Kirtland and Missouri Era
General Church History Research Guide
Online Resources:
Elders’ Journal of The Church of Latter Day Saints
The newspaper published issues in October and November 1837, which were printed at Kirtland, Ohio, and July and August 1838, which were printed at Far West, Missouri. The Elders’ Journal included Church news, meeting minutes, doctrinal essays, and similar content. The digital version is hosted by the Internet Archive.
The Evening and the Morning Star
This was the first semi-official newspaper published by the Church and is notable for including many of the revelations given to Joseph Smith that would later become sections of the Doctrine and Covenants. The Evening and the Morning Star began in June 1832 in Independence, Missouri, before a brief hiatus in 1833 and a move to Kirtland, Ohio, where it resumed printing in December 1833. It ceased publication in September 1834 but was later reprinted, with many editorial and content changes, as Evening and Morning Star from 1835 to 1836.
Far West and Nauvoo Elders’ Certificates, 1837–1838, 1840–1846
This resource is an index of elders’ (and some other priesthood offices) certificates issued by Church conferences that were recorded in Far West, Missouri, and Nauvoo, Illinois.
Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate
Printed from October 1834 to September 1837 at Kirtland, Ohio, the Messenger and Advocate succeeded The Evening and the Morning Star as the Church’s newspaper. It carried Church news, doctrinal essays, official statements from Church leaders, and other content related to the restored Church.
Commonly called the “Far West Record,” this volume contains the minutes of meetings and conferences of priesthood leadership held in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois from 1830 to 1839 (and two entries from 1844). The digitized document is available through The Joseph Smith Papers website.
This informational website focuses on the Missouri Mormon War, the conflict in Missouri in the late 1830s that stemmed from the Latter-day Saint presence in the state. This website is hosted by the Missouri State Archives with links to important archival documents.
Mormon Redress Petitions: Documents of the 1833-1838 Missouri Conflict
This volume is a comprehensive typescript collection of all known federal redress petitions submitted by Latter-day Saints regarding the conflict in Missouri. Online access is available through the BYU Religious Studies Center.
Kirtland, Ohio: A Guide to Family History and Historical Sources
This book is a compilation of resources for researching the Kirtland era of Church history. It contains a chronology of important events, maps, photographs, and a bibliography of significant sources. The online version is hosted by the BYU Religious Studies Center.
Regional Studies in Latter-day Saint History: Ohio and Upper Canada
A collection of essays examining the history of the Church in Ohio and Canada. The online version is provided by the BYU Religious Studies Center.
Textual Resources (Available at the Library):
A Profile of Latter-day Saints of Kirtland, Ohio, and Members of Zion’s Camp, 1830–1839: Vital Statistics and Sources
A compilation of demographic information on individuals who lived in Kirtland or participated in Zion’s Camp (M273.2 P964 1982). It is also available online at FamilySearch when logged in with a free account.
An Index to Early Caldwell County, Missouri, Land Records
This reference book provides information on individuals who purchased land in Caldwell County in the early to mid-19th century. It contains maps and diagrams (M277.78 J66I 2002).
Old Mormon Kirtland and Missouri: Historic Photographs and Guide
The Old Mormon series comprises several books on pre-Utah periods of Church history. These books provide a discussion about general Church history during specific periods as well as a series of related historical photographs (M277.71 H762o 1991).
Sacred Places: Ohio and Illinois
This book provides information on historic sites in the state of Ohio relevant to Church history (M272 B533s v. 3 2002).
Sacred Places: Missouri
A guide to Church historic sites in Missouri (M272 B533s v. 4 2004).