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DEAN C. JESSEE, a widely respected scholar and student of the writings of Joseph Smith, is a senior research fellow in the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History at Brigham Young University He previously served for many years in the Historical Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A past president of the Mormon History Association, he has published many articles on Church history in such periodicals as the Journal of Mormon History and BYU Studies. He served as editor of Letters of Brigham Young to His Sons, which was published by Deseret Book Company.

Dean and his wife, June Wood Jessee, reside in Salt Lake City. They are the parents of eight children.

THE PERSONAL WRITINGS OF JOSEPH SMITH
Edited by Dean C. Jessee

DeseretBook.com is pleased to offer the full text of The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith online in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Prophet's birth. Special thanks to Dean C. Jessee for his willingness to see this project realized.

What would it have been like to know the Prophet Joseph Smith? Countless Church members have asked themselves that question. Though books written about the Prophet may shed light on his character and personality, nowhere do we find a clearer picture of him than in his own writings.

This volume, now updated and revised, collects the personal writings of Joseph Smith—those written in his own hand or dictated to a scribe—and includes photographs of the original documents. His journal entries, letters and other documents reveal the true character of the Prophet: his humility, his unwavering loyalty to his family and friends, his love of life, his commitment to the Church, and his deep spiritualty and desire to do the will of the Savior, whose servant he was.