Joseph Smith Papers editors reveal tools of trade

When handling an original book that contains the only known account of the First Vision written by the Prophet's hand, it's wise to take precautions.

For one thing, "You don't want to lick your finger to turn pages," says Robin S. Jensen, a documentary editor.

For that, Jensen uses an archival spatula, a pencil-size metal instrument with a narrow handle and a round, flat end. It's one of the many tools of his trade.

As a volume co-editor for the Joseph Smith Papers, Jensen will on occasion have treasures of Mormon history propped up on a cardboard cradle in his office at the Church History Library. His job, and the objective of the entire project, is to delve as deeply into the documents as possible while, at the same time, ensuring their preservation. The tools they employ can be as advanced as multispectral imaging technology and as standard as an inexpensive magnifying loop. They can also be as simple as teamwork, a good set of eyes and the patience to stare at a document for hours.

"To me, it's not tedious," Jensen said. "I love what I do. There's something about putting yourselves in the shoes of the creators of these documents."

On Sept. 22, the Church Historian's Press will release the second offering from the Joseph Smith Papers project, Volume 1 of the Revelations and Translations series. The project collects, verifies, transcribes and publishes all documents produced or owned by Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. More than 30 volumes are planned.

Jensen worked on the Revelations and Translations volume as a third-level verifier, one of the final steps of the process which, whenever possible, involves comparing transcriptions with the original documents. Using a magnification lamp and magnifying loop, Jensen scans the document to make sure it matches the transcribed text that will be published.

It's a painstaking process that can strain the eyes — Jensen says he can't do verification for more than three or four hours at a time — but the effort incorporates both basic and advanced tools and techniques.

For instance, editors don't always need the document in front of them. According to Jensen, a high-resolution digital image of a document, along with a Photoshop program, can reveal what the most sophisticated microscopes once could. A high-res scan can go right down to the "fiber level" of the document.

Editors have also been able to find what has been lost. The use of multispectral imaging, which involves capturing images of the same document at different wave lengths (or colors), reveals details that are imperceptible to the eye.

Gene A. Ware, an emeritus professor of engineering at BYU, provided the Joseph Smith Papers team with multispectral images of the documents, capturing them at up to 14 different wavelengths.

Certain features of a document are better defined in some wavelengths than others, according to Ware. Infrared details that are invisible to the naked eye can be revealed along different wavelengths.

"They are totally new (details) to us that we couldn't see at all," Ware said.

MSI makes certain pigments transparent and allows editors to distinguish between characters that have been written over each other. And because inks respond differently to various wavelengths, identifying ink types may also help scholars differentiate between the scribes who wrote for the Prophet, Ware said.

One of the discoveries made possible by MSI is detailed in Volume 1 of the "Journals" series, released in November 2008. Some penciled characters on the final page of the 1832-1834 journal had faded, and the leather strap of the book had created stains. MSI restored the carbon writing of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.

In another instance, a pencil notation that read "DC 108" became visible through MSI on a leaf page from the Book of Commandments that is owned by the Community of Christ.

"You're kind of blown away by what was written, now can't be seen but we are able to recover through technology," Jensen said.

Many scholars don't have access to such tools, which in some cases makes the transcription a more informative resource than the original document, Jensen said. The Joseph Smith Papers team can therefore give scholars a more complete view of the text, while also being what Jensen calls "careful custodians and stewards" of the manuscripts.

"If everyone wanted to see the original documents, they would be destroyed from wear and tear," he said.

When the new Church History Library opened in June, assistant church historian and recorder Richard E. Turley Jr. spoke about the "tension between preservation and use." Joseph Smith Papers editors use photo copies or scans of the documents whenever possible, and conservationists also adhere to the rule that anything done to a document should be reversible.

The 1832 "Kirtland Letter Book," which contains an account of the First Vision written by Joseph Smith himself, is an example of how project members "often deal with early efforts of conservation," Jensen said. One of the pages has been taped, while the first six pages were once cut out to store in files in the days before computers.

"It's something we wouldn't dream of doing today," said Jensen, who noted that the pages have been re-attached using Japanese paper and wheat paste.

Original documents, however, are indispensable when it comes to recognizing the nuances that help establish context. For all the physical tools employed by documentary editors, the ability to pay attention to detail is equally valuable, Jensen suggests.

Documentary editors train themselves to "look really deeply" at the documents and consider its provenance — or the history and chain of custody of the manuscript. Minute details can offer clues about how the document was compiled, used and passed down. For example, some small stubs found in the binding of the Kirtland Letter Book suggest that there are missing pages.

Sometimes, details emerge after simply looking at a document for long periods of time. Jensen said he's been knocked out of his chair after noticing a detail he'd previously missed.

"You almost just have to stare at it," he said. "And sometimes things jump out."

Jensen says he's fortunate to be surrounded by "geniuses in the field," like Dean Jessee, Ronald Esplin and Christy L. Best. One of the most essential tools of the Joseph Smith Papers project is the collective knowledge of its staff members, and collaboration creates checks and balances.

"We just improve each others' work," Jensen said.

The question editors constantly ask is, "what does that mean?" Gathering data and making conclusions is like putting together a puzzle, Jensen said. While the process is meticulous and slow, it's also exhilarating, he said.

"It's fun to see this all come together," he said. "You hope by the end of this process you've figured out all you can."

E-mail: ashill@desnews.com