Footnotes
Parley P. Pratt, New York City, NY, to JS, [Nauvoo, IL], 22 Nov. 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 77. Pratt did not specifically propose to publish the revelations.
JS Letterbook 2 / Smith, Joseph. “Copies of Letters, &c. &c.,” 1839–1843. Joseph Smith Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155, box 2, fd. 2.
See, for example, Charles Thompson, Batavia, NY, 2 Feb. 1841, Letter to the editor, Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1841, 2:349: “I would say further, there is a great call for Books of Mormon here: had I one hundred I could dispose of them all in a short time, and also the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and Hymn Books.”
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Hyrum Smith, Nauvoo, IL, to Parley P. Pratt, New York City, NY, 22 Dec. 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 80–81; Hyrum Smith, Nauvoo, IL, to Lucian Foster, Jan. 1840, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 83–84; Hyrum Smith, Nauvoo, IL, to JS and Elias Higbee, Washington DC, 2 Jan. 1840, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 92–93. This restriction did not apply in the mission in England, perhaps because of the cost of shipping books overseas from the United States. JS told the Quorum of the Twelve that he had no objection to the Doctrine and Covenants being published in England and that “if there is a great demand for them,” he “would rather encourage it.” (JS, Nauvoo, IL, to “Beloved Brethren,” [England], 15 Dec. 1840, JS Collection, CHL; see also H. Smith to P. Pratt, 22 Dec. 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 81.)
JS Letterbook 2 / Smith, Joseph. “Copies of Letters, &c. &c.,” 1839–1843. Joseph Smith Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155, box 2, fd. 2.
Smith, Joseph. Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155.
“Minutes of the General Conference,” Times and Seasons, Oct. 1840, 1:186. The original minutes from which the published version came did not mention the Doctrine and Covenants. A First Presidency report published in the same issue of Times and Seasons stated that arrangements were being made for printing the Doctrine and Covenants. (General Church Minutes, 3 Oct. 1840; “Report from the Presidency,” Times and Seasons, Oct. 1840, 1:187–188.)
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” The Return, July 1890, 302. Robinson acquired stereotyping equipment at least by early January 1841. Stereotyping, a common nineteenth-century printing practice, was intended to speed up the process of mass printing. After setting type for a page, the printer created a mold of the type, into which he poured hot lead, thereby creating a plate from which to print each page. This allowed the individual pieces of type to be reused to set additional pages. The plates could be reused for later printings. (Advertisement, Times and Seasons, 1 Jan. 1841, 2:272; Gaskell, New Introduction to Bibliography, 201–204.)
The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Gaskell, Philip. A New Introduction to Bibliography. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 2009.
Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” The Return, May 1890, 259; see also “Minutes of the General Conference,” Times and Seasons, Oct. 1840, 1:186. Robinson was also coeditor and copublisher of the Nauvoo newspaper Times and Seasons through December 1840. Robinson and Don Carlos Smith began publishing that newspaper in 1839 as partners, but their partnership dissolved in “mutual consent” in mid-December 1840, with Smith taking charge of the newspaper and Robinson of the “Books, or Book & fancy printing.” Robinson began editing and publishing the newspaper again in August 1841, following the death of Don Carlos Smith. (“Dissolution,” Times and Seasons, 15 Dec. 1840, 2:256; “To the Patrons of the Times and Seasons,” Times and Seasons, 16 Aug. 1841, 2:511.)
The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Bray, “Times and Seasons: An Archaeological Perspective,” 67–73; Notice, Times and Seasons, 1 Dec. 1841, 3:615. Besides the two structures mentioned, Bray identifies two additional buildings in Nauvoo that housed the printing establishment for a time, but those other buildings were not being used for printing at the time the 1844 Doctrine and Covenants was printed.
Bray, Robert T. “Times and Seasons: An Archaeological Perspective on Early Latter Day Saints Printing.” Historical Archaeology 13 (1979): 53–119.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
JS, Journal, 28 Jan. 1842, p. 67; Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 31 Nov. 1841 and 17 Jan. 1842.
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.
Woodruff, Journal, 3 Feb. 1842. The Twelve had already enjoyed success with printing a number of publications in England, such as the 1840 hymnal, printed in Manchester; the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star, begun in May 1840; and the 1841 edition of the Book of Mormon, printed in Liverpool.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” The Return, Sept. 1890, 325; emphasis in original.
