1713, English, Unpublished edition: Register of the H. Donl Peterson Research Collection on the Book of Abraham Papri Peterson, H. Donl

User activity

Send to:
Register of the H. Donl Peterson Research Collection on the Book of Abraham Papri
 
Bookmark: http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/436220
Physical Description
  • Boxes 31
  • Newspapers, Genealogies
Published
  • L. Tom Perry Special Collections
  • 1713-1997
Language
  • English

Edition details

Title
  • Register of the H. Donl Peterson Research Collection on the Book of Abraham Papri
Creator
  • Peterson, H. Donl
Published
  • L. Tom Perry Special Collections
  • 1713-1997
Physical Description
  • Boxes 31
  • Newspapers, Genealogies
Subjects
Notes
  • H. Donl Peterson was born on the 17 February 1930, and later received his Ed. D from Washington State in 1965. Shortly before that in 1964 he was hired to work at BYU in the College of Religious Instruction. During his time at BYU he helped start many of the Study Abroad programs. He also spent much of his time doing research on the Book of Mormon and on the Pearl of Great Prince, which he wrote many books about. Research files, includes photocopies of newspapers, materials from books, probate records, and genealogical information. H. Donl Peterson was born 17 February 1930, in Lehi, Utah, to Harry C. and Mada Peck Peterson. He was one of three children. On 18 March 1953, Donl married Mary Lou Schenk and they in turn became the parents of six children: Terry, Diane, Jaqueline, Scott, James, and Michael.Donl participated actively in the LDS Church throughout his life. As a young man he successfully fulfilled a call to serve in the Western States Mission, where he act as the second counselor in the Mission Presidency. He later served as a bishop on three separate occasions, once in Salt Lake City and then twice in student wards at Brigham Young University (BYU). Three times he was called to sit on stake high councils, and in the years just prior to his death he was the Stake President of the BYU Fifteenth Stake.Donl began his education at Brigham Young University, where he graduated in 1954 with a B.S. degree. It was also in 1954 that he began his teaching career in the Church Department of Education. He later returned to BYU and finished a M.Ed. in 1960. He then attended Washington State University (Pullman), where he received a Ed.D. in 1965. Throughout this time, he continued to work for the Church Educational System as a seminary teacher and principal, and as the Institute Director of both Dixie College (St. George, Utah) and Washington State University. In 1964 he joined the faculty of BYU.Dr. Peterson was hired as an Assistant Professor in the College of Religious Instruction and later became an Associate Professor of Ancient Scripture. At BYU he served extensively on many committees, which among other things enabled him to contribute to the writing of four Gospel Doctrine manuals for the Church's Adult Sunday School Program. He also directed several Study Abroad programs, with perhaps the most notable one occurring in 1973, when he directed one of the first programs in Jerusalem. The bulk of his research and teaching responsibilities involved the study of the Book of Mormon and Pearl of Great Price.Dr. Peterson's research on the Pearl of Great Price was referred to by Robert J. Matthews, his colleague and former Dean of Religious Instruction at BYU, as a "magnificent obsession" (The Story of the Book of Abraham, xi). It spanned a period of over 30 years and took him all over the world. He began teaching courses on the subject in 1965, although the real catalyst for his research was the announcement concerning the rediscovery of the papyri in 1967. Donl's own recollection confirms this:This announcement piqued the interest of students, and soon the number of young people who registered for Pearl of Great Price classes skyrocketed. I, along with my colleagues, was unprepared to field the many questions that were forthcoming about the find. We didn't even know the most basic things about the historical background of the Book of Abraham. . . . My lectures were filled with too many "I don't knows." The sudden fervor of student interest and questions stirred me to probe for answers to questions that previously had not even been asked. I was very uncomfortable with the void in our understanding, and because we were caught without facts, controversy flourished among various factions. (The Story of the Book of Abraham, vii)From the moment the announcement was made in November of 1967, Dr. Peterson took advantage of every opportunity to uncover clues that might shed light on the history of the Book of Abraham. He began by simply corresponding with anyone who knew something about the Italian explorer Antonio Lebolo (1781-1830), who had unearthed the Egyptian artifacts while overseeing an excavation in Thebes (the modern day Egyptian cities of Luxor and Karnak some 400 miles south of Cairo). He used the opportunity of directing the Study Abroad programs to further his research in areas such as Italy, Egypt, and Ireland.Dr. Peterson and his work received two rather large boosts, once in 1982 and then again in 1984. In 1982 he was appointed the Director for the Pearl of Great Price in the Religious Studies Center at BYU. The appointment provided some funding for his research, and in 1984 he was freed to devote more of his time to the topic when he was granted a professional development leave. Dr. Peterson's collaboration with other researchers during this period turned up one of the most important discoveries relative to the history of the Book of Abraham--Antonio Lebolo's will. He also devoted time to tracing the trail of the mummies and papyri in the Eastern United States as they passed from Lebolo to Michael Chandler (1797-1866) sometime between 1832 and 1833 and eventually to the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1835.Over the years, Dr. Peterson presented updates of his findings