Published May 3, 2012 | By benchmarkbooks

**please direct orders/questions to info@benchmarkbooks.com**

NEW BOOKS

The Life of Dr. Frederick G. Williams: Counselor to the Prophet Joseph Smith by Frederick G. Williams. BYU Studies, 2012.  834 pp. Hardback. $29.95.  The Life of Dr. Frederick G. Williams: Counselor to the Prophet Joseph Smith is a thoroughly researched documentary history of Frederick G. Williams and his immediate family. This book provides an intimate look at many significant events in the Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, and pioneer Utah periods of Church history. Frederick G. Williams (1787–1842) was an important figure during the early days of the restoration of the gospel and the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as a missionary on the original mission to the Lamanites (1830–1831), was a personal scribe to the Prophet Joseph Smith for four years (1832–1836), participated in Zion’s Camp (1834), was Second Counselor in the First Presidency for five years (1832–1837), and for twelve years was the principal doctor for the Saints in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, until his death in 1842.

 

Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 4 vols., ed. by Andrew Jenson. Greg Kofford Books, 2012. Hardback w/ dust jacket. $259.95. In the Preface to the first volume Jenson writes, “On the rolls of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are found the names of a host of men and women of worth—heroes and heroines of a higher type—who have been and are willing to sacrifice fortune and life for the sake of their religion. It is for the purpose of perpetuating the memory of these, and to place on record deeds worthy of imitation, that [this set] makes its appearance.” Originally published between 1901 and 1936—and with over 5,000 biographical entries of “heroes and heroines” complete with more than 2,000 photographs—this reprint set of LDS Biographical Encyclopedia is an essential reference for the study of early Church history. Nearly anyone with pioneer heritage will find exciting and interesting history about ancestors in these volumes.

The Book of Mormon: A Biography by Paul C. Gutjahr. Princeton University Press, 2012.  255 pp. Hardback. $24.95.  In this “biography”–part of the Lives of Great Religious Books series–Paul Gutjahr traces the life of this book as it has formed and fractured different strains of Mormonism and transformed religious expression around the world.  Gutjahr looks at how the Book of Mormon emerged from the burned-over district of upstate New York, where revivalist preachers, missionaries, and spiritual entrepreneurs of every stripe vied for the loyalty of settlers desperate to scratch a living from the land. He examines how a book that has long been the subject of ridicule–Mark Twain called it “chloroform in print”–has more than 150 million copies in print in more than a hundred languages worldwide. Gutjahr shows how Smith’s influential book launched one of the fastest growing new religions on the planet, and has featured in everything from comic books and action figures to feature-length films and an award-winning Broadway musical.

 

 

The Pony Express Stations in Utah by Patrick Hearty, photographs by Dr. Joseph Hatch. NP, 2012. 79 pp. Paperback. $10.00. Filled with fascinating events, characters, and places, the Pony Express stands out today as one of the most recognized and best loved episodes in our Western American history. Despite its short duration and financial troubles, the image of daring young men on fleet horses racing day and night over the western landscape continues to fire our imagination after more than 150 years. This book will guide you across Utah on or near the trails where they rode, and it describes the stations and sites as they looked in the 1860s and as they appear today.

Rube Goldberg Machines: Essays in Mormon Theology by Adam S. Miller. Greg Kofford Books, 2012. 148 pp. Paperback. $18.95. Doing theology is like building a comically circuitous Rube Goldberg machine: you spend your time tinkering together an unnecessarily complicated, impractical, and ingenious apparatus for doing things that are, in themselves, simple. This book is itself a Rube Goldberg machine, pieced together from a variety of essays written over the past ten years. They offer explicit reflections on what it means to practice theology as a modern Mormon scholar and they stake out substantial and original positions on the nature of the atonement, the soul, testimony, eternal marriage, humanism, and the historicity of the Book of Mormon. Recipient of Best Essay Award from the Association of Mormon Letters.

 

 

German Latter-day Saints and World War II: Their Personal Stories of Survivaled. by Lynn M. Hansen and Faith D. Hansen. BYU Studies, 2012. 200 pp. Oversize paperback. $24.95. Mormons in Eastern Europe found themselves mercilessly caught at the center of political and social turmoil during World War II and its aftermath. This book is a completely new collection of first-hand accounts by German and other Eastern European Latter-day Saints who suffered unbelievably brutal trials and lived to tell their stories. These personal statements, gathered and translated by Lynn Hansen build faith despite despair, offer hope amidst peril, and champion charity in defiance of hate.

