Original reddish-black blind stamped roan leather (red much faded). Spine some gilt; Spine very good. Internally, fine--no marks, tears, etc. Cover inscribed in pencil "Mrs. Thomas Bell Famonr' Ju Presented to Anette Dephan [sp?] Toledo Ju". A more ornate cover, which still bore gilt on the cover was sold for $1,500, rickgunder.com/VanNorman/RLDS BoM/bomrlds.htm 2014. ( )

Of course I only have a facsimile of this edition- I'm not wealthy enough to acquire one of the 5000 originally printed. I've read this book many times and read many comments by authors both pro and con. I can, in a measure, understand why this book bores or even antagonizes some readers who don't share its world view. On the other hand, many who ignore it for any of many reasons might be surprised were they to carefully examine its actual content. This book has had more influence than any of us realise! Scoffed at for its 'plagiarism' of the Bible, it is often very independent in the very readings of Isaiah and others which it transmits. One of my favourite examples of this is Isaiah 14:2 which says that Israel will make their oppressors their possessions - servants and handmaids. Whether this passage was used to justify slavery in antebellum America or not, the 2 Nephi version allows no such construction: "And they shall return to their lands of promise. And the house of Israel shall possess them [lands not people] and the land of the Lord shall be for servants and handmaids... etc. I really don't know if this variant text had anything to do with motivating the proslavery Missourian mobs who drove the Mormons from their homes and farms in 1833, but I like to think it might have. Certain it is that Mormons disbelieve in slavery or any other form of oppression, whether paternalistic, priestly, bureaucratic or otherwise. Christ said " ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." I invite anyone to prayerfully consider the stories, sermons, psalms and prophecies of this or any later edition and ask him or herself whether this book does not strengthen faith in God and desire to love and serve mankind. ( )

We purchased this authentic looking facsimilie copy of the first edition of the Book of Mormon in Nauvoo, Illinois at Joseph Smith's newly rennovated store. I am not sure but think it is a Herald House publication. At least Herald House did an earlier first edition facsimilie that did not have a quality binding and over time the binding cracked and split.

Reproduction of the 1830 edition