Individual Book Details: H0008
Record Date |
09/01/2023 |
Collection Name |
Notable Copies |
Ownership Type |
Private |
Owner |
Private Owner |
Location |
Utah |
Description |
1855 Hawaiian Book of Mormon, Joseph F Smith’s Copy |
Provenance |
Inside inscription listing J.F Smith, 1864. Gifted to son Wesley 1907, Gifted to Wm Reeder 1950 In private collection |
Unique Features |
Spine: Light brown leather, 3 gold line sets on lower section of spine, 1 set at very top. Spine Lettering and Label: Red title ribbon with gold lettering title, gold lines upper and lower of ribbon. Cover: Brown Leather, undecorated Binding: Cover/Spine hinges intact. Title Page: Present and intact. Dark fading color around edges. Triangular cockling on upper and lower left corners. Text: Full Text block in Hawaiian language, no known markings. Inscription: Front end paper recto: “J. F. Smith’s Book Honolulu Oahu, S.I (Sandwich Islands) June 22nd 1864” in ink. Second inscription: “Presented to my Beloved son Wesley 1907” in blue pen. Third inscription: A little Gift to my good friend and Bro Judge Wm Reeder Sincerely E Westly Smith Dec-15-1950 Aloha a man” in blue pen. Notes: Front inside cover pastedown, book plate sticker listing G.W. Vollum Bookbinder HI Additional Details about this Book: Joseph F Smith, (Nov 1838 - Nov 1918) Called to a mission to Hawaii at the age of 15 and called back to Utah in 1857. Returned for a second mission to the Sandwich Islands (starting about 1863) and returned home in winter 1864-65. Set apart as President of the Church, Oct 1901. Elias Wesley Smith, (Apr 1886 - Dec 1970) was born in Laie, Hawaii and was the son of Joseph F Smith and the brother to Joseph Fielding Smith. Served a mission to Hawaii, Feb 1907 - Mar 1910. It’s likely he received this book in connection with his mission. Judge William Henry Reeder Jr (died: 1961) served as mission president for New England from 1941-1947. He was husband to Bertha Julia Stone who was General Young Women’s president between 1948-1961. S. I. (Sandwich Islands): Although the use of the name “Hawaiian Islands” may have first been used in the early 1830’s, the official name change appeared in the 1840 constitution. However, the use of the name “Sandwich Islands” was still in use and phased out through 1865. It’s likely the use of “Sandwich Islands (S.I)” would be used by a mainlander through the inscription period. |
