Comments on: Liftoff! The Joseph Smith Papers Are Published

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:49:40 +0000

Jake, today is the very first day that the book is released to the public (November 19 was simply the day the editors got their advance copies; you couldn’t have bought it ANYwhere that day). I’m not privy to Deseret Book’s private business decisions, of course, but I think it’s a little unfair to suggest this early that anything underhanded is going on.

You can still order your book through Amazon.com at a discount, and it’ll come when it comes. Or you could buy it at Deseret Book and consider the lack of discount to be the premium you pay for insisting on having it now instead of when supply rises to meet demand.

By: Jake

Jake — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:10:17 +0000

Anyone know when Amazon will have more of these books? I want one from there cause it is cheaper, but I heard Deseret Book was holding most of the copies for themselfs until after christmas, I guess they want us to spend 50 bucks for one from and not get a discount somewhere else.

By: Eric

Eric — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:25:10 +0000

I know I am making a very late addition to this thread. The index for Journals, volume 1, will be posted on josephsmithpapers.org in late December 2008. A few weeks thereafter (in January 2009), typeset, printed, and perfect-bound copies of the same index will be mailed free of charge to those who request one. To make your request, see instructions at the following URL:
http://josephsmithpapers.org/JournalsOneReference.htm.

By: Christopher

Christopher — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:02:34 +0000

Just looked through the volume. I too, have a stake in the project and thus am biased, but I’m quite pleased with the finished project (missing index notwithstanding).

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:12:02 +0000

Better not say “pulp” Ardis–even if that’s what the paper is made from.

Isn’t “pulping” the fate of all those unsold volumes from the remainder tables?

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:50:16 +0000

I can’t wait to actually see one in the flesh (er, pulp?)

And hurray for bias — you and Robin and everybody else who has worked for this has a right to cheer.

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:45:05 +0000

I’m currently looking through one of the volumes, and though i’m biased, I think it looks fantastic.

By: Evelyn P.

Evelyn P. — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:32:43 +0000

It is especially helpful when someone involved in a newsworthy event takes the time to comment. Thank you, Robin. The four-volume set of Jenson's Biographical Encyclopedia of the Church has a volume index in each of volumes 1, 2, and 3, with a cumulative index in volume 4. Everyone uses the cumulative index. Like you, I would not want to have to consult the index in each volume. However, volumes 1, 2, and 3 would have been extremely difficult to use in the years before volume 4 appeared, had it not been for those individual indexes. Whether they will be eventually superseded or not, an index is one part of the basic scholarly apparatus that we expect in reference books, especially in this generation when 3x5 cards have been replaced by sophisticated indexing tools. And while I have no reason to doubt that your work-arounds and precedents are valid, that all does seem to be after-the-fact rationalization rather than carefully reasoned decision-making, since an index was contemplated right up to the moment when building one would have further delayed an already much delayed publication.

By: Robin Jensen

Robin Jensen — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:10:34 +0000

The lack of the index in the first volume of the Journal Series of the Joseph Smith Papers Project was not all about embarrassment in postponing the volume several months. These volumes are research volumes and like all research volumes, indices are critical. So let’s imagine how these volumes will be used. Journals 1 covers the 1830s journals—an important and large part of Joseph Smith’s prophetic career. Anyone interested in the history of Kirtland, Jackson County, Zion’s Camp will go straight to this volume and an in-volume index would have helped out tremendously, no question about it. What about volume 2 and 3? The final two Journal volumes split up the Nauvoo diaries and an in-volume index would not be helpful for the most part. Doing research on the Nauvoo temple would necessitate going through two volumes’ indices and waste a lot of time. And what about developmental topics like Zion, the taw of consecration, temple worship, or Joseph Smith’s revelations? These topics are scattered throughout all three volumes. I, as a researcher, will not want to go through three indices to cover these topics. A comprehensive index is the best solution in my mind. Not without its problems, mind you, but certainly not a last-minute “oh-crap-what-are-we-going-to-do” kind of decision (many documentary editing projects have comprehensive indices as opposed to individual indices, thus the precedent is there).

In saying all this, I’m not minimizing the pain it will be for the next five or so years. However, once all the volumes are out, a comprehensive index is going to save a lot of time. Until then, the online index will help researchers navigate Journals 1.

Disclaimer: I work for the Joseph Smith Papers Project, so I’m probably biased in some way, but I’ve certainly spent a lot of time thinking about the end-uses of these volumes.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:17:36 +0000

Clark, I haven’t heard anything in particular, but since the intent even with this first volume was to have an index (one was prepared by an outsider preparer, but it didn’t meet standards, evidently), I think it’s safe to assume that they plan on indexes for each volume.