June 1829
Ten: “The Appearance of Ancient Work, and of Curious Workmanship”
The Eight Witnesses: Late June 1829
Eleven: “Written by the Hand of Mormon”
Publication of the Book of Mormon: June 1829-March 1830
