Dean C. Jessee Explained

Dean Cornell Jessee^[1] (born 1929)^[2] is a historian of the early Latter Day Saint movement and leading expert on the writings of Joseph Smith Jr.

Biography

Jessee was one of the sons of Phillip Cornell Jessee and Minerva Boss.^[3] He was raised in Springville, Utah as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He served an LDS mission to Germany.

In 1959, Jessee received his Master of Arts in LDS church history from the College of Religion at Brigham Young University (BYU),^[4] writing his thesis on the controversial topic of Mormon fundamentalism (D. Michael Quinn claims BYU restricted access to this paper for several years^[5]). He then taught LDS Seminary for four years at West High School in Salt Lake City.

In his career, Jesse was a respected archivist, editor and historian, as well as an authority on early Mormon handwriting.^[6] Davis Bitton called him one of the "[Mormon] historians who are deeply familiar with the sources on Mormon origins [yet] still find it possible to remain in the fold."^[7] In addition to his mission, Jessee has served in his local Salt Lake City congregation as a home teacher^[8] and counselor of the high priest group,^[9] as well as a stake family history coordinator.^[10]

Jessee married Margaret June Wood^[1] and they had eight children and reside in Salt Lake City.^[11] Jessee's younger brother Donald served in the LDS Church as president of the Oregon Portland Mission^[12] and as a Regional Representative.^[13]

Church Historian's Office

In 1964, Jessee was hired by the Church Historian's Office under Joseph Fielding Smith as an archivist in the church historical archives.

While Leonard J. Arrington was researching a book on the Mormon development of western America, he met Jessee in the church archives during 1967. As a cataloguer of manuscripts, Jessee informed Arrington of many useful documents in the archive that historians had not yet studied. Arrington later recalled that at the time Jessee was "Intelligent, well-informed, hardworking, and modest," and that "he knew more about the documents of LDS history than any other person."

In the late 1960s, Jessee was invited by Truman G. Madsen, at BYU's Institute of Mormon Studies, to publish articles on Joseph Smith and early Mormon history in BYU Studies.^[14] This began Jessee's research and publication in early Mormon manuscripts and historical documents.

In 1972, Leonard J. Arrington became the official Church Historian. He requested the transfer of Jessee from the archives to the new History Division, a newly created, impressive team of historians for researching and writing of new Mormon histories. One such work, Jessee's 1974 Letters of Brigham Young to his Sons, caused Apostle Boyd K. Packer to bring concerns to the First Presidency about the Historical Department's "orientation toward scholarly work," an early sign of the tension that would eventually lead to the History Division's disbandment.^[15] Jessee was also assigned by Arrington to locate, collect and transcribe all of Joseph Smith Jr.'s writings, a work inspired by the Thomas Jefferson Papers of the 1950s and those of other Founding Fathers.^[14]

In the 1980s, Jessee was a major player in the Historical Department's examinations of important historical documents produced by Mark Hofmann, which were later found to be forgeries.^[16] Jessee was considered the preeminent expert on early Mormon handwriting, especially Joseph Smith's, and he authenticated and defended a number of Hofmann's forgeries,^{[17] [18] [19]} including the famous "Salamander Letter".^[20] Hofmann's extensive deception of document and forgery experts led him to be called "unquestionably the most skilled forger this country has ever seen".^[21]

Jessee served as a research historian in the church's Historical Department until 1981, when he was transferred to the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History at Brigham Young University (BYU).^[22] At BYU, he was also an associate professor of history and LDS Church history.^[23]

Joseph Smith Papers

As a Senior Historical Associate^[24] then Senior Research Fellow,^[25] Jessee served for nineteen years in the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute.^[22] During this time he continued his earlier work to produce the papers of Joseph Smith. In 1984, he published most of Smith's own writings and many of his dictations in The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith. This research continued to expand into two volumes of The Papers of Joseph Smith, one in 1989 on Smith's autobiographical and historical writings, and the other in 1992 on Smith's journals.^[14]

