The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates taken from the Plates of Nephi
Chicago: Northern States Mission, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Publishers (Press of Henry C. Etten & Co.), 1907. Third Chicago Edition. Hardcover. 623pp. Sextodecimo [17 cm] Black cloth over boards with three blind stamped linear borders along with ornamental devices on the front and rear board. "Bureau of Information, Temple Block, Salt Lake City, Utah" label pasted over the Northern States Mission publication information. Spine negligibly faded. Some very tiny white specks on the rear board. Previous owner's bookplate on front free endpaper. Text block just barely beginning to crack at p. 305, but still extremely sturdy and solid. Handful of uncut pages. Very minor nicks to the top edges of a few of the pages. Very occasional imperfections in the printing of the page numbers (numbers a bit effaced). Collated and complete. Pages exceptionally clean. In very good or better condition. Flake/Draper 658. Very Good +. Item #70349
Division into Chapters and Verses, with References, by Orson Pratt, Sen. Same as 1906 Chicago edition.
Due to the fact that the Book of Mormon was used as a primary tool in missionary work, Northern States Mission President German Edgar Ellsworth (1871-1961) wanted to publish the book in large quantities.
"Sent to the Northern States Mission in 1903, he [German Ellsworth] worked in the office in Chicago as mission secretary. Examining the stock of literature one day, he found no copies of the Book of Mormon on hand for 175 elders and sisters, so he ordered three dozen copies from Deseret News Press for thirty-seven and a half cents each, though President Asahel Woodruff said his order would last 'the next six months.' Soon after receiving the call (by wire) to succeed Woodruff in the summer of 1904, Ellsworth asked Joseph F. Smith for permission to contract with Chicago printer Henry C. Etten & Co. for ten thousand copies of the book. As Ellsworth later recalled, President Smith expressed reservations: 'You are only a boy, and I am afraid you will overdo it.' But the young president persistently advocated the book’s inherent 'value . . . as a missionary' until he received the prophet’s blessing." - John C. Thomas (https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-19-no-1-2018/book-mormon-american-missions-turn-twentieth-century).
The first 'Chicago edition' of the Book of Mormon appeared in August 1905.
Price: $500.00