Editing Book of Commandments (section)

== History of the Book of Commandments ==
{{Doctrine and Covenants}}The Book of Commandments was planned as a compilation of  [[Joseph Smith Jr.]]'s early [[Prophecy|prophecies]]. Smith, leader of the [[Latter Day Saint movement]], gathered several of his revelations for a [[High priest (Latter Day Saints)|High Priests]] council in November 1831. The ten-man council voted to print 10,000 copies, but the actual number of prints was reduced to between three and five thousand.

[[William Wines Phelps|W.&nbsp;W. Phelps]], publisher of the book, ran a press in [[Independence, Missouri]]. A faithful Mormon, Phelps also edited an historically important Mormon periodical, ''[[The Evening and Morning Star]]'' from September 1831 to July 1833. Most revelations in the Book of Commandments had been previously published by Phelps in the ''Star''.

On July 20, 1833 an [[anti-Mormon]] and pro-[[Slavery in the United States|slavery]] mob destroyed the press. The mob, purportedly frightened of Mormon political power, was incensed by an editorial in Phelps's ''Evening and Morning Star'' perceived to be [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist]]. Breaking down the door, they razed Phelps's home and business. At that point, 65 revelations of the Book of Commandments, about two thirds the total, were already printed. Totaling 160 pages, most of the uncut and unbound sheets were destroyed in the ensuing fire. However, some neighbors including teenage sisters Caroline and [[Mary Elizabeth Rollins]]<ref name=salvaging>{{cite book | last = Carter | first = Kate | title = Our Pioneer Heritage | publisher = Daughters of Utah Pioneers | year = 1962 | location = Salt Lake City, UT | pages = 308}}</ref> saved remnants of nearly 100 copies.

Fewer than 30 are known to exist today, including several incomplete versions. Further enhancing the book's scarcity, several copies of the ''Book of Commandments'' are held in permanent collections. For example, [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) and the [[Community of Christ]] have multiple copies, and the rare books divisions of the [[University of Utah]] [[J. Willard Marriott Library|Marriott Library]], [[Brigham Young University]] [[Harold B. Lee Library]], [[The Library of Congress]], and the [[New York Public Library]] each own a copy. When sold on the open market, the book regularly fetches over $100,000. An incomplete copy changed hands for $200,000 in 2001, and a complete volume sold at auction for $391,000.<ref>{{cite news |title= LDS book fetches $391,000 at sale |url= http://www.deseretnews.com/article/871733/LDS-book-fetches-391000-at-sale.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140312203112/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/871733/LDS-book-fetches-391000-at-sale.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= March 12, 2014 |date= 2001-10-30 |newspaper= [[Deseret News]]}}</ref> Rare books dealer [[Ken Sanders (book dealer)|Ken Sanders]] claims a copy was sold privately in Utah for $500,000.<ref>{{cite news |title= 1835 hymnal sold at auction for $273,600 |url= http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650212769,00.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061208000058/http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0%2C1249%2C650212769%2C00.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= December 8, 2006 |last= Arave |first= Lynn |date=2006-12-06 |newspaper= [[Deseret News]]}}</ref>