The Church Historian’s Press was announced in 2008 by the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Joseph Smith Papers was the first publication to bear the imprint.

The press publishes works of Latter-day Saint history that meet high standards of scholarship. These works include documentary editing projects—which offer direct access to primary documents—narrative histories, and topical studies.

The mission of the Church Historian’s Press is to publish accurate, transparent, and authoritative works of history about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Works published by the Church Historian’s Press are created by credentialed historians, documentary editors, and other scholars, with the assistance of a professional editorial staff. The press’s publications undergo peer review and rigorous fact checking and rely heavily on primary sources.

The audiences for the digital and print publications of the Church Historian’s Press may vary depending on the publication. The publications of The Joseph Smith Papers, for example, are directed chiefly toward historians, religious studies scholars, teachers and writers of American history and religion, and other scholars and serious students of history. These publications, however, are also of significant interest to many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Church Historian’s Press is sponsored and financially supported by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation generously provided additional funding for the Joseph Smith Papers Project. Funds from the sale of print volumes and e-books are reinvested into the press’s projects.