Church History Library news for September 2020

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Church History Library News

New in This Issue

Recently digitized collections, including photographs of John F. Kennedy in the Tabernacle and a proud Utah farmer holding an enormous sugar beet.
New research guides to help you find information about the Primary organization and the life of Eliza R. Snow.
Fascinating blog posts including the top five questions we receive about Pioneer Day and shorthand transcriptions of Brigham Young’s talks (and how they differ from versions in the Journal of Discourses).
A brand-new feature in the Church History Catalog: now you can save records from the catalog as sources in FamilySearch.org.

Library News

Church History Library Remains Closed

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Church History Library remains temporarily closed to the public.

Eliza R. Snow Discourses Site

Eliza R. Snow, the second General President of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was a prolific writer and speaker. For the first time, her discourses—nearly 1,200 in all—will be collected and easily available in one place. The site also contains images of Eliza, the presidencies who served with her, and maps showing where her discourses were given.

Library Releases New Videos

We’ve been hard at work to bring you several new videos that highlight the work done by our talented archivists, librarians, and historians:

Behind the Scenes

The Lord’s commandment to keep “a record … among you” (Doctrine and Covenants 21:1) has resulted in an exhaustive effort to preserve a staggering number of historical journals, images, artifacts, and memorabilia in the Church History Library’s state-of-the-art facilities. This video gives a behind-the-scenes look at it all.

Egyptian Papyrus: Preserving History in the Church History Library

The Joseph Smith Papyri are the remaining fragments of ancient Egyptian scrolls used by Joseph Smith in his translation of the book of Abraham. In this video, see how Church History Library staff preserve these priceless—and incredibly fragile—documents.

Research Tips and Tools

Attach Church History Catalog Sources to Your FamilySearch Records

In a blog post by David Taylor, learn about the Church History Catalog’s new feature that allows historical sources to be imported into FamilySearch, making it easier than ever to cite where you found your family history information.

New Research Guides

Missions and Missionaries

This research guide is full of resources for researching Latter-day Saint missionaries, the missions in which they served, and the Church’s missionary program.

Eliza R. Snow

To help you conduct research about the life and work of Eliza Roxcy Snow, the second General President of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this guide includes instructions on how to search for materials pertaining to her legacy, as well as some examples of those materials.

Primary Organization

This guide will help you find and access resources about the Primary’s history, leadership, materials, and programs.

New Blog Articles

Ask Us: Top Five Reference Questions about the Angel Moroni Statue

The Consultation Services team receives many questions through Ask Us, their online research assistance service. Here, they share the five most frequently asked questions about the angel Moroni statues atop many temples.

Journal Writing: Importance and Influence for Generations

Join archivist Melanie Nef as she discusses the important role journals have played as essential historical sources and highlights the importance of personally journaling about our unique modern-day experiences.

Preached vs. Published: Shorthand Record Discrepancies

Part 1 of 3

In this, the first of a three-part series, Church History Department historian LaJean Carruth introduces her research into the shorthand transcriptions behind the Journal of Discourses—and her surprising findings.

Part 2 of 3

In the second post of the series, LaJean Carruth shares examples of how the recorded text of sermons by Brigham Young and other early Church leaders was changed between the sermons’ delivery, transcription, and eventual publication.

Part 3 of 3

In the final post of the three-part series, LaJean Carruth shares additional examples of how the recorded text of sermons by Brigham Young and other Church leaders was changed between when the sermons were recorded in shorthand and when they were published.

Ask Us: Top Five Reference Questions about Pioneer Day

Discover the answers to some of the most common questions about Pioneer Day that come to the Consultation Services team. For example, when did Pioneer Day start being celebrated? What were the festivities like?

Explore All Blog Articles

Recently Digitized Collections

The library digitizes many items from our collections each month for viewing in the Church History Catalog. All of the following collections feature one or more items that have been digitized and are available for viewing online. For some collections, you may need to log in to see the items.

Photograph Collections:

John F. Kennedy photograph, 1960 September 24

In 1960, then-Senator John F. Kennedy made a campaign stop in Salt Lake City, where he addressed a large crowd from the pulpit in the Tabernacle, saying, “I speak for all Americans in expressing our gratitude to the Mormon people … for their successful battle to make religious liberty a living reality.”

Utah-Idaho Sugar Company beets photograph, 1953

This large sugar beet was the product of the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company, an enterprise with a long and complex history that intertwines with the history of the Church.

Oahu Stake Tabernacle photograph, 1950 April 19

Dedicated on August 17, 1941, the Oahu Stake Tabernacle was the last tabernacle built by the Church. With the United States’ involvement in World War II looming, David O. McKay’s dedicatory prayer specifically asked for the building to be protected from missiles. It was, emerging from World War II unscathed. This photo shows Saints from Hawaii sitting in the tabernacle’s courtyard a few years after the war.

Manuscript and Print Collections:

“Incident that took place with Wilford Woodruff, undated”

This small first-person account was dictated by Emily J. Soffe Jensen, who in 1884 was dating Wilford Woodruff’s son Marion. Emily claimed that en route to meet Marion at a dance, she saved President Woodruff (who was known throughout the Church for being accident-prone) from being killed by a speeding train as they both waited for its arrival.

Truman O. Angell autobiography, 1884

Truman Angell was an early Church convert who played a part in many major events, such as the design and construction of the first temples and the trek to Utah. His story is both instructive and fascinating.

Gertrude Mason letter, Exeter, Maine to Sadie C. Tripp, Perry, Oregon, 1927 December 17

In this handwritten letter, Gertrude Mason, a Latter-day Saint from Maine, USA, relates a story she overheard Emmeline B. Wells tell about when Joseph Smith was hiding from a violent mob in the Wellses’ home.

The Church History Library is temporarily closed to the public, but don’t let that deter your research—there are many ways to access the library’s extensive resources from the comfort and safety of your own home:

Search the Church History Catalog to explore thousands of digitized records.
Use our expert-curated research guides to dive into specific Church history topics. For help with Church history research, you can also reach our Consultation Services team at the library by using our Ask Us service.
Catch up on the latest informative posts at the Church History Library’s blog, The Historical Record.
Explore the refreshed Foundations of Faith online exhibit. The online exhibit showcases foundational documents—both old and new—of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For example, check out Gordon B. Hinckley’s preliminary sketch of the small temple floor plan, a design that paved the way for dozens of temples to be built throughout the world.