Church History Art

E. B. Grandin Printshop

Artist’s depiction of the E. B. Grandin printshop in Palmyra, New York, USA.

E. B. Grandin Building, by Joseph Alleman

After translating the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith arranged for Palmyra publisher Egbert B. Grandin to print 5,000 copies of the book. The first copies were printed in 1830 and then shared by missionaries, which led many to join the restored Church of Jesus Christ.

Martin Harris, one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, mortgaged his family farm to pay for the printing. When financial concerns arose, he asked for guidance from the Lord.

“I command thee that thou shalt not covet thine own property, but impart it freely to the printing of the Book of Mormon, which contains the truth and the word of God. …

“And thou shalt declare glad tidings, yea, publish it upon the mountains, and upon every high place, and among every people that thou shalt be permitted to see” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:26, 29).