Exhibit of LDS historical documents is major draw

SALT LAKE CITY — The words, drawn in big, lop-sided calligraphy, are

browned and fading: \"Vienna Jaques' Book, November 22, 1832.\"

Maryanne White leans over the glass-encased

1830 edition Book of Mormon, eyes widening as she realizes what she's

seeing.

\"Wow,\" says the 47-year-old Texas mother,

shaking her head in awe. \"Joseph Smith (Jr.) signed that book. That's

his handwriting right there.\"

Thousands of people, like White, trekked to

The Church History Library Friday and Saturday to see more than 100

photos and journals documenting the history of The Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In addition to a Book of Mormon autographed

by the first LDS Church president, librarians displayed — among other

things — faded photographs of the Salt Lake Temple when it was under

construction, one of Joseph Smith's journals and a ragged, 150-year-old

copy book full of handwritten revelations.

\"Looking at Joseph Smith's writing, I feel

like I can imagine him with his pen in hand,\" White said. \"It means a

lot to me because the things he did have blessed my life so much.\"Sarkis Emrazian, of Salt Lake City, snapped photographs of a

dilapidated copy of \"The Book of Commandments,\" an early edition of the

LDS Doctrine and Covenants. When the scriptures were printed in 1833, a

mob stormed the building and destroyed the printing press. Women

gathered the pages, which were thrown out the windows, salvaging enough

to put together just 30 copies.

\"This is fascinating,\"

Emrazian said. \"I've never been so close to church history.\"