The leaf is ruled with twenty-nine blue horizontal lines (now faded) and measures 9¾ × 7¾ inches (25 × 20 cm). The top, bottom, and right sides of the recto have the square cut of manufactured paper; the left side is uneven. Notations on the back of the document correspond with two folding patterns. The first pattern was a trifold in letter style, addressed by JS and sealed with an adhesive wafer. At the edge of the address panel is a docket, “Salem Aug. 19./36 | Joseph Smith Jr”, in the handwriting of . The placement of the docket suggests the letter was initially kept folded for storage. The second folding was a trifold with a docket in unknown handwriting: “Joseph Smith Jr | Letter”. Two small holes are 1/4 inch (1 cm) from the top and bottom of the page.

The letter contains no postmark; presumably, the letter was carried by . The docket by suggests the letter was kept for a time in JS’s , Illinois, office. If so, the letter was eventually returned to Smith family possession. donated the letter to ’s collection of letters and autographs in 1891. The state’s collection, which included the extensive compendium of autograph collector Charles Aldrich (1828–1908), was deposited with the newly organized Iowa State Historical Department (now the State Historical Society of Iowa) in 1892. It is unknown when the letter was interfiled with the Aldrich collection.