My Dear Sister

The letters included in this volume are a treasure trove of personal insights into the lives of early Church leader Joseph F. Smith and his sister, Martha Ann Smith Harris during a unique era of Latter-day Saint history. Seven decades of correspondence help demonstrate the tremendous devotion between the orphaned children of Hyrum and Mary Fielding Smith as they share their innermost feelings, joys, heartaches, determinations, and family happenings. The letters range from 1854, when Joseph F. Smith was a fifteen-year-old missionary in Hawaii, to 1916, just two years before his death. This book contains a transcript of all the letters and includes a large sampling of photographic images of the originals. Some compelling information found within the letters include reflections on the death of his parents and remarks about the visit of the Prophet's sons, David and Alexander (Joseph F.'s first cousins), who traveled from Nauvoo to Salt Lake City.

Pages 700+

Richard Neitzel Holzapfel

Richard Neitzel Holzapfel is an Area Authority and senior manager of the Missionary Department for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and former professor of Church history and doctrine at BYU. He has a PhD in history from the University of California-Irvine.

David M. Whitchurch

David M. Whitchurch is a professor of ancient scripture at BYU. He has a PhD in educational psychology from BYU. His are of expertise includes early letters of Joseph F. Smith, historic Salt Lake City, and the history of the Bible.