and ideas in many forums. On various occasions he lectured at the annual meeting of the Mormon History Association and also served on a panel for the American Research Center in Egypt (typewritten copies of a few of his lectures are included in this collection). He is the author of several books and articles, most of which are housed in the BYU Harold B. Lee Library. Dr. Peterson's final project, The Story of the Book of Abraham: Mummies, Manuscripts, and Mormonism, was actually published posthumously by Deseret Book in 1995 through the help and cooperation of his wife, Mary Lou, and the Peterson children. It is the culmination of his life's research. He had only recently completed writing the manuscript for it when cancer claimed his life on 21 March 1994, at the age of 64. Because of the considerable size of the H. Donl Peterson Collection, it has been arranged into twelve broad series by subjects, with an additional two series (Oversized materials and Photographs) that were made necessary by the physical requirements of processing the collection. By doing so, the order originally established by Dr. Peterson has been maintained (although the materials have been removed from the original binders for conservation) while access for researchers has been greatly facilitated. The "books" mentioned in the Container List refer to binders into which Dr. Peterson had gathered the research collection. Included on the following pages is a listing of the various series, complete with brief content descriptions. Please note that all oversized materials can be found in Box 29, and that while copies have been provided for patron use, all original photographs have been transferred to Photo Archives under box 31 (see box 17 folder 10, box 18 folder 15, box 24 folder 2, box 25 folder 1, and box 25 folder 13). This collection is divided up into 14 series:A.Pearl of Great PriceResearch--Historical: Information regarding all aspects of Pearl of Great Price study organized by Dr. Peterson.B. Biography of Antonio Lebolo: Lebolo family records and documents organized by Dr. Peterson.C. Antonio Lebolo--His Roots and Branches: Lebolo family genealogical records organized by Dr. Peterson (Including bound copy of finished work).D. Materials related to early explorations of Egypt (18th and 19th Centuries): The activities of Napoleon and the French forces, Lebolo's military records, and early explorations of Egypt.E. Materials relating to Lebolo's work in Egypt: Archaeological activities in Egypt subsequent to Lebolo's flight from Italy. Late descriptions of Egypt, biographical sketches of influential men associated with Lebolo, and accounts of Lebolo's own excavations.F. Materials relating to Lebolo's return to Italy: Italian port records, Lebolo's Italian business transactions, and a copy of his last will and testament. Also included are the papers regarding the completion of LDS temple work for the Lebolo family performed by Dr. Peterson.G. Materials relating to Michael H. Chandler: Michael H. Chandler's immigration to the United States, reception of the mummies and papyri, and the traveling exhibition of the antiquities from Philadelphia to Kirtland.H. Materials relating to Joseph Smith and the Papyri: The meeting between Joseph Smith and Michael H. Chandler, the purchase of the mummies and papyri, the work of translation, and the movement of the antiquities to Missouri and Illinois.I. Materials relating to the Lost Mummies and Papyri: Possession of the mummies following Joseph Smith's death. Purchase of antiquities by Abel Coombs, reselling of them to the Wood's Museum, Weaver/​Benecke/​Huntsman/​Heusser connection, and the 1967 rediscovery of the papyrus in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.J. H. Donl Peterson File: Dr. Peterson's work concerning the Pearl of Great Price: research trips, university activities, correspondences, lectures, and publications.K. Collected Writings and Publications relating to the Book of Abraham: Recent articles on the Pearl of Great Price from the scholarly community.L. Miscellaneous: Other publications held by Dr. Peterson not addressing Pearl of Great Price topics. Included is a copy summarizing the 1973 Study Abroad program to Jerusalem.M. Oversized Materials: Scattered materials which were too large to be maintained with the balance of the collection.N. Original Photographs: Copies of all photographs have been substituted in the collection so that the originals could be transferred to Photo Archives.
  • MSS 2019
Terms of Use
  • No photocopying will be permitted without curator permission. Box 30 is restricted for conservation purposes. Copies of these materials have been provided in box 29. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.Permission to publish material from H. Donl Peterson Research Collection on the Book of Abraham Papri must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/​or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.
Language
  • English
Contributed by
OAIster

Get this edition

  • Set up My libraries

    How do I set up "My libraries"?

    In order to set up a list of libraries that you have access to, you must first login or sign up. Then set up a personal list of libraries from your profile page by clicking on your user name at the top right of any screen.

  • All (1)
  • Unknown (1)
None of your libraries hold this item.
None of your libraries hold this item.
None of your libraries hold this item.
None of your libraries hold this item.
None of your libraries hold this item.
None of your libraries hold this item.
None of your libraries hold this item.
None of your libraries hold this item.

User activity


e.g. test cricket, Perth (WA), "Parkes, Henry"

Separate different tags with a comma. To include a comma in your tag, surround the tag with double quotes.

Be the first to add a tag for this edition

Be the first to add this to a list

Comments and reviews

What are comments? Add a comment

No user comments or reviews for this version

Add a comment