First Edition Of Book Of Mormon On Display At BYU-Idaho

Brigham Young University-Idaho is displaying a first-edition copy of the Book of Mormon at the school library.

The book was donated to BYU-Idaho more than a year ago, but it had to undergo an extensive restoration process. It has a lot of water damage because, as scholars believe from the writing inside the book, it was carried by early Mormons in the 1800s across the Plains.

There?s also some speculation that the handwriting on the inside belongs to Joseph Smith’s personal secretary — only making the book more special to the university community.

Smith was the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which says he translated the book from ancient records. The church owns BYU-Idaho.

“We’re very pleased. And we’re very grateful to have it here. The students who have come to look at it are always very surprised to see that this is an original Book of Mormon from 1830,” said Laurie Francis, special collections manager for the university.

Only 5,000 first-edition copies of the Book of Mormon were published. It is unknown how many of those copies are still in existence.