SALE BOOKS

Most of the following books are drastically reduced from the publishers’ original prices

[Some books may have small “remainder marks” on the bottom or top fore-edges]

Mortal Messiah, vols. 1-3 (Collector’s Edition) by Bruce R. McConkie. Oversize hardback. Reg. $34.95, SALE $19.99/ea.  The collector’s edition of these volumes pairs McConkie’s popular text with artwork illustrating the Savior’s life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the White House Comes to Zion by Mike Winder and Ronald L. Fox. Oblong hardback.  Reg. $29.99, SALE $9.99.  With more than 500 historical photographs — some never before published — and dozens of pieces of interesting memorabilia, this well-researched visual history highlights the warmth and hospitality of the people of the Beehive State as they have welcomed various presidents.

 

 

 

 

Love Times Three: Our Story of a Polygamous Marriage by Joe, Alina, Vicki, and Valerie Darger with Brooke Adams. Hardback. Reg. $26.99, SALE $7.99.  Love Times Three is a riveting inside look at a world most of us can hardly imagine, revealing the extraordinary workings of the Dargers’ day-to-day life. The Dargers have told the candid and fascinating story of their modern polygamous marriage on such national programs asGood Morning America, Dr. Phil, and 20/20 and in several major publications.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Through the Lens: The Original 1907 Photographs of George Edward Anderson by Andrew H. Hedges and Richard Neitzel Holzapfel.  Oversize hardback. Reg. $49.99, SALE $19.99. Accompanied by historical context, Through the Lens includes dozens of photographs produced from the original glass plate negatives and developed with the same process Anderson used.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forged: Writing in the Name of God–Why the Bible’s Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are by Bart D. Ehrman.  Hardback. Reg. $26.99, SALE $9.99.  Leading Bible authority Bart D. Ehrman exposes one of the most unsettling ironies of the early Christian tradition: the use of deception to establish the truth. With the scholarly expertise and provocative claims for which he’s known, Ehrman reveals which texts were forged in the name of Jesus’s disciples and considers how the deceptions of an unnamed few have prevailed for centuries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal by David McCullough.  Hardback. Reg. $35.00, SALE $7.99.  Winner of the Parkman Prize, National Book Award in History, and others. The Path Between the Seas is not only a fact-filled account of an unprecedented engineering feat; it is also the story of the people who were caught up in it — some to win fame and fortune, others to have their reputations and even their lives destroyed. McCullough has won numerous awards for his historical writings and has been called the “master of the art of narrative history.”

Lions of the West: Heroes and Villains of the Westward Expansion by Robert Morgan. Hardback.  Reg. $29.95, SALE $8.99.  Filled with illustrations, portraits, maps, battle plans, notes and time lines, Lions of the West is a richly authoritative biography of America—its ideals, its promise, its romance, and its destiny. Includes a brief discussion of Brigham Young’s place in the West.

Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell’s 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon by Edward Dolnick. Paperback. Reg. $13.95, SALE $7.99.  On May 24, 1869, a one-armed Civil War veteran named John Wesley Powell and a ragtag band of nine mountain men embarked on the last great quest in the American West: explore the Grand Canyon in wooden rowboats. Six survived. Drawing on rarely examined diaries and journals, Down the Great Unknown is the first book to tell the full, true story.

A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn by James Donovan.  Hardback. Reg. $26.99, SALE $7.99.  For well over a century, the Battle of the Little Bighorn has fascinated Americans, but few people know the entire truth behind it. Now, at long last, comes the authoritative account that readers and historians have been waiting for. Scrupulously researched, A Terrible Glory is a landmark work brimming with authentic detail and an unforgettable cast of characters.

The Founding of the United States, 1763-1815 by Gerry and Janet Souter. Oversize hardback w/ removable facsimile documents.  Reg. $29.99, SALE $17.99.  Brilliantly conceived and beautifully packaged, this unique narrative spans the French-Indian wars of the 1760s and the Jacksonian era—a period in which the fires of rebellion were stoked, and a fledgling nation took her place among the world’s powers. Readers relive the period by holding and examining faithful reproductions from America’s  finest private collections and public archives.

