Books in the 1830s

   Books in the early 1800s usually had paper covers, because the cost of hardback binding tripled the price of a book. If one purchased a paper-covered book as a gift and wanted it hardbound, she could pay to have it covered.

   The hardbound books were usually reference works, like dictionaries and gazetteers, ledger books for bookkeeping and inventories, and Bibles. In 1829, when Joseph Smith coordinated with the printer, E. B. Grandin, he wanted the Book of Mormon to be hardbound. It testifies of Jesus Christ like the Bible does, so it should look like a Bible. He also wanted 5,000 copies printed. Grandin thought that was too ambitious—Palmyra only had 3,400 residents. But Joseph had been shown the future in his training by Moroni. He knew the future of the work. Last November, the Church printed the 200-millionth copy of the Book of Mormon.