Two Updated Church History Research Resources
Tyson Thorpe has assembled two excellent resources for researching Church history using sources held at other institutions—learn more about them here.
While the Church History Library holds a plethora of records related to the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is not the only institution that does so, nor is it the only one that has made efforts to make those collections and resources available online. To help researchers take advantage of these materials, we offer two lists on the Church History Library website: “Online Historical Resources” and “Institutions with Holdings Related to Latter-day Saint History.”
Online Historical Resources
We recently updated our list of online historical resources to include databases and resources that have been made available in recent years. The page is divided into two main sections. The first highlights databases and websites that are useful in researching the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the faith and lives of its members. The second section lists websites and databases that are useful in providing wider context to Church history. They are also useful in a broader study of history, offering resources such as maps and newspapers. Most sites and databases are available online for free, while a few in the “General History” section require a subscription. Access to the subscription databases listed is available on location at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Institutions with Holdings Related to Latter-day Saint History
Many libraries, archives, and historical societies have excellent collections related to Church history. Accordingly, another resource we have created is a new web page called “Institutions with Holdings Related to Latter-day Saint History.”
As pointed out on the page, our list began with Mormon Americana: A Guide to Sources and Collections in the United States and then expanded to include information from A Mormon Bibliography, 1830–1930 and A Descriptive Bibliography of the Mormon Church (volume 1, volume 2, and volume 3 are available online through the BYU Religious Studies Center). We then built upon this list to provide updated information and links to online catalogs and digital resources.
We did not intend to recreate Mormon Americana or other works and only wanted this resource to serve as a switchboard of sorts to direct individuals to institutions that may have materials that can further their research. Thus, entries on the page are succinct but can point you to places where you can find additional resources and collections.
As a note, the Church does not maintain, control, or endorse all the content in the databases or in the holdings of the institutions listed. But we hope that these two web pages can prove useful as you explore and research the history of the restored Church.