Nauvoo Era
General Church History Research Guide
Online Resources:
Far West and Nauvoo Elders’ Certificates, 1837–1838; 1840–1846
An index of elders’ (and other priesthood offices) certificates issued by Church conferences that were recorded in Far West, Missouri, and Nauvoo, Illinois.
High Priests of Nauvoo and Early Salt Lake
An index to several Nauvoo and early Salt Lake high priest quorum records. It includes quorum members’ biographical data.
Historical Record Book, 1841–1874
Includes entries from the Nauvoo Mayor’s Court and City Court from October 1841 to February 1843.
An index of members of 23 branches of the Church in Iowa during the Nauvoo era and the trek west between 1839 and 1859.
Nauvoo Marriage Certificates, 1842–1846
This collection contains actual marriage certificates recorded by James Sloan and Willard Richards.
Nauvoo Marriage Records, February 1842–December 1846
This record book lists marriages recorded by Nauvoo city recorders James Sloan and Willard Richards. It also includes some records of marriages performed by Joseph Smith.
This record book lists Nauvoo land deeds beginning in 1841 and continuing to 1846 after the death of Joseph Smith and the dissolution of Nauvoo as a corporation.
A collection of council proceedings, elections, revenue, treasury, taxation, and judicial records for the city of Nauvoo.
Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds—Early Latter-day Saint Website
This website provides information and maps of the Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds Cemetery. The Early Latter-day Saint database is a project of the Nauvoo Land and Records Office and the Historical Pioneer Research Group of the Winter Quarters, Nebraska, area.
Property Transactions in Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, and Surrounding Communities, 1839–1859
A seven-volume publication listing land transactions that took place in Nauvoo and surrounding areas from 1839 to 1859. The volumes are available online through FamilySearch (see the Notes field in the catalog record linked above), and hard copies of the volumes are available at the library under the call number M277.73 B627p v. 1-7 2006.
List of Bonds and Deeds Filed for Record, 1842 March–1846 February
A list of bonds and deeds recorded in the Nauvoo Register of Deeds from 1842 to 1846.
Nauvoo City Court Docket Book, 1844 February–1845 May
A record of the proceedings of the municipal court relative to public revenue (as well as a list of pioneer emigrants of 1847–1848) recorded by Thomas Bullock for the Church Historian’s Office.
This newspaper was published in Nauvoo from 1839 to 1846. It carried news; Church minutes; and important documents, such as the Wentworth letter and the Book of Abraham translation and facsimiles.
A general interest newspaper with a focus on current progress, events, and happenings in Nauvoo and the surrounding area. It was printed from 1842 to 1843.
A successor to The Wasp, this newspaper was printed in Nauvoo from 1843 to 1845. It included information on day-to-day events in Nauvoo as well as national and global headlines.
William Clayton History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845
This journal, recorded by William Clayton, is an extensive discussion on the construction of the Nauvoo Temple in the 1840s. It contains a list of temple workmen and autographs of officers of the Church.
William D. Huntington Cemetery and Financial Records
Contains records made by William D. Huntington when he was the city sexton from 1839 to 1845. The Nauvoo Death Record contains name, cause of death, age at death, and grave location. It also includes an incomplete plot map of the cemetery.
A three-volume resource on members of Quorums of the Seventy who were called or ordained from 1835 to 1850. It contains biographical information. Online access requires login.
A compilation of brief autobiographies written by Nauvoo-era members of Quorums of the Seventy. Online access requires login. It is also located at the help desk at the library—ask a staff member for assistance.
Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830–1848
This collection lists most of the members of the Church who were baptized between 1830 and 1848, with an emphasis on Church members in Nauvoo. The online version is available through FamilySearch. Ask a staff member for assistance in using the copies at the Church History Library (M270 E13m v. 1-50 1984-1988).
A database created to identify and document the residents of Nauvoo, Illinois, from 1839 to 1846.
Textual Resources (Available at the Library):
Annotated Record of Baptisms for the Dead, 1840–1845: Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois
A seven-volume compilation of individuals who performed proxy baptisms for the dead from 1840 to 1845 in Nauvoo. It contains biographical information for the proxies and the deceased and proxy relationships to the deceased (M277.73 B627a v. 1-7).
Nauvooiana
This is a collection of original sources on Nauvoo and Latter-day Saints. There are two volumes available at the library (M277.73 M383n 1979; M277.73 M383n 1978).
Old Mormon Nauvoo and Southwestern Iowa: 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 (M277.73 H762o 1991).
Sacred Places: Ohio and Illinois
This book provides information on historic sites in the state of Illinois relevant to Church history (M272 B533s v. 3 2002).
Nauvoo History Section in the Library
This section of the library is dedicated to books on Nauvoo history (call numbers beginning with M277.73 in the open stacks).