While the Joseph Smith Papers are separate from the Saints books, there are problems with the Saints books that the editors of the Joseph Smith Papers could surely help rectify. Given that there are millions of Latter-day Saints who read the Saints books, it's worthwhile to make these corrections.
References that don't go where they should.
Saints, Vol. 1, Chapter 3, has a footnote 13 that links not to the cited material, but to the cover page of the Messenger and Advocate in archive.org. This is problematic partly because archive.org could change or delete the link, partly because it is difficult to find the exact page that Saints cites, and partly because the same material is available in the Joseph Smith Papers, which is a better reference.
Link to Saints chapter 3:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/saints-v1/03-plates-of-gold?lang=eng
If you click on Note 13, it lists the references without hyperlinks. But if you copy the references to a website or Word document, the links become active. However, the link to "Letter VII" goes to the link for Letter IV.
Note 13:
Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1844–45, book 3, [10]–[11]; Oliver Cowdery, “Letter IV,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Feb. 1835, 1:79–80 (see also later version, in JSP, H1:60); Oliver Cowdery, “Letter VII,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, July 1835, 1:156–57 (see also later version, in JSP, H1:74); Joseph Smith—History 1:44–46; Joseph Smith History, 1838–56, volume A-1, 6–7, in JSP, H1:230–32 (draft 2); Joseph Smith, Journal, Nov. 9–11, 1835, in JSP, J1:88–89.
Below the list of references, the Saints website lists separate links for Lucy Mack Smith, Letter IV, and Letter VII. But the links for Letter IV and VII go to the cover of the Messenger and Advocate instead of to the specific page.
All of this makes it difficult for readers to find the original sources.
I recommend using clear links to the specific pages cited.
Letter IV:
https://archive.org/details/latterdaysaintsm01unse/page/80/mode/2up?view=theater
Letter VII:
https://archive.org/details/latterdaysaintsm01unse/page/n163/mode/2up?view=theater
The list of references also refers to the "later version" of Letter IV and Letter VII with a citation to the printed volumes but no link. Giving readers a link to the JSP would be useful and even better than the link to archive.org.
Letter IV:
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/69
Letter VII:
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/90
No comments:
Post a Comment