In The Complete Record of the Nauvoo Library and Literary Institute (Mormon Historical Studies 10:1, 2009: pgs 180–204) Christopher C. Jones transcribes the entire record of the Nauvoo Library and Literary Institute. It includes a ledger of books donated and payment received and includes a donation of 38 works by Joseph Smith. The list of those 38 books is reproduced below, along with links to the work online where available.

Acknowledgement

I was only able to locate a few of these on my own, but redditor TruthIsAntiMormon found likely or certain candidates for almost all of them. So, the vast majority of the links and notes are in debt to his research. These were shared as two parts of “Books that Joseph Smith owned as of 1844 and donated to the Nauvoo Library and Literary Institute (closest approximation)”:

All footnotes are from TruthIsAntiMormon with some minor formatting changes by me.

  1. Review of Edwards on the Will1
  2. Life of Tecumseh
  3. Whepleys Compend2
  4. Scotts Poetical Works in 5 vols 40 cts per Vol (vol 1, vol2 , vol3 (of 5))3
  5. Gillmores Lectures4
  6. Merrills Harmony
  7. Epicureo5
  8. Krumanachers Works6
  9. Catholic Piety7
  10. Home Physician
  11. Apochryphal Testament8
  12. Bruns’ Travels9
  13. Rebel & other Travels10
  14. Browns’ Appeal. gram11
  15. Browns English Syntascope12 1 . Studies in Poetry & Prose13
  16. Old World & the New – Vol 1st [(as a single volume14)
  17. Voyage & Travels of Ross Perry & others15
  18. Bennetts Book Keeping 2 Copies at 1.25 pr Bk
  19. Incidents of Travel in Yucatan by Stephens 2 Vo (vol 1, vol 216)
  20. Stephens Travels in Central America 2 Vo (??)
  21. Mosheims Church History 1 Vol17
  22. Times & Seasons 1 2 & 3 Vol also Vol 1 & 2 & 3
  23. Dick’s Philosophy18
  24. Millenium & other Poems19
  25. Beaumonts Experiments20
  26. Dictionary of the Holy Bible21
  27. Parkers Lectures on Universalism22
  28. Sanders Discourse23
  29. Metropolitan24
  30. Goodrich’s History of the United States25
  31. Doddridges Sermons26
  32. Catholic Manuel27
  33. Whelpleys Compend28
  34. Herveys Meditations29
  35. Historia de Charles30
  36. Rollin 2 Vol (vol 1, vol 2)31
  37. Book of Mormon

See also

Palmyra was rich in books

  1. This is “A review of Edward’s ‘Inquiry into the freedom of the will.’” by Henry Philip Tappan (1838) and is a refutation of Jonathan Edwards “Inquiry into the freedom of the will”. ↩

  2. This is most likely “Whepley’s Compendium of the Practice of Medicine” by Samuel Whepley. I could not find an edition online but it appears to have been published around 1834 (and possibly before and after). It’s a medical remedy book from what I can tell. ↩

  3. this refers to “The Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott, Bar” compiled/printed by Robert Cadell in London in 1833 (possibly reprinted in the US before 1844) but was printed as a 10 or 11 or 12 volume set. Apparently 5 volumes were donated at $.40 each. ↩

  4. [this] is “Lectures on the Evidences of Christianity Wherein Its Necessity, Authenticity, and Utility are Supported ; by Evidences Historical, Philosophical, Experimental, and Miscellaneous ; with an Affectionate Appeal to Those who Have Been Entangled in the Same Snare of Infidelity” by Hiram Gillmore. ↩

  5. this title is most likely misspelled. [TIAM points to a few potential works in Spanish and Italian, but settles on it being a reference to Moore’s 1827 “The Epicurean: A Tale” as most likely candidate.] ↩

  6. this is misspelled and refers to Friedrich Adolph Krummacher. The book in question is this one published in 1841 and containing “Jacob wrestling with the Angel” and “Solomon and Shulamite”. A couple of pages after the title is a page that’s printed “Krummacher’s Works.” ↩

  7. this one I don’t know for sure but probably any number of the early 1800’s publications of: The Christian’s Guide to Heaven; Or, a Complete Manual of Catholic Piety. Containing a Selection of Fervent Prayers, Pious Reflections, Etc. It’s called the above and just “Guide to heaven”, “The path to paradise” or “Complete Manual of Catholic Piety”, etc. Here’s one [the one I have linked above] from Dublin circa 1844. ↩