Jessee's efforts were eventually made an official joint effort of BYU and the LDS Church in 2001, called the Joseph Smith Papers Project. This is intended to be a large multi-volume series, including virtually everything written by Joseph Smith, by his office, or under his direction.^[14] That year, Larry H. Miller, a Salt Lake City businessman and philanthropist, began funding the venture. In 2005, Miller announced the goal of completing the project by 2015, "while Dean Jessee is still around", since Jessee was then in his 70s.^[26] Jessee is general manager of the project along with Richard Bushman and Ron Esplin.^[22]

Honors

• Best Article Award for "The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History" (Mormon History Association: 1971)
• Best Book Award for Letters of Brigham Young to his Sons (Mormon History Association: 1975) ^[27]
• Vice-president of the Mormon History Association (1978–79)^[28]
• President of the Mormon History Association (1980–81)^[29]
• First winner of the Grace Arrington Award for Historical Excellence (Mormon History Association: 1982)^[30]
• The T. Edgar Lyon Award for Best Article for "Return to Carthage: Writing the History of Joseph Smith’s Martyrdom" (Mormon History Association: 1983) ^[31]
• Best Book Award in documentary history for The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith (Mormon History Association: 1984)
• Steven F. Christensen Best Documentary Award for The Papers of Joseph Smith: Autobiographical and Historical Writings, vol. 1 (Mormon History Association: 1989)
• Steven F. Christensen Best Documentary Award for Steven F. Christensen Best Documentary Award (Mormon History Association: 1992)
• Steven F. Christensen Best Documentary Award for The Joseph Smith Papers: Journals, vol. 1, 1832-1839 (Mormon History Association: 2009)
• Special Award in Textual Criticism and Bibliography for The Joseph Smith Papers: Journals, vol. 1, 1832-1839 (Association for Mormon Letters: 2009) ^[32]

Writings

In the 1980s, Jessee worked on editing some of Wilford Woodruff's journals^[23] though he never published them.

Books

• Book: Young, Brigham . Brigham Young . Jessee, Dean C. . Letters of Brigham Young to his Sons . 1974 . Mormon Heritage Series . 1 . Deseret Book

  In collaboration with the Historical Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

  . Salt Lake City . 0-87747-522-9.
• Book: Smith, Joseph Jr. . Joseph Smith Jr. . Jessee, Dean C. . The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith . Salt Lake City . . 1984 . 0-87747-974-7.
• Book: Jessee . Dean C. . The Papers of Joseph Smith: Autobiographical and Historical Writings . Salt Lake City . . 1989 . 0-87579-199-9.
• Book: Jessee . Dean C. . The Papers of Joseph Smith, Vol. 2: Journal, 1832-1842 . Salt Lake City . . 1992 . 0-87579-545-5.
• Book: Taylor, John . John Taylor (Latter Day Saints) . Jessee, Dean C. . John Taylor Nauvoo Journal . Provo, Utah . Grandin Book Co. . 1996 . 0-910523-26-6.
• Book: Smith, Joseph Jr. . Joseph Smith Jr. . Jessee, Dean C. . The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith . revised . Salt Lake City . . 2002 . 1-57345-787-6 . 2009-11-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091010155738/http://deseretbook.com/personalwritings/toc . 2009-10-10 . dead.
• Book: Smith , Joseph Jr. . Joseph Smith Jr. . Jessee . Dean C. . Ashurst-McGee . Mark . Mark Ashurst-McGee . Jensen . Richard L. . Richard L. Jensen . Journals, Volume 1: 1832–1839 . . . Salt Lake City . 2008 . 978-1-57008-849-0.

