Historical Department - LDS Church
Michael N. Landon, Archivist
L.D.S. Church Historical Department - Salt Lake City, Utah
Address to Arizona Chapters of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers
(DUP) - May 3, 1993
I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you today concerning the work of
the Historical Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
It is gratifying to meet with others who also share the desire to protect
and preserve materials of historical importance. My colleague, Matt
Heiss, who spoke with me at this conference two years ago, regrets that
he cannot be in attendance, but sends his regards and appreciation to all
of you.
There are two departments within the Church that seek to acquire and
preserve historical materials, the Family History Department and the
Church Historical Department. The Family History Department collects
materials that enable it to facilitate genealogical research. The
Historical Department is charged with collecting material that helps to
document the founding and development of the Church throughout the world.
The Historical Department is composed of three divisions: the Church
Library, the Church Museum of History and Art, and the Church Archives.
Principally, I wish to speak about the role of the Church Archives today.
I have a deeper understanding of that division as that is where I work.
I will provide each of you with a handout at the end of my address that
discusses the types of materials sought by all three divisions of the
Historical Department.
The purpose of the Church Archives is to acquire, preserve, arrange,
describe, and manage the use of materials that document the history of
the Church from 1830 to the present. The Archives is the sole official
repository for the non-current records of the Church created by its
officers, representatives, and employees throughout the world.
In addition to these official records, the Archives also collects
selected individually or group-created materials that document the
history of the Church, its missionary program, local congregations, and
the faith and works of individual Latter-day Saints. Such materials
include, but are not limited to, diaries and journals, autobiographies,
photographs, oral histories, minute books, correspondence, and other
types of audiovisual records.
Persons around the world, both within the Church and people not
affiliated with the Church, have donated much significant material to the
Archives through the years. We prefer to receive direct donations but
understand that many records, because of their sentimental or intrinsic
value, cannot be donated. In such cases we often will borrow, microfilm,
and then return original materials.
May of you present today, may have served missions or have family members
who have, or are currently, serving missions. Mission journals kept by
these persons are of great interest to the Archives. My colleague, Matt
Heiss, is collecting mission journals and other contemporary material
related to areas of the world that the Church has just recently entered,
such as Eastern Europe, Russia, and many parts of Africa. The historic
significance of material is not necessarily related to its age. I would
ask all of you to reflect on material in your possession, regardless of
its age, and consider its historic dimensions. Sometimes we receive
calls from individuals who have material of historical significance that
are not directly related to the Church. We advise these individuals to
find another repository, often we suggest one, that would best preserve
and manage the kind of material they wish to donate. We try to give the
best possible care to material that we do accept.
The Church Archives is one of the premier archival institutions in the nation.
We take great pains to properly care for the historical documents of the
Church for the benefit of present and future generations. Because paper is
prone to inherent disintegration over time, especially in an environment
where temperatures and humidity fluctuate greatly, we maintain constant
environmental controls to help preserve the documents, which are housed
in acid-free boxes and folders. Microfilming also ensures the preservation
of the information contained in the documents. Strict security measures
protect the physical facility in which both the original documents and
microfilm copies are housed.
Several members of Arizona chapters of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers
have shared both their hospitality and their historic documents with me
during the past few years. In particular I wish to thank Valentine Crisler,
whose journals of John Perkins and Josiah Rogerson, as well as photographs
of Mormon pioneers in Mexico, are now safely preserved in the Church
Archives. Also, Lottie Burk, Carol Follett, Willie Barton, Junith Roberts
and her good husband, and Norma Ricketts have either directly donated
significant materials or have in other ways helped me immensely, in my
efforts to document the Latter-day Saint experience in the southwest and
elsewhere. Norma, I should mention, is renowned throughout all the
historical associations of which I am a member. There are few historians
of Mormonism or of the American West, who have not felt a debt of
gratitude to her for her excellent scholarship, research and writings.
Her work, particularly on the Mormon experience in California, has been
invaluable to many people.
All of you who are here today recognize the value of heritage. It is the
one constant theme that I find in my work as I visit families throughout
the Church. Others may question, but I am certain that knowing about our
ancestors makes us life better, have an added sense of purpose, and
enriches our lives and the lifest of our posterity. Again, I want to
thank Junith Roberts and all of you for the privilege of addressing you
today. If I can be of assistance to any of you in preserving your
historical records or in another capacity, it would be a pleasure.
Source: Letter from Michael N. Landon, Church Archives, dated July 13, 1993,
to Paul D. Peery.
Michael N. Landon's Letter to Paul D. Peery
July 13, 1993
July 13, 1993
Paul D. Peery
P.O. Box 58195
Salt Lake City, Utah 84158
Dear Paul,
I'm sorry it has taken so long for me to send this material to you. When
you visited the Archives to do research, we discussed the type of work
conducted here and you wanted me to give you some written information. I
mentioned that I gave a brief address before a conference of the
Daughters of the Utah Pioneers in Arizona last May and that my remarks
were a summary of the activities of the Church Historical Department.
I am enclosing those remarks for your review. If these are too general
and if you have questions regarding any specific activity in the
Archives, just let me know and I will be happy to answer any questions.
I appreciated the opportunity to meet you and hope we have the chance
again soon.
Sincerely,
(s) Michael N. Landon
Michael N. Landon
Church Archives
Editor - Peery Family
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