Two stunningly illustrated books recently published by DK, internationally recognized publisher of illustrated reference books. HALF-OFF REGULAR PRICE!

Illustrated Bible: Story by Story, editor-in-chief Father Michael Collins. Oversize hardback. Reg. $50.00, SALE $24.99.  With comprehensive and objective coverage of every major covenant, prophecy, miracle, and parable in the Old and New Testaments, set clearly in their historical and religious context, The Illustrated Bible: Story by Story‘s uniquely accessible approach appeals to a general readership of any faith, making this an ideal gift as well as an essential resource for homes, schools, and libraries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

History of Britain & Ireland: The Definitive Visual Guide. Oversize hardback. Reg. $40.00, SALE $19.99.  History of Britain and Ireland is the definitive visual guide to 5,000 years of British history. It includes a comprehensive timeline chronicling key events in the history of Britain and Ireland, in addition to “decisive moment” spreads that vividly describe turning points in British history. It also profiles the people who have had a significant impact on British culture and society through their inventions, discoveries, and ideas.

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Reference Tab

Published May 1, 2012 | By benchmarkbooks

Check out the new reference tab at the top of the site:

Our goal is to provide helpful book-related information that we’ve collected over the years.  We’ve started by posting a list of notable sets and series about which we often field questions.  We will periodically add new sections so make sure you check back!

 

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Progress Report

Published April 30, 2012 | By benchmarkbooks

We can happily report that the lion’s share of the upgrades is finished.  We began by moving our duplicate stock into the new room:

Once that was finished, it was time to knock out the east wall and get down to work:

Next, we had to figure out how to cram all of the store into half of the store in order to carpet the other half:

Old meets new:

Now, with the extra space we gained by knocking down the east wall, it was time to reconstitute that half:

Using our recently-acquired store condensing skills, we moved everything over into the new section so we could lay down carpet on the last half:

Knowing that the opportunity would never be there again, attempts at dancing and/or tumbling in the temporarily wide-open spaces occurred:

Et voilà–Benchmark Books 2.0!  We still have some rearranging to do and sale tables to add but, for the most part, we’re settled in.  If you haven’t come in yet, come experience this:

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We’re Expanding!

Published April 13, 2012 | By benchmarkbooks

Dear Benchmark Books Customers:

This is our 25th year in business and we’re excited to announce the expansion of our store. We are enlarging our main book floor area, adding a rare book room, re-carpeting the store, designating several parking spaces in the east lot exclusively for our customers, and finally posting a sign with our name in front of the building. That’s the good and exciting news! Unfortunately, to accomplish all that, we have to endure some closure time and a bit of the inevitable dust and confusion of moving things around.

Here’s our plan: next week, starting Wednesday, April 18, we will be moving books and fixtures to prepare for carpeting. On that day we anticipate being able to conduct a reduced amount of business while we move (retrieving books on hold, handling limited transactions, etc.), but things may be a bit hectic. We will be closed Thursday, April 18 through Saturday, April 21 and will not be conducting any business, including by phone. We very much regret any inconvenience this may cause, but we want to get as much of this expansion done at one time as possible. After next week, there will still be some additional moving and carpeting, but it should not seriously disrupt business. We ask for your patience but feel it will be well worth it when the project is completed. Our store will have a new and spacious look we think you will enjoy.

Speaking of a new look–check out our new web site (www.benchmarkbooks.com) which isn’t yet finished or as versatile as it’s going to be, but it’s much better than it was. It eventually will have inventory look-up and on-line purchasing capabilities. For now, you can see some of the latest books in Mormon studies that we have or will have and also learn of past and upcoming events such as author signings. (We even have videos you can watch of such events.) You can access our want list (out-of-print books we’re hoping to buy) and also submit requests for LDS books you’re hoping to find, both in-print and out-of-print. As always, feel free to contact us by phone or email with questions or comments.

We very much appreciate your business and the relationships we’ve forged over these many years. Please bear with us for a while as we work hard to make Benchmark Books an even better book-shopping destination and experience.

Watch for future announcements of an open house to celebrate our “new” space and for sales and promotions we’ll be having to celebrate our first 25 years.

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New Releases–4/4/12

Published April 4, 2012 | By benchmarkbooks

Here are some of the newest releases–to order please give us a call (800-486-3112) or e-mail us (info@benchmarkbooks.com).

