The Church Historian’s Press today announced the release of the latest volume of The Joseph Smith Papers. Revelations and Translations, Volume 4: Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts tracks the development of the Book of Abraham from the time Joseph Smith and others purchased Egyptian papyri in 1835 through the publication of the Book of Abraham text and its accompanying illustrations in the church newspaper Times and Seasons in 1842.

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Joseph Smith Documents through June 1844 Now Online

November 6, 2018 | Joseph Smith Papers Project

The latest web content release for the Joseph Smith Papers Project includes more than a hundred documents from June of 1844, the final month of Joseph Smith’s life. These documents include items relating to Joseph Smith’s arrest and imprisonment in Carthage, Illinois, and letters to and from family members, particularly his wife Emma, as well as friends, lawyers, church members, and the governor of Illinois. There are also discourses given to the church and to the Nauvoo Legion. Some highlights:

• Letter to Thomas Ford, 14 June 1844
• Discourse, 16 June 1844–A
• Letter to Emma Smith, 27 June 1844
• Letter to Orville Browning, 27 June 1844

In addition to the June 1844 documents, this latest release includes one of the books used to record licenses issued to elders to preach the gospel (Dec. 1837–May 1862), and a chart showing the relationship between the various manuscript and published versions of the extensive history Joseph Smith began in the late 1830s.

In the Legal, Business and Financial Records series, we have added documents for five Missouri legal cases and two Illinois legal cases. Also included in this release are new introductions to five Illinois court cases.