LDS Faith Exhibit Online

Historical documents are basic to genealogical research. Any efforts made to make historically important documents more available should be encouraged. You may not consider this exhibit to be genealogically significant, but I can assure you that it is. I have personally met or know people who are descendants of the individuals who are recorded in these documents or actually participated in their creation. These particular documents are just the tiniest tip of the huge documentary iceberg of similar documents, including personal journals, histories and other types of records, maintained in the Church History Library and other repositories.

If you cannot travel to Salt Lake City, Utah to see the documents in person, there is a website with digitized copies of the exhibit on LDS.org. Here is the link to the Foundations of Faith Exhibit. Many of these early documents are also being digitized and put online in The Joseph Smith Papers project. The Project includes brief biographical sketches of all of the people mentioned in the Joseph Smith Papers, including this biographical sketch of my own 3rd Great-Grandfather:

Tanner, John
Biography
15 Aug. 17781–13 Apr. 1850.2 Farmer, timberland owner.3 Born at Hopkinton, Washington Co., Rhode Island.4 Son of Joshua Tanner and Thankful Tefft.5 Moved to Greenwich, Washington Co., New York, ca. 1791.6 Married first Tabitha Bentley, 1800.7 Wife died, Apr. 1801.8 Married second Lydia Stewart, fall 1801.9 Moved to Northwest Bay (near Bolton), Warren Co., New York, 1818.10 Moved to Bolton Landing, Warren Co., 1823.11 Wife died, 1825.12 Married third Elizabeth Beswick, 1825.13 Baptized into LDS church, 17 Sept. 1832, at Bolton Landing.14 Ordained a priest by Orson Pratt, 2 Feb. 1833, at Bolton.15 Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, Dec. 1834.16 Loaned and donated substantial monies to JS and church.17 Left Kirtland for Far West, Caldwell Co., Missouri, 1838.18 Severely beaten during conflict between Latter-day Saints and other Missourians, fall 1838.19 Moved to New Liberty, Pope Co., Illinois, Mar.–Apr. 1839.20 Located near Montrose, Lee Co., Iowa Territory, Mar. 1840.21 Materially assisted in building of temple in Nauvoo, Hancock Co., Illinois.22 Served mission to New York, 1844.23 Ordained a high priest, by Dec. 1845.24 Moved to what became Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie Co., Iowa Territory, spring 1846.25 Moved to Salt Lake Valley, 1848.26 Died at South Cottonwood, Salt Lake Valley.27

The links are to the website and by going to the Reference section, you can see where each of the facts was obtained.