1843 Nauvoo Land Deed
Photo by Stefan Hallberg
One of the sad legacies of the early Church is that the Saints were attacked and forced from place to place. Many Saints fled with only their children and a few clothes. Countless meaningful records, journals, and documents were lost, abandoned, or simply destroyed. This 1842 Alonzo Le Baron Nauvoo land deed contains a very rare collection of signatures, including Joseph Smith, William Clayton, Newel K. Whitney, and W.W. Phelps. It auctioned in 1964 for more than the then-asking price of a first edition Book of Mormon.