Frequently Asked Questions

At present, it is contemplated that the print edition of The Joseph Smith Papers will consist of twenty-seven volumes, divided into five series: Documents, Journals, Revelations and Translations, Histories, and Administrative Records; two additional series, Legal Records and Financial Records, will be published online. Transcripts of all known and available Joseph Smith documents will be published on the Joseph Smith Papers website, along with the annotation from the printed volumes and images of almost all of the documents.

The resources required to publish a volume that meets documentary editing standards are substantial, which is why most volumes of the Founding Fathers papers projects typically sell for more than $100. Because the Joseph Smith Papers Project has private funding as well as Church support, it has been able to reduce the cost per volume. Most volumes will be priced at or near $55, but volume prices will vary depending on the number of pages, whether the volume is in color, and other factors. The volumes of The Joseph Smith Papers are made of high-quality components (acid-free paper, Smyth-sewn binding, dyed cloth cover, and heavy cover board), which will allow the volumes to sustain decades of regular library use.

The project plans to publish volumes at a rate of about two each year. The projected publications for the remainder of the project are as follows:

 

2020—Documents, Volume 10: May–August 1842 and Documents, Volume 11: September 1842–February 1843

2021—Documents, Volume 12: March–July 1843 and Revelations and Translations, Volume 5: Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon

2022—Documents, Volume 13: August–December 1843 and Documents, Volume 14: January–15 May 1844

2023—Documents, Volume 15: 16 May–June 1844