Description:

Mormonism
Palmyra, NY, ca. 1830
The Book of Mormon, 1st Ed., Palmyra, 1830, With Exciting Ownership Record & Notes: "The coming of Christ... Plates"
First Edition book

First edition, 'The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi…' by Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805-1844). Palmyra: Printed by E. B. Grandin, for the Author, 1830. 8vo, 4.75" x 7.5". 588pp [1, "Testimony of Three Witnesses], [1, "And Also the Testimony of Eight Witnesses"]. Ownership signatures present on free front endpaper, with ex. libris blindstamp from a Logan, Utah, institution in the lower right of title page. A personal index, handwritten in pencil on the back endpaper, corresponds to a series of pages bearing underlined passages within, including those on the coming of Christ (page 160) and the Golden Plates (page 172). Expert restoration to calf boards and spine label resulting in binding stiffness, with moderate rubbing and edge loss throughout. Cracking at spine and hinges. Internal pages show areas of intermittent creasing, dampstaining and foxing. An approximate quarter of the Testimony page has been torn from gutter near lower left corner, not affecting text. Else, very good.

Most recently in September 2025, a comparable printing sold for $240,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions, though it did not have the extensive ownership writing and notes at verso, which are important to researchers.

The Book of Mormon is Joseph Smith's translation of the golden tablets revealed to him by the angel Moroni on the hill of Cumorah near Manchester, New York. Printed only two weeks prior to the formal establishment of the Mormon Church, this is the only edition where Joseph Smith is identified as the "author" rather than as the "translator," as it appears in subsequent editions. This copy is complete with the "Testimony of the Three Witnesses" signed in type by Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris, who attest that they had "seen the plates that which contain this record. On the verso of the same leaf appears "And Also The Testimony of the Eight Witnesses" bearing the names of Christian Whitmer, Jacob Whitmer, Peter Whitmer, Jr., John Whitmer, Hiram Page, Joseph Smith, Sen., Hyrum Smith, and Samuel H. Smith, all of whom attest that Joseph Smith had "shewn unto us the plates…." Smith dictated the text to Oliver Cowdery, who also served as scribe.

Egbert B. Grandin, a local printer and proprietor of the 'Wayne Sentinel', undertook to print the sizeable edition (5,000 copies) for the 25-year old Smith. The manuscript "was delivered a few pages at a time to the typesetter, who supplied all the punctuation and paragraphing" (Crawley and Flake). The Church catalog notes that this first printing of the Mormon Bible forbade freemasonry and polygamy, but the latter doctrine was altered in subsequent editions.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 4.75" x 7.5"
  • Medium: First Edition book

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