Academic journals

• Jessee, Dean C. . [Book review of] Messages of the First Presidency. III, by James R. Clark | journal = BYU Studies | volume = 9 | issue = 3 | date = Autumn 1967 | pages = 95–97 | url = http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/u?/byustudies,2513.
• Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Early Accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision . . 9 . 3 . Spring 1969 . 275–94 .
• Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . The Original Book of Mormon Manuscript . . 10 . 3 . Spring 1970 . 259–78 .
• Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . How Lovely Was the Morning . . Spring 1971 . 6 . 1 . 85–88 . 10.2307/45227517 . 45227517 . 254397097 . 2019-11-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110808134237/http://content.lib.utah.edu/u/?%2Fdialogue%2C6471 . 2011-08-08 . dead. free .
• Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . The Writing of Joseph Smith's History . . 11 . 4 . Summer 1971 . 439–73 .
• Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . The Kirtland Diary of Wilford Woodruff . . Summer 1972 . 12 . 4 . 365–99 .
• Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . A Prophet's Goodly Grandparents . . Summer 1972 . 7 . 2 . 58–60 . 10.2307/45224295 . 45224295 . 254402783 . 2019-11-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110808134254/http://content.lib.utah.edu/u/?%2Fdialogue%2C5223 . 2011-08-08 . dead. free .
• Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . The Writings of Brigham Young . . 4 . 3 . June 1973 . 273–94 . 10.2307/967728 . 967728 . The Western Historical Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 3.
• Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . The Reliability of Joseph Smith's History . . 3 . 1976 . 23–46 . 2019-11-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120414223021/http://content.lib.utah.edu/u/?%2Fjmh%2C16215 . 2012-04-14 . dead.
• Knight, Joseph . Joseph Knight Sr. . Jessee, Dean C. . Joseph Knight's Recollection of Early Mormon History . . 17 . 1 . Autumn 1976 . 29–39 .
• Coray, Howard . Jessee, Dean C. . Howard Coray's Recollections of Joseph Smith . . 17 . 3 . Spring 1977 . 341–47 .
• Jessee, Dean C. . Brigham Young's Family: Part I, 1824-1845 . . 18 . 3 . Spring 1978 . 311–27 .
• Smith, Joseph Jr. . Joseph Smith Jr. . Jessee, Dean C. . Howard Coray's Recollections of Joseph Smith . . 19 . 3 . Spring 1979 . 390–94 .
• Jessee, Dean C. . Brigham Young's Family: The Wilderness Years . . 19 . 4 . Summer 1979 . 474–500 .
• Personal Writings of Joseph Smith . Return to Carthage: Writing the History of Joseph Smith's Martyrdom . . 8 . 1981 . 3–19 . 2019-07-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120414223106/http://content.lib.utah.edu/u/?%2Fjmh%2C12041 . 2012-04-14 . dead.
• Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . [Review of]The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph | journal = BYU Studies | volume = 21 | issue = 4 | date = Fall 1981 | pages = 529–34 | url = http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/u?/byustudies,841}}
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Lucy Mack Smith's 1829 Letter to Mary Smith Pierce . . Fall 1982 . 22 . 4 . 455–65 .
  • Taylor, John . John Taylor (Mormon) . Dean C. Jessee . The John Taylor Nauvoo Journal, January 1845–September 1845 . . 23 . 3 . Summer 1983 . 1–105 .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . New Documents and Mormon Beginnings . . 24 . 4 . Fall 1984 . 397–428 .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . The Benefits of Partisanship . . 18 . 4 . Winter 1985 . 187–88 . 2019-11-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110808134611/http://content.lib.utah.edu/u/?%2Fdialogue%2C23049 . 2011-08-08 . dead.
  • Rockwood, Albert Perry . Jessee . Dean C. . Whittaker . David J. . David J. Whittaker . The Last Months of Mormonism in Missouri: The Albert Perry Rockwood Journal . . 28 . 1 . Winter 1988 . 5–41 .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . Priceless Words and Fallible Memories: Joseph Smith as Seen in the Effort to Preserve His Discourses . . 31 . 2 . Spring 1991 . 19–40 .
  • Walker . Ronald W. . Ronald W. Walker . Jessee . Dean C. . The Historians' Corner . . Fall 1992 . 32 . 4 . 125–35 .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . . Revelations in Context: Joseph Smith's Letter from Liberty Jail, March 20, 1839 . . 39 . 3 . 2000 . 125–45 .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . 'A Man of God and a Good Kind Father': Brigham Young at Home . . 40 . 2 . 2001 . 23–53 .

