BYU Library - Special Collections

Scope and Contents

Typewritten excerpt taken from a "memo of his life and selections from his letters 1861-1872." Seward writes about coming to Utah by train and describes what he saw in Salt Lake City. He met the president of the Mormon Church, Brigham Young (1801-1877), and relates what Young said about Mormon polygamy.

Scope and Contents

Photocopy of a handwritten and signed letter, dated 1 March 1886, and addressed to Franklin S. Richards, a lawyer in Salt Lake City, Utah. Snow thanks Richards for "securing appeal in my three cases to the U. S. Supreme Court and promise of bail." The issue involved was probably a charge of polygamy made against Snow.

Scope and Contents

Photocopies of typed copies of letters sent by John Taylor to his wives and to such LDS Church leaders as Brigham Young and Wilford Woodruff. The materials deal largely with family and Church matters. Also included are photocopies of handwritten notes on Taylor's various wives.

Scope and Contents

Typescript of a biography of Joseph Smith (1805-1844) by his secretary. Johnson relates his personal observations of Smith and treats many topics relating to the prophet's work and doctrines. Also included is a typescript of a vision by Joseph Eldridge Robinson (1867- ), president of the California Mission for the Mormon Church from 1901-1919, relating to Benjamin Johnson and Joseph Smith.

Scope and Contents

Correspondence, diaries, and a family history. The correspondence is between Van Cott and family members. Also included are handwritten and signed letters from Brigham Young, second president of the Mormon Church, to Van Cott. The diaries cover the time when Van Cott served as a missionary for the Mormon Church from 1852 to 1856 and from 1859 to 1862. He was in Iowa City, Iowa, when the first handcart companies left for Utah.

Scope and Contents Photocopies of typewritten transcripts of a handwritten journal. The items were originally kept in Pitman shorthand. The entries are extensive and detailed. Whitaker was raised in Centerville, Utah but lived much of his adult life in Salt Lake City, Utah. Whitaker details his life and activities and makes observations on Utah society, the Mormon Church, and state and national politics. He had numerous callings in the Mormon Church and served as a missionary for that faith in the...