Joseph Smith Papers: Histories, Vol. 1–Joseph Smith Histories, 1832-1844.   Church Historian’s Press, 2012.  686 pp. $54.95. Includes six different attempts at writing Joseph Smith’s history:

  • 1832 History (includes portions in JS’s own handwriting!)
  • 1834-36 History (includes Oliver Cowdery’s Messenger & Advocate letters
  • 1838-41 History (corresponding to first 61 pgs of Manuscript History of the Church—3 drafts [one previously unknown] presented in parallel columns)
  • “Extract, from the Private Journal of Joseph Smith Jr.,” July 1839 (8 pg Times & Seasons article covering the Missouri persecutions)
  • “Church History,” 1842 (AKA Wentworth Letter)
  • “Latter Day Saints,” 1844 (revised & updated version of the Wentworth Letter)

In addition, an appendix presents Orson Pratt’s A Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions (1840) which draws on earlier histories and includes the first printed version of the First Vision. All documents have excellent historical introductions and are heavily annotated. Volume 2—which includes four histories (such as John Whitmer’s) not under Joseph Smith’s close supervision—will be published in the fall. All copies are signed by the four editors.

A number of subscribers (as a subscriber you receive 10% off of each volume of the Joseph Smith Papers) have asked us to charge and send out each new volume automatically as it is released. If you would like to be included in this group then please let us know.  

Joseph Smith Papers Volumes Previously Published

1. Journals, Vol. 1—1832-1839 ($49.95—2008)

2. Revelations & Translations: Manuscript Revelation Books – Facsimile Edition ($99.95—2009)—includes full-color scans for every page in the two revelation books as well as color-coded transcriptions on the facing page.

3. Revelations & Translations. Manuscript Revelation Books – Vol. 1 ($79.95—2011)—this volume is simply a different version of #2. This edition does not include all the full-color scans of the original manuscripts (there are a few examples, though) but does include the transcriptions. In addition, this version is the regular size (like #1 and #4). Thus, this is not technically a new volume but a smaller, condensed version of an already published volume.

4. Revelations & Translations, Vol. 2: Published Revelations ($69.95—2011)

5. Journals, Vol. 2—1841-1843 ($54.95—2011)

Here is a graphic showing the projected volumes once the project is completed:

———————————————————————————————–

William E. McLellin’s Lost Manuscript edited by Mitchell Schaefer. Eborn Books, 2012. 304 pp. Oversize hardback. $59.99. As chaos swirled around the Mark Hofmann fiasco, one tantalizing collection kept being mentioned: the McLellin collection. Rumored to be a trove of controversial documents, the tale turned out to be only a vintage figment of Mark Hofmann’s imagination. However, there were authentic McLellin documents in existence—among them were seven notebooks created toward the end of his life. In 2007, Signature Books published six of them in The William E. McLellin Papers—the remaining notebook was presumed lost. In 2008, it was finally “rediscovered” and is now published in full. The typescript reproduces McLellin’s musings on numerous doctrinal topics—perhaps the most interesting being his recollection of the experience of the Three Witnesses.

 

 

The Book of Mormon Girl: Stories from an American Faith by Joanna Brooks. CreateSpace, 2012. 204 pp. Paperback. $11.99. With humor, tenderness, and honesty, The Book of Mormon Girl reveals what it’s like to grow up in a world where angels stand at our bedsides and ancestors know our names, where Coca-Cola is forbidden fruit and Marie Osmond is a style icon. This is a story about leaving behind the innocence of childhood belief and embracing the complications and heartbreaks that come to every adult life of faith. Author Joanna Brooks is a well-known national voice on Mormon life and politics and an award-winning religion scholar. Click here for a review.

 

West from Salt Lake: Diaries from the Central Overland Trail (American Trails Series, vol.23) edited by Jesse G. Petersen. Arthur H. Clark, 2012. 328 pp. Hardback. $34.95. Prior to 1859, overland travelers leaving Salt Lake City for California had but two alternatives. They could go north into Idaho, then turn southwest and follow the Humboldt River into northern California, or they could head south, following segments of the Old Spanish Trail, and enter southern California. In the summer of 1859, Captain James Simpson blazed a more direct trail by leading an expedition across the desert. Simpson’s is the route the Pony Express and the Overland Stage adopted. But emigrants in covered wagons also traveled the Central Overland Trail, and this is the first book to collect their day-by-day accounts. Based on ten years of research, West from Salt Lake includes excerpts from twenty-three emigrant diaries, many previously unpublished. Using Simpson’s diary to trace his route, editor Jesse G. Petersen has located each campsite and shows which of Simpson’s two alternative wagon roads the parties traveled.

