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The Joseph Smith Papers: Documents . Vols. 7–15

2025; Volume: 12; Linguagem: Inglês

10.5406/21568030.12.12

2156-8030

Mark R. Cheathem,

Archaeology and Natural History

In June 2023, the Joseph Smith Papers Project completed its final print publication. The entire project totaled twenty-seven volumes divided into five series: Documents, Journals, Revelations and Translations, Histories, and Administrative Records. The nine volumes under review here span September 1839 to June 28, 1844, and are part of the Documents series, which includes all of Joseph Smith's known papers created during the last six years of his life.Space constrictions make it impossible to describe each volume's contents in detail, but suffice it to say, if someone wants to understand the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they should start here. Significant topics covered include the development of Nauvoo, Illinois, as Mormonism's geographic center of power, as well as the church's attention to expanding its reach beyond Nauvoo. Unsurprisingly, the maturation of Smith's role as the Mormon prophet also receives substantial attention, as he disclosed revelations about eternal and plural marriages, among other things. Smith's politics are also addressed, specifically his role as Nauvoo's mayor, his contentious relationship with government officials in Illinois and Missouri, and his campaign for the US presidency in 1844. Finally, readers learn about the opposition—both external and internal—that Smith and the Mormons experienced throughout these years, which climaxed in June 1844 with Smith's murder in Carthage, Illinois.The strengths of the volumes—indeed, of the entire project—are apparent no matter which volume is consulted. Each one briefly introduces the period, significant events, and prominent figures covered in its pages. Read together, these introductions give users a concise history of Smith and this early era of Mormonism's growth. Historical introductions, supplemented by annotations, also accompany the individual documents, furnishing readers with more detailed context for each document.The editors explain their methodology for document selection, transcription, and annotation to assist users at the beginning of each volume. The documents themselves are "verbatim transcripts . . . unaltered and unabridged," with symbolic transcription indicating instances of interlineation, deletion, and additional authorial decisions made by Smith and others as they wrote (15:xlv). Biographical directories and organizational charts appear at the end of each volume; the latter are particularly useful for non–Latter-day Saint readers unfamiliar with the church's historical structure. Also included are pertinent maps and geographical directories to help users visualize important places and movements. Readers wanting to learn more about the history detailed in the volume can consult an essay of sources; those looking for specific individuals or topics can use the comprehensive index at the end.A sample document from volume 7 illustrates several of these features (66–73). On December 5, 1839, Joseph Smith and Elias Higbee wrote a letter to Hyrum Smith and the Nauvoo High Council describing their visit with President Martin Van Buren in Washington, DC. The historical introduction explains the reason for the visit and the protocol for interacting with the president in that era. Annotations provide additional biographical information on individuals mentioned in the letter and other details that help the reader visualize the historical setting. They also point to scholarly sources critical to understanding the broader context of the period. A map illustrates the journey undertaken by the Mormon delegation (67).Readers might encounter two minor challenges when using volumes produced by this project. Those unfamiliar with the standard editorial symbols and stylings scattered throughout document transcriptions may find themselves forced to consult the editorial method section frequently. However, since the documents are not intended to provide a cohesive narrative, this imposition is relatively insignificant. Another feature of the volumes that may seem overly pedantic is the physical description of a document that precedes its appearance. These descriptions, which run the gamut from size, condition, number of folds, etc., are often very detailed. For example, the description of a June 1842 letter that Smith wrote to James Arlington Bennet includes the number of ruled lines, a tear in the letter caused by the red wax seal, places in the letter that are discolored, and a description of who owned the letter and how it arrived in church custody (10:206). While some readers may find these details too intricate or even inconsequential, they should remember that because Joseph Smith's papers hold such spiritual significance for Latter-day Saints, and given the instances of attempted forgery perpetrated against the church in the past, itemizing a document's condition and custodial chain is essential for authenticating its provenance.To call the Joseph Smith Papers Project an exemplary documentary edition would be an understatement. The editors are experts on their topic and meticulous in their work. Church members and scholars owe them a debt of gratitude for their valuable contribution to preserving and disseminating the history of a critical American religious figure and institution.