Days Never to Be Forgotten: Oliver Cowdery

Authors

Rachel Ozanne
Alexander L. Baugh

Keywords

Mormon studies, book notice, Oliver Cowdery

Abstract

Days Never to Be Forgotten presents the fruits of the 2006 BYU Church History Symposium on the life and work of Oliver Cowdery in honor of the two hundredth anniversary of his birth. Eleven scholars of Mormon history contributed essays about various aspects of Cowdery's life and involvement in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ultimately, the contributors have two goals: to honor Cowdery's memory and to inform believers who may not be aware of Cowdery's importance in the founding of the Church.

This book gives a good sense of Cowdery's extensive presence and activities in the earliest days of the Church. His conversion, his roles in the restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods, and his participation in the transcription and publication of the Book of Mormon are covered in detail. Cowdery was also centrally involved in disseminating Church doctrine by editing the Book of Commandments, by writing the earliest known version of Joseph Smith's initial visions, and by serving as editor of the Messenger and Advocate. Underscoring Cowdery's significance, authors in this book declare: "No one was more involved in the key events of the restoration than Oliver Cowdery," and "excluding Joseph Smith, no other person is mentioned more often in the Doctrine and Covenants than Oliver Cowdery." Cowdery's importance to Mormon history could not be clearer.

Recommended Citation

Ozanne, Rachel and Baugh, Alexander L. (2011) "Days Never to Be Forgotten: Oliver Cowdery," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 50: Iss. 1, Article 17.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol50/iss1/17