 

 

Enemy of the Saints: The Biography of Governor Lilburn W. Boggs of Missouri by Robert Nelson. PublishAmerica, 2011. 212 pp. Paperback. $24.95. Lilburn W. Boggs is most often remembered as the Governor of Missouri who issued the infamous “Extermination Order” during the Mormon War. But his life involved many of the important events of the early nineteenth century. He was a veteran of the War of 1812, a pioneer of the Fur Trade, a merchant on the Santa Fe Trail, and Governor of Missouri. He participated in one of the most significant wagon trains to California and became the Alcalde of Northern California. He was related by marriage to the Bent Brothers and Daniel Boone. He was also an associate of many of the legends of the early west. In addition to telling the story of Lilburn Boggs and his eventful life, this book takes a detailed look at the Mormon War and Governor Boggs’s motivation in issuing the Extermination Order. Many of the events of his life had ramifications which reached far beyond the life of Boggs and the State of Missouri.

The Forgotten Son: William Henry Kimball by Marlin Kent Larsen. Downs Printing, 2011. 231 pp. Paperback. $25.00. The product of ten years of research, this biography of his ancestor traces the course of William Henry Kimball, oldest son of Heber C. Kimball. The lesser-known William was one of the settlers of Kimball Junction and served in the Utah Militia during conflicts with Native Americans and the U.S. Army. Kimball operated a ranch in Parley’s Park near Park City which hosted luminaries such as Mark Twain, Horace Greeley and Walt Whitman.

Why I’m a Mormon edited by Joseph A. Cannon. Deseret Book, 2012. 320 pp. Paperback. $19.99. Why I’m a Mormon is a collection of fascinating, individual journeys of faith by dozens of stalwart, modern Mormons—some prominent, others less well-known but no less impressive. Contributors share brief reflections on how their feelings about the gospel and their involvement in the Church have shaped and enriched their lives. These vignettes are from Latter-day Saints who are faithfully and successfully navigating these troubled, secular, sometimes dark and temptation laden times. The book includes contributions from noted Mormons such as Richard Bushman, Terryl Givens, Jon Huntsman, Sr., Steve Young and Harry Reid.

 

 

Book-Jackets: Their History, Forms, and Use by G. Thomas Tanselle. The Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia, 2011. 324 pp. Hardback. $60.00. Book-jackets (or dust-jackets), along with other detachable book coverings such as slip-cases, have been regularly used by publishers in the English-speaking world and some countries of the European continent since the early part of the nineteenth century. This illustrated book is intended as a compact introduction to the historical study of these objects, which — though removable from the books they cover — are essential parts of those books as published. The present work offers a concise history both of publishers’ detachable book coverings (primarily British and American) and of the attention they have received from scholars, dealers, collectors, and librarians. It also surveys their use by publishers (as protective devices and advertising media) and their usefulness to scholars of book history (as sources for biography, bibliography, etc.). A must-have for the serious collector.

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Spend an Evening with an Author–John Dinger–Jan 25th

Published January 16, 2012 | By benchmarkbooks

Spend an Evening with an Author

We are excited to announce the arrival of The Nauvoo City and High Council Minutes edited by John S. Dinger, published by Signature Books. We will have the editor at our store to speak about and sign his book on Wednesday, January 25th. He will be here from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., speaking at 6:00, and will answer questions and sign books before and after that time.

While the Nauvoo high council minutes have appeared (albeit in somewhat abridged format) previously, only tantalizing excerpts here and there from the city council minutes have ever emerged. John Dinger (currently a deputy prosecuting attorney) brings his legal expertise to the table in a yeoman’s effort to produce coherent sets of minutes for both of these key Nauvoo decision making bodies. Despite working almost until the point of no return from confusing transcripts, Dinger has compiled a fascinating chronology of the chaos that swirled almost constantly in Nauvoo. 

