Vintage Mormon Books 1900s-1920s

A few of my grandparents antique and vintage books about and from the Mormon/LDS church.


1906 Sunday School Hymn Book
Sixth Edition
Published by The Deseret Sunday School Union (Headquarters for all Church Publications) Salt Lake City, UT

1906 Sunday School Hymn Book

1908 Deseret Sunday School Song Book
A collection of choice songs for the use of sunday schools and suitable for primary associations religion classes, quorum meetings, social gatherings, etc.
Published by the Deseret Sunday School Union Salt Lake City, Utah 1908

1908 Deseret Sunday School Song Book

1909 Deseret Sunday School Songs
A collection of choice songs for the use of sunday schools and suitable for primary associations religion classes, quorum meetings, social gatherings, etc.
Published by the Deseret Sunday School Union Salt Lake City, Utah 1908

1909 Deseret Sunday School Songs

1917 What It Means To Be a Mormon
Written for The Deseret Sunday School Union by Adam S. Bennion
Published by The Deseret Sunday School Union Salt Lake City, Utah

1917 what it means to be mormon

1917 Pearl of Great Price
Divided into chapters and verses with references in 1902 by James E. Talmage
The Deseret News Salt Lake City, Utah

1917 Pearl of Great Price

1918 Songs of Zion
A Collection of Choice Songs
Especially Selected and Arranged for all Meetings, Sunday Schools and Gatherings of Elders and Saints in the Mission Field. Copyright by Joseph F. Smith, Trustee-in-Trust, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1918. Published by the Missions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

1918 Songs of Zion

1922 Joseph Smith's Teachings
Fourth Edition
The Deseret News Salt Lake City, Utah
A Classified Arrangement of The Doctrinal Sermons and Writings of the Great Latter-day Prophet
Compiled by Edwin F. Parry
6"x4.25"

1922 Joseph Smith's Teachings

1925 Scrapbook of Mormon Literature Volume I 
& 1925 Scrapbook of Mormon Literature Volume II
Religious Tracts Published by Ben E. Rich
Press of Henry C. Etten & Co. Chicago
Inscribed: "To My dear daughter Hilda with fondest love Xmas 1925"

1925 scrapbook of mormon literature

1927 Latter-Day Saint Hymns
A Collection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs, containing words and music, for use of Choirs and Congretations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Published by the Deseret Book Company Salt Lake City, Utah
Copyrighted 1927 by Heber J. Grantfor the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Press of Zion's Printing and Publishing Co.
Independence, Jackson County, Mo.

1927 latter-day saint hymns

A Few Old Books

You can learn a lot about someone looking through their book collection. Who they were, who they aspired to be, what they believed...  If I had more time & space on my hands, I'd hold on to all of my grandparents books and read away to discover such things.  So, I suppose not wanting to keep them says a lot about me. I'm ok with that. My generation doesn't hold on to much of the past, we surf for it on the internet.

As always, it's been fun sorting through the books with Dad. Each one he picks up and reads a few pages, flips through it, talks about it, reads a few passages out loud. And about 15 minutes later announces, "Keep it" or "Sell it" or "I'm not sure, Keep it until later." As you can imagine - with about 100 (one hundred) books to filter through - this is a rather time consuming process. But like all these moments sorting through old family "treasures," I'm enjoying it.

The books we uncovered ranged in age from the 1880s to the 1960s - most will be up for grabs on ebay at some point, or email us if you see something that interests you.

Themes in the collection centered around: well being, religion (especially Mormon as both grandparents were active members of the church), adventure (dad's childhood escapes), self improvement, morals and government.

Here are a few - many more to come:

Coopers Works
John Fenimore Cooper.
Random fact: He was honored on a US commemorative stamp issued in 1940

Coopers Works by John Fenimore Cooper

The Compendium
A Compendium of the Doctrines of The Gospel 
by Franklin D. Richards & Elder James A Little
Revised Edition. With original dust jacket. Book is in excellent shape.
Published by Deseret Book Company 1925

A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel
Front Cover Dust Jacket 1925 Revised Edition

 

A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel
Front Cover of Book

A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel
Side of Book

Dave Dawson on Convoy Patrol by R. Sidney Bowen
In original dust jacket

Dave Dawson on Convoy Patrol by R. Sidney Bowen

Vital Speeches of The Day
Vital Speeches was a magazine that presented important speeches from recognized leaders of public opinion. It was established in New York in 1934 by Thomas Daly. They are still in business today and you can subscribe on their website at www.vsotd.com

Grandma held on to these six issues:

• March 1, 1952 - includes speeches by Winston Churchill, Pope Pius XII & Henry B. duPont
• June 15, 1953 - includes speeches by Queen Elizabeth II & Winston Churchill
• July 1, 1953 - includes speeches by Dwight D. Eisenhower President of United States
• July 15, 1953 - includes speech by Joseph W. Barker on Faith in an Atomic Age
• August 1, 1953 - includes speech by Herbert Brownell Jr - Citizenship Education: Juvenille Delinquency
• August 15, 1953 - includes speeches by Dwight D. Eisenhower President of United States

Vital Speeches of The Day 1952 & 1953