By Richard E. Turley, Jr. and William W. Slaughter
Deseret Book, 2011. 154 pages. Nonfiction.
The stated purpose of this book is to help readers "better understand the history of the Book of Mormon." The text covers briefly how the record came to be, how it was translated, and then gives details regarding the printing of six different editions of the book: the first edition (1830), the second edition (1837), the third edition (1840), the first European edition (1841), the 1920 edition, and the 1981 edition. Also included is a chapter explaining how and when the book came to be divided into chapter and verse. This slim volume provides background on the circumstances under which each edition was produced and the developments (or setbacks) involved in the formatting, presentation, and text of each edition. The book is very nicely illustrated with color images from each edition as well as with photographs of key players in the printing history.
Although many students of Mormonism will be somewhat familiar with how the first edition came about, most of this book will be new information for most readers. One interesting tidbit: Lorenzo Snow, on behalf of Brigham Young, presented Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with a copy of the first European edition which was included in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle.
SML
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