Overview

Welcome to the research guide for the Journal History of the Church. The Journal History is a daily history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1830 to 2008. It is like a scrapbook created from newspapers, minutes, diary entries, and other sources. It contains valuable historical and biographical information, such as when a pioneer arrived in Utah, when a new bishop was called, or when a ward or stake was organized. Entries are arranged by date, and page numbers start over each day.

The Journal History can be difficult to navigate because of the various media formats and indexes used over its 178-year existence. This guide is designed to help you access and use the Journal History in your research. Below is a list of resources connected to the Journal History. It is highly recommended you read through each section of the guide to learn how to access and navigate each resource.

Summary of all Resources

• CR 100 142 Journal History Digital Index 1830 - 1972
• CR 100 137 Journal History of the Church (Digital images available from 1830 -1923)
• Journal History of the Church 1830 – 1989 (Microfilm available in the open stacks)
• Journal History of the Church 1990 – 1995 (Hardcopy accessible with staff assistance in the reading room)
• Journal History of The Church 1996 – 2008 (Digital copy accessible with staff assistance in the reading room)

Access to the materials identified in this guide is subject to the Church History Library’s access policy, under which sources created in recent years may be currently closed or limited to research in order to respect the privacy of living persons. For more information about the library’s holdings or policies, we invite you to explore the online Church History Catalog, visit the library in Salt Lake City, or contact our staff by clicking the Ask Us button anywhere in our catalog or on our website.