Preserving Sacred Text with The Book of Mormon Census: Robert Messick's Story - Latter-Day Lights

LDS Podcast "Latter-Day Lights" - Inspirational LDS Stories

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23d ago 59:43

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When a simple curiosity of well-worn scripture leads to a full-fledged passion, can the pages of history strengthen our faith even more?
For family man and dedicated Book of Mormon collector, Robert Messick, the answer is a resounding YES! In this fascinating episode of Latter-day Lights, Robert takes us on a journey through centuries of rare and unique Book of Mormon editions—from early RLDS printings and first-edition 1830 copies, to a near-mythical Deseret Alphabet copy with only 500 ever produced. Robert reveals how these volumes aren’t just prized collectibles—they’re precious links to the faith, sacrifices, and testimonies of the Saints who came before us.
Building on his passion for preserving these sacred artifacts, Robert also introduces The Book of Mormon Census Project, an ambitious effort to track and protect these treasured books worldwide.
Robert’s testimony shines as a gentle reminder that the Book of Mormon remains a living, unifying force—no matter its publication date, material, or design. Whether you’re a history buff, a collector at heart, or simply seeking spiritual uplift, you’ll find inspiration in Robert’s stories of faith, family, and the timeless power of scripture.

*** Please SHARE Robert's story and help us spread hope and light to others. ***
To WATCH this episode on YouTube, visit: https://youtu.be/g9asiuaih3k

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To FOLLOW Robert's YouTube channel, visit: https://www.youtube.com/@bookofmormoneditions
To FOLLOW The Book Of Mormon Census Project, visit: https://bookofmormoncensus.com/

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Chapters

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. Welcoming Robert Messick to the show (00:00:32)

3. Robert in a nutshell (00:01:22)

4. Starting “The Book of Mormon Editions” YouTube channel (00:04:00)

5. Show & Tell #1: Saltlake Edition (00:06:05)

6. Robert’s journey into collecting (00:09:50)

7. Show & Tell #2: 1961 Missionary Edition (00:11:40)

8. Soft cover printing (00:16:20)

9. Page layout & versification (00:18:05)

10. Collecting books from Churches (00:20:05)

11. Brigham Young’s comeback (00:21:45)

12. The Temple Lot (00:23:20)

13. Show & Tell #3: The Nephite Records (00:26:50)

14. Book maintenance & preservation (00:29:00)

15. Show & Tell #4: The Leatherpress Edition (00:32:00)

16. Show & Tell #5: The Desert Alphabet (00:35:30)

17. The Book of Mormon Census Project (00:41:05)

18. Early copies of The Book of Mormon (00:41:05)

19. Feeling the Spirit in the books (00:49:40)

20. Honorable mentions (00:52:05)

21. Call-to-action for private collectors (00:53:00)

22. Robert’s favorite book (00:53:30)

23. Final thoughts (00:55:50)

24. Outro (00:58:30)

149 episodes

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