Continuing a recent general conference time tradition, the Church History Library is hosting a "Treasures of the Collection" open house for the public. The open house begins Friday, Oct. 1, and continues Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
On display are more than 100 rare and unique historical items from the library archives, including books, photographs, manuscripts, minutes and journals relating to the history of the Church.
An especially noteworthy item is the copy of the Book of Mormon that belonged to Hyrum Smith. It is the copy that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve displayed a year ago during his October general conference sermon, the one with the page dog-eared at Ether 12:37-38, which Hyrum read just before he and the Prophet Joseph Smith left for Carthage, as recounted in Doctrine and Covenants 135:4-5.
Another item being displayed is a unique "minute book" kept by a Latter-day Saint Servicemen's group in the German prisoner of war camp, Stalag Luft I during World War II. Without access to Church manuals and scriptures, the men in the camp wrote in neat handwriting key concepts of their faith in the minute book, including information about baptism and confirmation, patriarchal blessings and blessing the sick. The book also contains the sacrament prayers, written from memory, and as best the men could manage it, the Articles of Faith.
The Articles of Faith also figure in another item displayed at the open house, a copy of I. Daniel Rupp's An Original History of the Religious Denominations at Present Existing in the United States (Philadelphia, 1844). The author solicited a contribution from Joseph Smith on Mormonism. It was derived from the sketch the prophet wrote in the famous "Wentworth Letter" in 1842, including the Articles of Faith. On June 5, 1844, just weeks before his death, Joseph sent a thankful acknowledgement to Rupp after receiving a copy of the book.
The first published version of the Wentworth Letter is also displayed, as it was printed in the Times and Seasons of March 1, 1842.
Items displayed at past open houses are again displayed, including Joseph Smith's journal and the Book of Mormon manuscript.
