Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, The Prophet, and His Progenitors for many Generations. By Lucy Smith, Mother of the Prophet. Liverpool: S.W. Richards for Orson Pratt, and London: Latter-Day Saints Book Depot, 1853, 12mo.
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Shortly following the death of Joseph Smith in 1844, and into 1845, Lucy Smith dictated her recollections and family story to Nauvoo schoolteacher Martha Jane Coray. Coray worked with her husband to compile these books of notes and other sources into a manuscript, which was then copied. One copy was given to apostle Brigham Young, and the other stayed with Lucy Smith in Nauvoo. Eventually, apostle Orson Pratt obtained Lucy's copy and published it in 1853, to great controversy, titled 'Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith'.
After its publication, Brigham Young declared the book to be a "tissue of lies" and wanted corrections made. In the Millennial Star in 1855, he said,
"There are many mistakes in the work... I have had a written copy of those sketches in my possession for several years, and it contains much of the history of the Prophet Joseph. Should it ever be deemed best to publish these sketches, it will not be done until after they are carefully corrected."
In 1865, Young ordered the church members to have their copies destroyed. However, LDS historian Leonard Arrington saw the book as "informative, basically accurate, and extremely revealing of Joseph Smith's early life and family background," and felt it "perhaps tells more about Mormon origins than any other single source. Richard L. Anderson called it one of "the essential sources for Mormon origins." Non-Mormon historian Jan Shipps identifies this history as being "of central importance in the Mormon historical corpus."
Since many, if not most, copies were destroyed in the 19th century, extant copies approaching acceptable condition are extremely rare, especially as it was published in quite a fragile cloth binding. Our copy remains in this original cloth binding and is significantly better than typical copies. This is one of the best obtainable copies of one of the scarcest and most important early Mormon books from the infancy years of the LDS church, printed within a decade of Joseph Smith's death.
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Size: 95 x 157 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[(2), xii, 2pp., pp.(15)-297, 1pp., (1)]
Original publisher's black cloth binding stamped in blind, "Joseph Smith the Prophet" tooled in gilt to upper spine. Binding rubbed with minor discolouration. Both boards securely attached, binding secure, stands on the shelf. Original yellow endpapers, a completely original & unrestored copy. Collates as complete including half title, original blanks, and the Appendix section. Top page edge dulled as expected, else very good. Some very light spotting to preliminary blanks and half title else very clean throughout, without any marginalia/writing. No ownership inscriptions or bookplates. A well preserved copy of this very rare early book relating to Joseph Smith.
[Sabin 83496].
