Frequently Asked Questions

What web browser should I use for optimal viewing of this site?

Use a recent version of a modern browser, such as Firefox 3.5+, Safari 5.0+, Chrome 5.0+, or Internet Explorer 8.0+.

How do I search this site?

For hints on searching this site, see the Search Tips.

How do I download an image?

For Firefox, Safari, and Chrome, right-click on the image and select “Save Image As…” For Internet Explorer, right-click on the image and select “Save Picture As…”

How do I print from this site?

Currently, the only way to print materials from this site is to use your browser’s print settings. Future releases will add print-friendly features.

Some of the transcripts or other materials on this site are labeled as “Interim content.” What does that mean?

The Joseph Smith Papers Project intends to publish on this website thrice-verified transcripts of all Joseph Smith documents. Most of the documents will also include textual and contextual annotation that have been subjected to rigorous internal and external review. To make transcripts available to the public as quickly as possible, the project may publish them in an interim phase after they have been verified twice but before they have been verified for the third and final time by a text expert and without the full historical introductions and annotation that will eventually accompany the documents. Such transcripts and any preliminary annotation will be labeled as “interim content.” The label “interim content” will also appear on reference materials, such as biographical entries, that do not yet have complete documentation posted on this site. In other words, “interim content” marks any content that will ultimately be replaced by upgraded, final content.

Why are there some apparent discrepancies between the images and the corresponding transcripts?

These discrepancies most likely result from the project’s use of transcription rules that focus on presenting the original text accurately and in a readable way. For example, the transcripts ignore later markings made by archivists or other people using the documents and ignore insubstantial cancellations or insertions, such as those that correct spelling. For detailed discussion of the project’s transcription rules, see the Note on Images and the Editorial Method.

Does this website include all Joseph Smith documents?

In its initial phases, the website will include a relatively small percentage of Joseph Smith’s papers. Additional documents are being added to the website routinely. The website will eventually include transcripts of all known, accessible documents that meet the project’s criteria as Joseph Smith documents.

What is the plan for adding more material on the website?

The website will grow significantly over time. Major phased releases, which will occur about once a quarter, will add more Joseph Smith documents, more reference materials, and more technical features that will assist site users in a variety of ways. The primary focus for this website for the next several years will be to add more document transcripts and document images as quickly as project scholars can produce transcripts that have been verified at least twice. Another high priority is adding many more biographical sketches, geographical descriptions, terms and definitions, and chronological entries to the Reference portion of this site to assist users in putting the documents in context. Eventually this website will contain fully verified transcripts of all Joseph Smith documents, with textual and contextual annotation for most of them.

What material will be published on the website but not in print?

It is currently contemplated that this website will include the following additional material not available in the print edition: as part of the Histories series, the entire multivolume manuscript history of Joseph Smith (later edited and published as History of the Church); as part of the Documents series, a number of certificates and other routine documents only samples of which were included in print; as part of the Legal and Business Records series, a significant amount of material not included in print; as part of the Revelations and Translations series, Joseph Smith's Bible revision manuscripts; as the Administrative Records series, transcripts of minute books, letterbooks, and other institutional records; a number of other Joseph Smith documents and closely related documents; and various reference materials.

Can I use images and other materials on this site for my own projects?

Use of materials on this website is governed by the Rights and Use policy.