Leafing through the entries, one quickly notes the breadth of matters that the city council considered. In a unique “created” community where virtually no one had much experience in government, the reader sees a group consulting other cities for precedent and experimenting with ordinances. The entries cover the most mundane (dogs were clearly a pressing problem—several ordinances deal with them!) to weightier matters such as what to do with the Nauvoo Expositor. In the period predating the formation of the city council, one can easily see the seamless blend of temporal and spiritual in the high council discussions. As time passes and secular matters move to the other body, the high council turns attention to hearing complaints. These range from the trivial to the many riveting trials of 1842 when polygamy began to really be whispered about and people began to claim authority from Joseph Smith (due to the influence of John C. Bennett and others) to “take liberties” with the women of Nauvoo. The city of Joseph was at times peaceful, at times chaotic, and these minutes demonstrate this dual nature in a way that few contemporary sources can. 

We hope you will be able to attend this event, which is sure to be insightful and interesting; but if you cannot, you may order a copy which can be signed or personalized and held or shipped to you. 

The Nauvoo City and High Council Minutes (hb, 700 pp.) $49.95

Media mail: $4.50 for the first book and $1 for each additional. FedEx/UPS/Priority options available—inquire for details. Utah residents please add 7.05% sales tax.

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Evening With an Author–Sam Brown, 10 Jan 2011

Published December 29, 2011 | By benchmarkbooks

 

We are pleased to announce a signing event with Sam Brown, author of the recently published In Heaven as It Is on Earth: Joseph Smith and the Early Mormon Conquest of Death.  The event will be held on Tuesday, January 10–Sam will be here at 5:30 to sign and will begin speaking at 6 PM (he will also be available to sign and chat afterwards).  Click here for a map/directions to the store.  Sam is a frequent blogger at By Common Consent (see his posts here) and has written several award-winning articles on Mormon history (see a list here).

A compelling new interpretation of early Mormonism, Samuel Brown’s In Heaven as It Is On Earth views this religion through the lens of founder Joseph Smith’s profound preoccupation with the specter of death.

Revisiting historical documents and scripture from this novel perspective, Brown offers new insight into the origin and meaning of some of Mormonism’s earliest beliefs and practices. The world of early Mormonism was besieged by death–infant mortality, violence, and disease were rampant. A prolonged battle with typhoid fever, punctuated by painful surgeries including a threatened leg amputation, and the sudden loss of his beloved brother Alvin cast a long shadow over Smith’s own life. Smith embraced and was deeply influenced by the culture of “holy dying”–with its emphasis on deathbed salvation, melodramatic bereavement, and belief in the Providential nature of untimely death–that sought to cope with the widespread mortality of the period. Seen in this light, Smith’s treasure quest, search for Native origins, distinctive approach to scripture, and belief in a post-mortal community all acquire new meaning, as do early Mormonism’s Masonic-sounding temple rites and novel family system. Taken together, the varied themes of early Mormonism can be interpreted as a campaign to extinguish death forever. By focusing on Mormon conceptions of death, Brown recasts the story of first-generation Mormonism, showing a religious movement and its founder at once vibrant and fragile, intrepid and unsettled, human and otherworldly.

A lively narrative history, In Heaven as It Is on Earth illuminates not only the foundational beliefs of early Mormonism but also the larger issues of family and death in American religious history.

In Heaven as It Is on Earth, Samuel Morris Brown

Oxford University Press, 2012

392 pp, hardcover

$34.95

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The Nauvoo City and High Council Minutes

Published December 15, 2011 | By benchmarkbooks

The Nauvoo City and High Council Minutes edited by John S. Dinger.  Signature Books, 2011.  700 pp.  Hardback.  $49.95.  This welcome documentary collection compiles all known city and high council minutes from the often volatile Nauvoo period.  John Dinger has ably organized this chaotic corpus—which consists of loose sheets, rough minute books and finished drafts—into as coherent a narrative as possible.  Helpful footnotes contextualize decisions and give biographical info on people mentioned.  The entries range from the mundane (dogs were apparently on everyone’s minds) to the explosive—several meetings deal with polygamy and its divisive effects as well as the suppression of the Nauvoo Expositor.  This is a fascinating and rich documentary source that will prove invaluable in understanding the complexities of the Nauvoo era.

To order, please call 801-486-3111/800-486-3112

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