Joseph Smith (1805–1844) was the founding prophet and first president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Joseph Smith Papers project is an effort to gather together all available documents produced by Joseph Smith himself or by others he appointed as scribes. This comprehensive collection is an essential resource for scholars and students of the life and work of Joseph Smith, early Mormonism, and nineteenth-century American religion.
Church Historian and Recorder Elder Marlin K. Jensen said, “We believe The Joseph Smith Papers will be the most important Church history project of this generation.”
The landmark collection will include 20 volumes organized into six series: Journals, Revelations and Translations, History, Documents, Administrative Records, and Legal and Business Records. All of the more than 2,000 documents will be published electronically on the project’s website, and a large number will also be published in print.
The research venture earned an endorsement by the National Archives’ National Historical Publications and Records Commission, an approval signifying that the highest scholarly standards are employed in all phases of the work.
The project is staffed by scholars, archivists, and editors employed by the Church History Library. The publisher of the project’s print and web publications is The Church Historian’s Press, an imprint of the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.