  Other articles

  • Jessee, Dean C. . . Joseph Smith's Missionary Journal . . February 1974 . 4 . 34–36 .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Your Affectionate Father, Brigham Young: The Prophet's Letters to His Sons (Part 1) . . March 1974 . 4 . 63 .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Your Affectionate Father, Brigham Young: The Prophet's Letters to His Sons (Part 2) . . April 1974 . 4 . 63 .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Cement That Binds . . . February 7, 1976 . 16.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Troubled Waters . . . July 30, 1977 . 16.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Another Secluded Grove . . . August 4, 1977 . 16.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . 'Spaulding Theory' Re-Examined . . . August 20, 1977 . 3–5.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Death at Winter Quarters . . . November 5, 1977 . 16.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . The first 47 . . . July 29, 1978 . 16 .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . The Spirituality of Joseph Smith . . September 1978 . 8 . 14–20 .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Truth Established . . . December 23, 1978 . 12.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Success in Steps . . . April 14, 1979 . 12.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . 'Steadfastness and Patient Endurance': The Legacy of Edward Partridge . . June 1979 . 9 . 40–47 .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Joseph Smith's Reputation: Among Historians . . September 1979 . 9 . 9 . 57–61 .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Monument to Progress . . . September 15, 1979 . 20.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Four Early Calls . . . October 20, 1979 . 16.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Improvised Fonts . . . November 17, 1979 . 16.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Pioneer Strength . . . January 12, 1980 . 12.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . An Early Historian . . . April 26, 1980 . 16.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Tests of Her Faith . . . June 14, 1980 . 24.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . A Priceless Treasure . . . August 2, 1980 . 16.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Talented Linguist . . . October 18, 1980 . 16.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Seeing His Good Works . . . February 7, 1981 . 16.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . One of Many Trials . . . April 11, 1981 . 24.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Heaven's Manifestation . . . June 27, 1981 . 16.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . An Initial Impression . . . August 15, 1981 . 12.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Has Mormon History Been Deliberately Falsified? . Sandy, UT . Mormon Miscellaneous Response Series . 2 . April 1982.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Joseph Smith Jr.—in His Own Words, Part 1 . . December 1984 . 14 . 22–31 .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Joseph Smith Jr.—in His Own Words, Part 2 . . January 1985 . 15 . 18–24 .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Joseph Smith Jr.—in His Own Words, Part 3 . . February 1985 . 15 . 6–13 .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . I have heard that Joseph Smith didn't actually write his history . . July 1985 . 15–17 .
  • Book: Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . The Early Accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision . Studies in Scripture . 2 . . . 1985 . Randall Book . Salt Lake City, Utah . 301–14.
  • Book: Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Wilford Woodruff . The Presidents of the Church . . . Salt Lake City, Utah . 1986 . 117–143.
  • Book: Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . 'Walls, Grates and Screeking Iron Doors': The Prison Experience of Mormon Leaders in Missouri, 1838-1839 . . New Views of Mormon History: Essays in Honor of Leonard J. Arrington . 1987 . . Salt Lake City . 19–42.
  • Book: Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormon Record Keeping . Larry C. Porter . . The Prophet Joseph: Essays on the Life and Mission of Joseph Smith . Salt Lake City . . 1988 . 138–60.
  • Book: Bushman, Richard L. . Richard L. Bushman . Dean C. Jessee . Smith, Joseph: The Prophet . . . 3 . 1331–39 . 1992 . . New York . http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Smith%2C_Joseph#Smith.2C_Joseph:_The_Prophet . 2010-01-15 . 2009-10-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091011023243/http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Smith,_Joseph#Smith.2C_Joseph:_The_Prophet . dead.
  • Book: Jessee, Dean C. . Smith, Joseph: Writings of Joseph Smith . . . 3 . 1343–46 . 1992 . . New York . http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Smith%2C_Joseph#Smith.2C_Joseph:_Writings_of_Joseph_Smith . 2010-01-15 . 2009-10-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091011023243/http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Smith,_Joseph#Smith.2C_Joseph:_Writings_of_Joseph_Smith . dead.
  • Book: Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Woodruff, Wilford . . . 4 . 1580–84 . 1992 . . New York . http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Woodruff%2C_Wilford . 2010-01-15 . 2010-03-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100302085559/http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Woodruff,_Wilford . dead.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Wilford Woodruff: A Man of Record . . 23 . July 1993 . 28–31 .
  • Book: Jesse , Dean . 2 . Woodruff, Wilford . Powell . Allan Kent . 1994 . Utah History Encyclopedia . Salt Lake City, Utah . . 0874804256 . 30473917 . 2013-11-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131202222510/http://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/w/WOODRUFF_WILFORD.html . 2013-12-02 . dead.
  • Book: Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Sources for the Study of Joseph Smith . Mormon Americana . David J. Whittaker . . Provo, Utah . 1995 . 7–28.
  • Book: Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . The Earliest Documented Accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision . Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations, 1820-1844 . . . Provo, Utah and Salt Lake City . 2005 . 1–33.

