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Just Me and I have been collectively fantasizing on a recent thread about how much we would really like to have access to the locked up materials in the various Church vaults. The Church's usual excuse for keeping this material hidden is that it contains private information such as records of discilplinary councils. We know, however, from the Mark Hoffman story that the vault contains far more than that. I personally think this policy does the Church more harm than good, but having said that I don't know what is in there. That policy, however, is not the topic of this thread.

Instead, what I'd like to ask is: If you had free access to the Church vaults for one day, what would you try to read first? For me, I would start with William Clayton's letters and journals.

The gold plates...

The Nauvoo Council of Fifty minutes, followed by the Oliver Cowdery history (if it really exists).

While it isn't reading, I'd swap the seer stone with an ordinary stone to see if anyone would notice. If they did then it would be proof of something.

Equality wrote:followed by the Oliver Cowdery history (if it really exists).

I forgot about that. It would be interesting to see if there is any proof that Oliver Cowdery met with Sydney Rigdon before or during the time he was acting as a scribe, but I tend to doubt it mainly because I think B.H. Roberts would have mentioned it (although it is possible that even he never had full access).

If it was kind of like "Supermarket Sweep" in the vault, then (assuming these things are there) I would go for the Council of Fifty minutes first. Then I would want to see ledgers/documents related to Brigham Young's management of church finances. Then I would want to see records of sealings performed after the first Manifesto. And then probably Clayton's writings.

Equality wrote:The Nauvoo Council of Fifty minutes, followed by the Oliver Cowdery history (if it really exists).

This!! (Especially the council minutes.)

Cicero wrote: For me, I would start with William Clayton's letters and journals.

You can order extracts from William Clayton's journal during the Nauvoo era here (it was leaked and the Tanners were unsuccessfully sued trying to keep them from publishing it):
http://www.utlm.org/booklist/titles/cla ... _ub038.htm

And here's a history of how this journal was leaked:
http://www.utlm.org/newsletters/no47.htm (scroll down to "RESTRICTED CHURCH DOCUMENT LEAKS OUT")
http://www.utlm.org/newsletters/no48.htm

Oh, I forgot one. The McLellin Papers. I heard they have two sets of those.

The actual revelations given about the Priesthood ban and polygamy.

Madison54 wrote:

Equality wrote:The Nauvoo Council of Fifty minutes, followed by the Oliver Cowdery history (if it really exists).

This!! (Especially the council minutes.)

Cicero wrote: For me, I would start with William Clayton's letters and journals.

You can order extracts from William Clayton's journal during the Nauvoo era here (it was leaked and the Tanners were unsuccessfully sued trying to keep them from publishing it):
http://www.utlm.org/booklist/titles/cla ... _ub038.htm

And here's a history of how this journal was leaked:
http://www.utlm.org/newsletters/no47.htm (scroll down to "RESTRICTED CHURCH DOCUMENT LEAKS OUT")
http://www.utlm.org/newsletters/no48.htm

Thanks Madison. I don't think Ehat and Cook were given access to the full set.