The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
Contract, Ebenezer Robinson to Willard Richards, Nauvoo, IL, 4 Feb. 1844, Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU; Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” The Return, Oct. 1890, 346; Woodruff, Journal, 4 Feb. 1842.
Whitney, Newel K. Papers, 1825–1906. BYU.
The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
See Ebenezer Robinson, “Valedictory,” Times and Seasons, 15 Feb. 1842, 3:695–696; and Woodruff , Journal, 3 and 19 Feb. 1842.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
“No 4 Joseph Smith a/c Dr as pr Printing Office Books,” ca. Jan. 1846, Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU.
Whitney, Newel K. Papers, 1825–1906. BYU.
Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” The Return, May 1890, 259.
The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
JS’s involvement is hinted at in a notice printed in two issues of Times and Seasons in early 1842. After announcing that the office of the recorder (Willard Richards) would be open to receive tithing donations only on Saturdays, the notice explained: “This regulation is necessary, to give the Trustee [JS] and Recorder time to arrange the Book of Mormon, New Translation of the Bible, Hymn Book, and Doctrine and Covenants for the press; all of which the brethren are anxious to see, in their most perfect form.” (“Tithings and Consecrations,” Times and Seasons, 15 Jan. 1842, 3:667; 1 Feb. 1842, 3:677.)
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
The 1844 edition made light changes in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and versification. These changes included employing British spelling for some words, such as “Savior” (Saviour). Aside from adding eight new sections (as discussed later in this introduction), the 1844 edition made only a small number of substantive changes. For example, the phrase “and we beheld and lo, he is fallen! is fallen! even a son of the morning,” which appears in verse 3 of section 91 of the 1835 edition, was deleted in verse 3 of section 92 in the 1844 edition (Vision, 16 Feb. 1832 [D&C 76:27]). The deletion could have been accidental, since there is another phrase ending “son of the morning” earlier in the same sentence. A comprehensive study of the variants between the two editions is beyond the scope of this volume.
The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith. 2nd ed. Nauvoo, IL: John Taylor, 1844. Selections also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
Woodruff, Journal, 1–4 Feb. 1843.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
JS, Journal, 3 and 14 Feb. 1843.
In what appears to be an end-of-year account, the work of stereotyping to page 409 was recorded on 30 December 1843. (“No 4 Joseph Smith a/c Dr as pr Printing Office Books,” ca. Jan. 1846, Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU.)
Whitney, Newel K. Papers, 1825–1906. BYU.
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 7 Nov. 1843; see also Woodruff, Journal, 7 Nov. 1843. A few weeks earlier, a newspaper notice called for donations to support the church’s printing establishment. (“End of the Third Volume,” Times and Seasons, 15 Oct. 1842, 3:958.)
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
JS, Journal, 5 Dec. 1843, JS Collection, CHL.
“Notice,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 12 June 1844, [3].
Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.
Taylor later recalled that before going to Carthage with JS and Hyrum Smith, he removed the “Type, Stereotype plates and most of the valuable things . . . from the printing office” for fear the office would be burned by enemies. (John Taylor, Statement, 23 Aug. 1856, p. 26, Historian’s Office, JS History Draft Notes, [ca. 1840–1880], CHL.)
Historian’s Office. Joseph Smith History Draft Notes, ca. 1839–1856. CHL. CR 100 92.
John Taylor, Carthage, IL, to Leonora Taylor, Nauvoo, IL, 25 June 1844, John Taylor, Collection, CHL.
Taylor, John. Collection, 1829–1894. CHL. MS 1346.
General Church Minutes, 28 July and 8 Aug. 1844.
“Ten Virgins,” Times and Seasons, 2 Sept. 1844, 5:636; “Trial of Elder Rigdon,” Times and Seasons, 15 Sept. 1844, 5:647–655.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God, comp. Joseph Smith, 3rd ed. (Nauvoo, IL: John Taylor, 1845); The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Carefully Selected from the Reve[l]ations of God, comp. Joseph Smith, 4th ed. (Nauvoo, IL: John Taylor, 1846).
Sources used by editors of the 1844 Doctrine and Covenants for the newly added items include Revelation Book 2, Times and Seasons, JS’s journal, and various loose manuscripts.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
JSP, J1 / Jessee, Dean C., Mark Ashurst-McGee, and Richard L. Jensen, eds. Journals, Volume 1: 1832–1839. Vol. 1 of the Journals series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2008.