  8. this is William Hone’s 1820’s printing (He also printed “the Chronicle of Abomilech”). ↩

  9. This is “A new and more correct translation than has hitherto appeared in public, of Mr. Cornelius Le Brun’s Travels into Moscovy, Persia, and divers parts of the East-Idies; containing an accurate description of all such articles as are most remarkable in each of those different countries. As also, of their antiquities; but more particularly those relating to the famous palace of Persepolis, commonly called Chelminar by the Persians” by Bruyn, Cornelis de, 1652-1727 (1759). ↩

  10. This is misnamed. It’s actually “The Rebel And Other Tales, Etc. in Prose and Verse” By Edward Bulwer Lytton Baron Lytton, 1835. ↩

  11. This is actually misnamed. It’s Brown’s American Grammar. ↩

  12. This is actually misnamed. It’s Brown’s English Syntax (or American Syntax) [with Library of Congress link] ↩

  13. [it] is this book from either 1832 or 1837 (same book) by A.B. Cleveland. ↩

  14. This is most likely Orville Dewey (Unitarian)’s Volume 1 of a two volume set. “The Old World and the New, 1836, Vol. 1 of 2: Or a Journal of Reflections and Observations Made on a Tour in Europe” I could only find Vol 2 alone but both volumes were included in the below “The Works of Orville Dewey” and Volume 1 would have been chapters 1 through chapter 11, (Chapter 12 onward is in Vol. 2). ↩

  15. [this] is “The Voyages and Travels of Captains Parry, Franklin, Ross, and Mr. Belzoni Forming an Interesting History of the Manners, Customs, and Characters of Various Nations, Visited by Enterprising Travellers” published in 1829 and 1835. ↩

  16. Links to a reprint from 1855. ↩

  17. [this] is “Mosheim’s Church history, of the first two centuries” published multiple times before 1845. This is the 1847 edition.” ↩

  18. … ↩

  19. This is the 1839 printing of Parley P. Pratt’s “The Millenium & Other Poems.” ↩

  20. this is “Experiments and Observations on the Gastric Juice, and the Physiology of Digestion” by William Beaumont. ↩

  21. this is most likely “A Dictionary of the Holy Bible” by John Brown published multiple times through the 18th and 19th Century. ↩

  22. this is “Lectures on Universalism” by Joel Parker published in at least 2 editions from before the 1840’s. ↩

  23. this is one of the following: “President Sanders’ Discourse on the Death of Mrs. Martha Russell.” (half-title) “A discourse on the decease of Mrs. Martha Russell : who died, at Burlington, January 23d - interred on the 26th, 1805 after a mental derangement during the seven preceding years, aged 50, the consort of David Russell, Esquire. By Daniel C. Sanders, A.M. President of the University of Vermont, in Burlington.” (full title) I couldn’t find an online version of this. Or it could be any number of these: link 1, link 2. ↩

  24. is most likely a volume of “The Metropolitan” magazine or the “Encyclopædia Metropolitana” published in multi volumes. No volume is specified. ↩

  25. is “A history of the United States of America” by Charles A. Goodrich. ↩

  26. There is a 3 volume printing of Doddridge’s sermons and tracts but since this was only credited as $.25 it most likely isn’t one of the volumes. There is a tome called “Practical Discourses, on Regeneration In Ten Sermons” that might be it. ↩

  27. might be the same as part I or could be any of the numerous ones by William Gahan (see The Complete Manual of Catholic Piety). ↩

  28. is “A Compend of History, from the Earliest Times” Vol 1 and 2 by Samuel Welpley. ↩

  29. is “Meditations and Contemplations” by James Hervey. ↩

  30. I am not sure of but could possibly be “The History of the Reign of the Emperor Charles V” but in Spanish or Latin. (link to English). It could also be “Historia de la vida y hechos del emperador Carlos V. maximo : fortissimo, rey catholico de España, y de las Indias, islas, y tierra firme del mar oceano, &c” by Prudencio de Sandoval (English translation, Spanish). ↩

  31. This is “The Ancient History of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians, Grecians and Macedonians – in Two Volumes” by Charles Rollin. ↩