Historian Press will document LDS Church past

The 30 volumes will take 10 to 15 years to publish. The first two volumes should be released later this year. They will sell for $39.95 a copy. Limited leather-bound collector copies will also be available for $129.95.

"This initiative will offer a very deep pool of primary sources for researchers to dip into," Ronald Esplin, one of the project's general editors, said. "It will help lift the overall standard of scholarship as there will be greater self and peer accountability in future writings that will be produced dealing with early Mormon history."

Elder Jensen said eventually the entire collection will likely be available for free online, because that's the future of publishing.

Following "The Joseph Smith Papers" will be other projects, with the journals of George Q. Cannon scheduled and approved next.

Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller and his wife, Gail, created an endowment to help fund the "Joseph Smith Papers" project. A big desire of the Millers is for millions to "know Brother Joseph again," Elder Jensen said.

He also stressed the office of church historian is provided by scripture.

"It's a commandment to keep records, a scriptural admonition to publish it," he said.

More information on the project is available at www.josephsmithpapers.org.

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