In the event of a temporary shutdown of the federal government effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, all Library of Congress buildings will be CLOSED to the public and researchers. All public events will be cancelled until the shutdown is concluded and federal funding resumed. More information.
Can I see a first edition Book of Mormon in the Library of Congress?
Due to very heavy use and significant wear we have put a moratorium on serving copies of the Book of Mormon, Book of Commandments, and the Pearl of Great Price in the Rare Book and Special Collection Division. The decision was based solely in the interest of protecting these valuable items for generations to come. We do have one copy of the first edition (of two copies owned by the Library of Congress) in a display case in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division.
We understand that this will be disappointing for many as these were the most called for titles in Rare Book Collection. During our busiest times of the year these books are requested often, more than once a day. For those who were able to make the trip to DC, we in the Rare Book Division very much liked to show material so valued in the community; unfortunately this is not a good activity for the preservation of this 185 year old book.
We have digitized all of these books and host them on our website. All photographs have been taken at high resolution and can be downloaded.
This portal includes some of the most interesting and important items in the collection, including a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, Thomas Jefferson’s copy of The Federalist, medieval manuscripts, books relating to cookery, children's literature, and many more.