  Papers

  • Jessee, Dean C. . A Comparative Study and Evaluation of the Latter-day Saint and 'Fundamentalist' Views Pertaining to the Practice of Plural Marriage . Theses and Dissertations . Master's thesis . August 1959 . . Provo, Utah .
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Solomon Spaulding and the Book of Mormon . The First Annual CES Religious Symposium: LDS Church History . 57–68 . Provo, UT . . 1977.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Tidbits from Historian's Office journal . Favorite Historical Tidbits For the First Annual Dinner . Provo, UT . . August 6, 1980.
  • Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Contributions of Wilford Woodruff . What It Means to be a Prophet . . Salt Lake City, Utah . August 22, 1985 . . time 28:20–46:15 .
  • Web site: Jessee, Dean C. . 2 . Joseph Smith and His Papers: An Editorial View . 2007 . . 2010-01-14 . 2010-02-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100202210252/http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/Essays/Jessee.pdf . dead .

  Reviews

  The following are published reviews of Jessee's writings:

  Letters of Brigham Young to His Sons

  • William Mulder (Winter 1974), : pp. 77–80
  • S. George Ellsworth (Winter 1975), Utah Historical Quarterly: pp. 190–91
  • Jan Shipps (March 1975), Journal of American History: pp. 1007–08
  • Stanford J. Layton (Spring 1975), BYU Studies: pp.378–80

  The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith

  • Richard Lloyd Anderson (1984), Journal of Mormon History: pp.113–18
  • Golden A. Buchmiller (September 2, 1984), Church News: p. 14
  • (Winter 1985), Utah Historical Quarterly: p. 107–08
  • Marvin S. Hill (Summer 1985), BYU Studies: pp. 117–25
  • Roger D. Launius (Summer 1989), : pp.142–43
  • Ronald E. Romig (Spring 2004), Journal of Mormon History: pp. 221–24

  The Papers of Joseph Smith

  • Roger D. Launius (Fall 1990), : pp. 203–04
  • Roger D. Launius (Winter 1990), Illinois Historical Journal: p. 284
  • James C. Bedford (Fall 1991), Journal of the Early Republic: pp. 451–52
  • Richard Dilworth Rust (1993), BYU Studies: pp. 339–44
  • Richard L. Bushman (Spring 1993), Journal of Mormon History: pp.183–87
  • David J. Whittaker (June 1993), Church History: pp. 283–84

  References

  • Book: Arrington , Leonard . Leonard J. Arrington . Adventures of a Church Historian . 1998 . . Urbana . 0-252-02381-1 . .

  ]

  .

