The Joseph Smith Papers is pleased to announce its latest web release, which includes an essay and six cases relating to the Nauvoo Municipal Court’s dealings with habeas corpus cases; annotation and introductions for Revelations and Translations, Volume 4: Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts; annotation, introductions, and transcripts for over forty invoices for Kirtland, Ohio, stores; and a new introduction to Joseph Smith’s Office Papers.
The Legal Records series release includes introductions and documents for six habeas corpus cases heard in Nauvoo, Illinois, as well as an essay explaining the principle of habeas corpus and how it functioned in Nauvoo. The six cases are:
The release includes three additional Illinois legal cases:
In the Revelations and Translations series, we have added the annotation and introductions found in the print edition of Revelations and Translations, Volume 4. This volume includes the extant fragments of Egyptian papyri that Joseph Smith and others purchased in 1835; the “Egyptian-language documents,” which are associated with the attempt by Smith and others to decipher hieroglyphic and hieratic characters from the papyri; and the various manuscripts and first print publication of the Book of Abraham text. All the papyri and other images on the website have been updated to the high-resolution images created for the print volume. Also included is a character comparison chart, which facilitates research by linking to each instance of an Egyptian or other non-Roman character across all documents.
The Financial Records series release includes more than forty invoices prepared for three Kirtland mercantile firms—including Rigdon, Smith & Cowdery, in which Joseph Smith was a partner—by wholesale merchants in New York. These invoices are presented with full transcripts as well as annotation defining less-common terms. The goods, purchased in New York and sold in Ohio, ranged from food and hardware to textiles, shoes, and books. Also included are financial documents pertaining to the Camp of Israel (Zion’s Camp) and four Kirtland mercantile firms operated by Latter-day Saints:
As part of this release, we have reorganized the Joseph Smith Office Papers collection into genres, allowing for easier reference and research. A new introduction for this section includes a description of Joseph Smith’s office and an explanation of which documents might have been present in his office.
This release also includes several new biographical sketches, explanatory entries for chronological events, and geographical descriptions of cities and places.