On September 22, 1827, the Prophet Joseph Smith received the golden plates from the Angel Moroni. On September 22, 2009, exactly 182 years later, Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles received one of the first copies of The Joseph Smith Papers – Revelations and Translations from Elder Marlin K. Jensen, Church Historian and Recorder. Members of the media were invited to the ceremony at the Church History Library.

This oversize (9”x12”) facsimile edition contains full color photocopies of the original writings of Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and others.  On the facing pages is a meticulous transcript of that text to assist readers in deciphering the content.  The high resolution reproductions of the revelations include the “Book of Commandments and  Revelations” and the “Kirtland Revelation Book.”  These were used in the earliest publications of the Book of Commandments, which in later publications became the Doctrine and Covenants.  Both manuscript texts were published in their entirety, and reporters were able to view the original manuscripts in a protective display case.

The Book of Commandments and Revelations
1831-1832

The Book of Commandments and Revelations contains many of Joseph Smith’s earliest revelations.  It was used to print The Book of Commandments in 1833.

Kirtland Revelation Book
1832-1834

Begun by Frederick G. Williams and Joseph Smith, the Kirtland Revelation Book became an important collection of revelations received by the Prophet Joseph Smith.  It was later used to print the revelations in the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants.

Robert J. Woodford, Steven C. Harper , and Robin S. Jensen were the editors for this volume.

Richard E. Turley, Jr. Managing Director of the Family and Church History Department said the Joseph Smith project will eventually be about 30 volumes.  This book is the first in the series Revelations and Translations.  It is larger than most volumes, which are 7 x 10 inches, in order to provide the best possible image of the facsimile pages. 

He explained the need for such a volume, by telling a story about the founding documents of the United States.  In many high schools and government buildings, there’s a Freedom Shrine, containing copies of the founding documents.  Most people walk by without really ever looking at them.  But in Washington D.C., people wait in lines to see them, and spend time looking at them, and they weep.  There’s something special about looking at the original documents, as opposed to poor copies.  Their purpose in reproducing them so perfectly and in such a large format is to give both scholars and far-flung members of the Church the opportunity to have them readily accessible.

On the left hand page is the original page of Section 1 of the Doctrine and Covenants.  On the right is the transcription.  Corrections and changes are included  in the transcription, and are color coded according to who made the corrections.

Elder Jensen explained that in the early days of the Church, the people were very close to their “Prophet Joseph” and “Brother Brigham”.  He noted that we were much more formal today, and it would be hard to imagine calling President Monson “Brother Thomas”.  There was tremendous excitement for the idea that Joseph was receiving revelation.  He explained that when revelation was given to a particular individual it was called a commandment, but when it was more general to the Church as a whole, it was called a revelation. 

That’s why the original manuscript document was called the “Book of Commandments and Revelations.”  Revelations were taken down by clerks, and members who were going on missions and wanted them would make their own copies to take with them.  By commandment from the Lord, they were collected and preserved under Joseph’s direction.

He also stated in a powerful testimony “In focusing as we are on the JS Papers project we have known that there would be some risk in doing this…  Joseph Smith was only a prophet, only a man, only, in his own words, really, only a means to an end.  The end being, to increase faith in Jesus Christ, to bring people to him, where we believe, salvation is to be found.  We hope in the attention we are drawing to Joseph’s life, which we believe is a necessity in order to be able to explore the founding years of the Church of Jesus Christ, but we hope in doing so… that we remember that this truly is only to be a means to an end, that more people will come to Jesus Christ.”
Elder Jensen has called The Joseph Smith Papers “the single most significant historical project of our generation.” When finished, it will be the most complete and authoritative collection of documents related to Joseph Smith. 
Besides being the first in the Revelations and Translations series, this volume is also the first of a small number of volumes in The Joseph Smith Papers to be presented in a facsimile edition, which is designed to allow readers maximum access to the original texts. A photographic facsimile of the handwritten text is placed side-by-side with a meticulous transcript of that text to assist readers in deciphering the content.  Other features of this volume include:

• Verified transcripts that reproduce the original manuscripts of these foundational documents just as they appear today, preserving corrections and revisions.
• A color key that renders each scribe’s handwriting in a different color to facilitate analysis of original inscriptions and revisions.
• An oversized format that allows the photographic facsimiles and transcripts to be highly readable.
• Series, volume, and document introductions that place the manuscripts in their historical context.
• Charts to facilitate comparison of the texts with other important versions of those same texts.

The focus of Revelations and Translations is on the handwritten texts, the raw materials that scholars and others can use in studying the composition and the history of these foundational documents. Designed to last for generations, the heirloom volume is printed on custom-milled, acid-free archival paper with Smyth-sewn bindings. 

Elder Jensen then presented Elder Nelson with his copy, noting that “This gives new meaning to the term ‘heavy reading’ ”, and then Elder Nelson spoke.  He said, “The Revelations and Translations project is a tribute to Joseph Smith, but it is also a tribute to the principle of revelation from God. It is His deep desire to bless all of his children. 

“The importance and relevance of these revelations is in the fact that the heavens are open.  It is in the fact that God lives, that his beloved son Jesus is the living Christ, and that they direct the affairs of the Church to living prophets.  This access to revelation is not limited to prophets and apostles.  All of God’s children are entitled to receive personal revelation.  This is recorded in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants.  Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. 

“Joseph  Smith became great, because of revelation.  Without revelation, Joseph would have been just Joseph.  Gratefully, we too, can become greater than we ever otherwise could be, by receiving and responding to personal revelation.”

He asked, “So where does this new book fit in to the personal progress of the members of His church?  It is supplemental.”  Elder Nelson was in central and southern Utah last week.  They knew of the book and were very interested in it.  He asked the leaders of the Church in that area if they considered this book to be required reading for their members.  First answer was “No!  At $100 a copy, most of us can’t afford it.”  He responded “We would not ask anybody to make a sacrifice they could not afford.”  Everything they need for salvation is already available to them.  However, many of these same individuals indicated that they were going to purchase this new book regardless.  Why?  Because it would draw them closer to the Lord, his prophet, and the process of revelation. 

Sister Sheri Dew is the president of Deseret Book, and has been involved in the process of publishing The Joseph Smith Papers series. 

Sister Dew was available afterwards for interviews.  One of her comments on this volume that was very touching was that “It connects us directly to Joseph Smith, who received the revelation that ushered in the dispensation of the fullness of times, and that therefore connects us to the Lord Jesus Christ.  To me, what this volume says, is that we do believe in revelation, and we believe in revelation to a prophet, and we believe the fact that God will speak to his children on earth today.  Mothers, fathers, children, each of us in our respective stewardships, and you cannot thumb through the pages of this book and not have wash over you the clear feeling of what a privilege it is to have access to revelation and to instruction from God.”