Notes and References

1. Jones, Aldene Marshall . George and Rachel Thrower Marshall: Their Ancestors and Descendants . 1995 . . Provo, Utah . 282 . 2010-01-14 .
2. Book: Walker, Ronald W. . Ronald W. Walker . David J. Whittaker . . Mormon History . . Urbana . 2001 . 70 . 2010-01-14 . 978-0-252-02619-5.
3. Web site: Family Tree . Rosenbaum/Roller Roots . 2010-01-14.
4. Jessee, Dean C.. A Comparative Study and Evaluation of the Latter-day Saint and "Fundamentalist" Views Pertaining to the Practice of Plural Marriage. Theses and Dissertations . August 1959. College of Religion, Brigham Young University. PDF. 2008-07-30.
5. Book: Quinn, D. Michael . Fundamentalisms and Society: Reclaiming the Sciences, the Family, and Education . . 1991 . 978-0-226-50880-1 . Martin E. Marty . Chicago . 282 . Plural Marriage and Mormon Fundamentalism . D. Michael Quinn . 2008-07-30 . R. Scott Appleby . https://books.google.com/books?id=FoF5jCEepGkC&pg=PA282.
6. Emma and the Joseph Smith Translation. Insights: An Ancient Window. August 1996. 16. 8. Provo, Utah. Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies. 2008-07-30.
7. Web site: Bitton, Davis. Davis Bitton. I Don't Have a Testimony of the History of the Church. Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research. 2004. 2008-07-30.
8. The Spirituality of Joseph Smith . . September 1978 . 2010-01-14 .
9. Joseph Smith Jr.—in His Own Words, Part 1 . . December 1984 . 2010-01-14 .
10. Wilford Woodruff: A Man of Record . . July 1993 . 2010-01-14 .
11. Personal Writings of Joseph Smith dust jacket.
12. Book: Apostle: Past Ninety 1976- . Tate, Lucile C. . LeGrand Richards: Beloved Apostle . 1982 . . Salt Lake City, Utah.
13. News: New regional representatives . February 11, 1989 . 2010-01-14.
14. Web site: Jessee, Dean C.. Joseph Smith and His Papers: An Editorial View. 6–8. Joseph Smith Papers Project. 2008-07-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20080821120837/http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/Essays/Jessee.pdf. 2008-08-21. dead.
15. Book: Shipps, Jan. Jan Shipps. Sojourner in the Promised Land: Forty Years Among the Mormons. 31. 2000. University of Illinois Press. 0-252-02590-3. 2008-07-31.
16. Book: Turley, Richard. Victims: The LDS Church and the Mark Hofmann Case. 1992. University of Illinois Press. 0-252-01885-0. 2008-07-31.
17. News: Van Leer, Twila . Scholars pursue studies of transcript, characters . April 29, 1980 . . B1, B5 . 2010-01-14.
18. Jessee, Dean C. . Lucy Mack Smith's 1829 Letter to Mary Smith Pierce . . Fall 1982 . 22 . 4 . 455–65 . 2010-01-14 .
19. Texts from Hofmann's forgeries that Jessee identified as Joseph Smith holographs made it into the 1984 first edition of Jessee's The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith. A corrected second edition was published in 2002.
20. Jessee, Dean C. . New Documents and Mormon Beginnings . . 24 . 4 . Fall 1984 . 397–428 . 2010-01-14 .
21. News: Lindsey, Robert . Robert Lindsey (journalist) . Dealer in Mormon Fraud Called a Master Forger . . February 11, 1987 . 2010-01-14.
22. Web site: Contributor Bios. The Joseph Smith Papers. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 2012-05-11.
23. Web site: What It Means To Be A Prophet . . Salt Lake City, Utah . August 22, 1985 . . 2010-01-14 .
24. Jessee, Dean C.. I Have a Question. Ensign. 15. July 1985. https://archive.today/20120720020644/http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1985.htm/ensign%20july%201985%20.htm/i%20have%20a%20question.htm. dead. 2012-07-20. 2008-07-31.
25. Web site: Dean C. Jessee. Authors. Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. 2008-07-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20080205160817/http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/viewauthor.php?authorID=165. 2008-02-05. dead.
26. News: Walch, Tad. Miller funding Joseph Smith project. Deseret Morning News. Salt Lake City. April 4, 2005. 2008-07-31.
27. Mormon History Association Awards for 1975 . 2 . . 1975 . 2 . 2010-01-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110613185429/http://content.lib.utah.edu/u/?%2Fjmh%2C15634 . 2011-06-13 . dead .
28. Officers of the Mormon History Association. Journal of Mormon History. 5. 1978. Inside Back Cover. Mormon History Association. 2008-07-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20110614015407/http://content.lib.utah.edu/u/?%2Fjmh%2C10240. 2011-06-14. dead.
29. Web site: Past MHA Presidents. Mormon History Association. 2008-07-31. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120213160038/http://www.mhahome.org/about/past_presidents.php. 2012-02-13.
30. The Grace Arrington Award for Historical Excellence. Journal of Mormon History. 9. 1982. 40. 2008-07-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20110614015413/http://content.lib.utah.edu/u/?%2Fjmh%2C15765. 2011-06-14. dead.
31. Mormon History Association Awards for 1993 . 2 . . 1983 . 10 . 2010-01-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110614011304/http://content.lib.utah.edu/u/?%2Fjmh%2C17637 . 2011-06-14 . dead .
32. Web site: Morris, William . AML awards for 2008 . March 2, 2009 . A Motley Vision . 2010-01-17.