Books, periodicals and artifacts.

Book · 1868

The Deseret First Book

By the Regents of the Deseret University
[Salt Lake City], 1868

First edition of one of only four books ever printed in the Deseret Alphabet.

Cloth-backed printed paper boards. Front cover and title page with the classic 1868 design: beehive at top, children at the sides, and an artist’s rendering of the unfinished Salt Lake Temple at the foot (still showing a weather vane rather than the later Moroni statue). Entire text in the 38-character phonetic Deseret Alphabet devised under Brigham Young. Date “1868” in Roman numerals at the foot of the title.

Book · 1908

1908 Northern States Mission Book of Mormon

Attractive early 20th-century hardcover edition of the Book of Mormon, published in 1908 by the Northern States Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 149 So. Paulina St., Chicago, Illinois.

Bound in original dark cloth with gilt-stamped spine lettering and decorative flourishes reading “BOOK OF MORMON.” The front board features a blind-stamped ornamental design within a double-ruled border. Spine and covers show honest age-related wear: mild fraying at the extremities, some rubbing and light staining to the cloth, and softening of the corners, but the binding remains tight and sound. Several pages show red highlighting by a previous reader. This looks like a book that was used for study. A small printed ownership label is affixed to the front free endpaper: “Mr. & Mrs. R. G. Smith, South 4610 Farr Road, Spokane, Wash. 99206.”

Periodical · 1864

The Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star – January 2, 1864

Original 1864 issue of The Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star, an important historical periodical of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, published in Liverpool, England.

This issue represents the first publication of the Millennial Star for 1864, during the presidency of Brigham Young. The periodical served as an important source of Church teachings, missionary correspondence, and news for Latter-day Saints in Great Britain and throughout the world.

Artifact · Early 1900s

Vintage LDS Glass Sacrament Cup

Vintage glass sacrament cup associated with the historical practice of administering the sacrament in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Historical background

• During the early 1900s, Latter-day Saint congregations began transitioning from shared communion cups to individual sacrament cups, largely due to growing concerns about sanitation and the spread of infectious diseases.
• Individual sacrament sets were being advertised to LDS congregations by the early 1910s, with glass cups arranged in reusable serving trays.
• Following the devastating 1918–1919 influenza pandemic, individual sacrament cups became increasingly widespread throughout the Church. By 1923, Church instructions specifically directed that sacramental water be distributed in individual glasses carried in trays.
• These glass cups represent an interesting period of transition in Latter-day Saint worship practices and religious history.