Documents, Volume 8: February–November 1841 Is Now Available

The Church Historian’s Press is pleased to announce the release of the latest volume of The Joseph Smith Papers. Documents, Volume 8 covers February through November 1841 and reveals a city humming with activity as Joseph Smith and the Latter-day Saints worked to develop the newly established Nauvoo, Illinois. 

 

“The months covered in Documents, Volume 8 highlight great growth and development in the city of Nauvoo,” explains Brent M. Rogers, one of the volume’s coeditors. “From the increase in church members gathering to the banks of the Mississippi and the beginning efforts to construct the temple to the organization of city government, Joseph Smith’s experience in 1841 Nauvoo is fascinating. It is a time of relative calm, hope, and optimism. But the months covered in this volume are not without their difficulties. One can see an approachable and relatable Joseph Smith as he deals with debt repayment and the death of family members—life experiences that continue to resonate today.” 

 

Documents, Volume 8 contains 99 documents, including personal correspondence, revelations, discourses, financial documents, and meeting minutes. Key texts include minutes from a special conference in August 1841 in which Joseph Smith delegated Church administrative responsibilities to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, documents pertaining to cornerstone ceremonies for the Nauvoo temple and the Nauvoo House, minutes from the Nauvoo City Council and the Nauvoo Legion illustrating the city’s growth and Joseph Smith’s role in civic matters, and correspondence relating to missionary work by the Quorum of the Twelve and others. The documents show that Joseph Smith’s role as leader of the Latter-day Saints remained firm as he led and managed the growing church, continued to instruct its people, and supported the building up of Nauvoo as the church’s gathering place.

 

Documents, Volume 8 was edited by Brent M. Rogers, Mason K. Allred, Gerrit J. Dirkmaat, and Brett D. Dowdle, with Nicole Christensen Fernley as the lead production editor. Visit the volume page on our website for more information. The book may be purchased on Amazon, at DeseretBook.com, or at bookstores that sell Latter-day Saint titles. An e-book version is also available.