Newly released documents from the Joseph Smith Papers project provide fascinating insights on Church history topics that can build faith in Jesus Christ.
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As members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints build faith in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, they often develop questions about Joseph Smith and the early history of the Church. That’s where the Joseph Smith Papers Project comes in. To promote transparency, Church historians working on this project actively sort through historical documents relevant to the Church. Once the documents are published, the historians notify the public on the project’s “Current News” site so that anyone can study them and strengthen their understanding of Christ’s latter-day Church.
In an age oversaturated with secondhand stories, it has never been so exciting to have access to primary sources. Early March 2026, Church historians released over 300 records to the public from the life of Joseph Smith that provide fascinating insight into his character, relationships, and faith in Jesus Christ. But these are not the only Church history records published in the last few years.
Since its official establishment in 2001, the Joseph Smith Papers Project has published 27 volumes, with more documents being added continually to the online series. The privilege to see photos and transcriptions of primary documents is especially meaningful for anyone who cannot come to the Church History Library in Salt Lake City to see them in person. These primary documents tell stories that provide nuance to the basic history of the Church. The invaluable insights they provide into the life and character of Joseph Smith as a prophet of God are particularly faith-promoting.
So many documents have been published that it may be hard to know where to start! Here are a few recommendations. Of interest to many readers of Latter-day Saint Insights may be the original preface to the Book of Mormon, in which Joseph Smith explains his authorship in relation to the book. For a more narrative grasp on Joseph Smith’s life, read this short autobiographical letter from Joseph Smith to Oliver Cowdery, where he makes a public confession. And for a glimpse into Joseph Smith’s personal and political beliefs, check out this letter to an unnamed Editor written in 1840, which was later published in an abolitionist newspaper called the Liberator (see the letter’s historical introduction). These primary sources are most useful as study tools when paired with scriptures that may be relevant to the faith topic, time period, or people involved.
These documents can enrich understanding of Church history, but more importantly, studying them to discover more truth will ultimately build faith in Jesus Christ. Take a look!
Read the Joseph Smith Papers’ “Current News” to find additional content newly published on its website.
Source: Joseph Smith Papers Project
—Chantelle LaFrance, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY JAMES LEE
Find more insights
Learn more about building faith in Christ through a study of Church history by reading Brianne Barrus’s Latter-day Saint Insights article “The Christ in Church History.”
Read Olivia Snow’s Latter-day Saint Insights article “Church History and Doubt: Trusting in the Lord” to learn about how to grapple with doubts related to Church history.