From Deseret News archives:
Rare find on the block: 1st edition Book of Mormon lay in box of books for years
Swann Auction Galleries in New York City will auction a rare first edition copy of the Book of Mormon, along with a first edition LDS hymnal, on March 22, among other items focusing on "Printed and Manuscript Americana." The Book of Mormon is expected to sell for $70,000 to $90,000, and the hymnal from $30,000 to $40,000, according to Sarah Drabick, a publicist for the auction house.
The 1830 Book of Mormon, in its original binding, was apparently signed by early LDS apostle Orson Pratt, and an inscription by its owner, Denison Root, indicates "the book was a gift from Hyrum Smith," brother of LDS Church founder Joseph Smith, Drabick said.
Latter-day Saints consider the book to be scripture on par with the Bible, and recent auctions of first edition copies have fetched tens of thousands of dollars. Smith said he translated the book from gold plates delivered to him by an angel.
The hymnal, titled "A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," was compiled by Smith's wife, Emma, and was published in Nauvoo, Ill., in 1841. A press release announcing the sale said the rare first edition "has not appeared at auction in the last 100 years."
Drabick told the Deseret Morning News the Book of Mormon copy was consigned by an antique dealer from New York, who several years ago had "purchased a lot of books from an auction, the lot being significant for the leather bindings of the books."
After the purchase, the owner "let the box sit in their barn for a number of years," she said. "Finally, when they decided to go through it, they saw the Book of Mormon and thought it was quite interesting. That's when they inquired what it might be, and learned its significance," Drabick said.
The hymnal was consigned by an individual from Illinois, she said, noting further details were not available about the owner or the book's history.
Drabick said she doesn't know if the specialist who examined the items "had examples of Orson Pratt's or Hyrum Smith's signatures to compare, but we do know all items were thoroughly examined." Specialists look for "familiarity with period papers, bindings and typical condition issues, and comparison with bibliographic descriptions" to determine authenticity, comparing period inks and handwriting to the inscriptions, she said.
