The Book of Mormon: an Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken From the Plates of Nephi.

Palmyra: by E. B. Grandin, for the author, 1830.

The spiritual text at the foundation of the Mormon faith, extremely rare with the Index leaves bound in.

(Item #5008) The Book of Mormon: an Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken From the Plates of Nephi. Joseph Smith, Jr. Author and Proprietor.

The Book of Mormon: an Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken From the Plates of Nephi.

Palmyra: by E. B. Grandin, for the author, 1830. First edition. An exceptional copy. Bound in contemporary sheep with black morocco spine label. Rebacked with original spine laid down, a small portion of the leather on the lower cover replaced. Page edges sprinkled blue. Internal contents suffer from some foxing (as usual), page 15 with a short marginal tear, no loss (and no text affected). A few small pencil notations in the margin. Pages measure 115 x 184 mm, collating: vi [but really iv], 588, [viii, with the leaf of Testimony, the 2 leaves of Index and the final blank], complete. Early issue of the preface leaf, numbered vi (later corrected to iv). Complete with Smith's preface "To the Reader," the leaf of Testimony, the final blank, and also including the rare two leaf index at the rear called "References" (we could find no copy at auction with the index leaves). According to Sabin: "After the book had been published & mostly distributed, an index was made & printed for pasting in at the end." Tipped onto the rear paste-down are old cataloging notes. Housed in a custom quarter-leather slipcase with chemise.

Accepted as holy scripture by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and other Mormon churches, The Book of Mormon was first published in Palmyra, New York in 1830 before being widely reprinted and translated. The first edition is the only edition to list Joseph Smith as the author, with later editions denoting Smith as the translator. A foundational aspect of the Smith's founding the Mormon church, the Book of Mormon was published "under the direction of printer Egbert B. Grandin. The typesetting, printing, and leather binding of 5,000 copies -- nearly 3 million total pages -- began in August 1829 at a cost of $3,000 paid for through the sale of part of Martin Harris' farm. Copies of the book were read by converts, shared with families, and carried by missionaries to neighboring settlements and states...it is estimated that approximately 700 copies of the first edition remain today" (History of LDS).

Howes S623. Sabin 83038.
Near Fine (Item #5008)

The Book of Mormon: an Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken From the Plates of Nephi.
The Book of Mormon: an Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken From the Plates of Nephi.
The Book of Mormon: an Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken From the Plates of Nephi.
The Book of Mormon: an Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken From the Plates of Nephi.
The Book of Mormon: an Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken From the Plates of Nephi.
The Book of Mormon: an Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken From the Plates of Nephi.
The Book of Mormon: an Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken From the Plates of Nephi.
The Book of Mormon: an Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken From the Plates of Nephi.
The Book of Mormon: an Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken From the Plates of Nephi.
The Book of Mormon: an Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken From the Plates of Nephi.