The Church’s new “Foundations of Faith” exhibit has now opened to the public. It includes 26 books, manuscripts and other historical documents that date back to the beginnings of Mormonism.
Items of note in the exhibit include the following:
- A portion of the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon.
- First editions of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.
- A copy of the Book of Commandments, considered one of the rarest books in the collection
- Joseph Smith’s journal from 1832 to 1834.
- The minute book from the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo.
- Some of the first non-English editions of the Book of Mormon such as the Danish edition printed in 1851 and translations in Hawaiian, Spanish, Maori, Turkish, Japanese, and Portuguese.
The items will be on display for at least several years in the Church History Library’s open reading room, located on the main level, during regular business hours. There is no charge to see the exhibit.
Those who can’t visit the exhibit in person can see a virtual tour of the historical documents online in 10 languages.
Below is an introductory video of the exhibit.
Learn more in the article “Church History Library Hosts Foundations of Faith Exhibit.”
We visited this earlier today. The coolest book I liked was the Book of Mormon Liverpool Edition, 1841.
“On the morning of June 24, 1844, Joseph and Hyrum Smith left Nauvoo, Illinois for Carthage, Illinois. Before leaving, Hyrum opened this copy of the Book of Mormon and read from chapter 12 of Ether, turning down the corner of the page.”
You can still see the crease in the page. I’m not sure where the other markings are from, but they mark this passage with Moroni in parenthesis as if to substitute their name as they read it.
36 And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the Gentiles grace, that they might have charity.
37 And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: If they have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore, thy garments shall be made clean. And because thou hast seen thy weakness thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father.
38 And now I, (Moroni), bid farewell unto the Gentiles, yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood.