Widtsoe Collection Archive
Explore writings, documents, and media from the history of John A. Widtsoe
Books
Photographs
Magazines & Pamphlets
Unpublished
Talks & Speeches
Miscellaneous
Project Overview
The John A. Widtsoe Foundation has undertaken the creation of an online database to collect and make available writings and scholarship from a variety of prominent Latter-day Saint theologians. The project’s goal is to create a comprehensive database of historical scholarship by prominent Latter-day Saint doctrinal thinkers and to make these writings—through an online database—available to scholars around the world.
The project is beginning by compiling and collating the public doctrinal writings of Dr. John A. Widtsoe, the Foundation’s namesake. This collection has been named the Widtsoe Family Collection. The works of other prominent Latter-day Saint scholars and theologians will follow, and they will be appropriately named as well. The project is overseen by Widtsoe Foundation board member Laura Redford, Ph.D. and relies heavily on the research of retired Brigham Young University Professor Alan Parrish. The project will determine which of Dr. Widtsoe’s writings are already currently available online, collaborate in digitizing any that are available only on paper presently, and address necessary copyright permissions in order to make the writings broadly available. In addition to published books, the project will draw on archive materials held by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, various university collections, historical societies, and members of the Widtsoe family
How You Can Help
The Widtsoe Foundation respectfully invites family members to contribute any of Dr. Widtsoe’s writings that may be appropriate to include in a public database of his doctrinal and scholarly writings. This can be done by contacting Dr. Laura Redford (Ldsscholarsarchive@Widtsoefoundation.Org) and providing her information on the resource(s) that you may have. Dr. Redford and the project team will then work with you to find an appropriate way to digitize and share the resource as a first step. Family members are also asked to help the project team identify and review any lesser-known works that may otherwise be overlooked.
Finally, financial contributions from family members can be applied directly to the work of cataloguing and gathering Dr. Widtsoe’s writings. We invite you to contribute to this effort in whatever way you can.