Elvis Has Left the Library: Identifying Forged Annotations in a Book of Mormon

Authors

Keith A. Erekson

Keywords

Mormon studies, annotations, Book of Mormon, Elvis

Abstract

For nearly three decades, the ghost of Elvis Presley has hung over the historical collections of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1989, a copy of the Book of Mormon was donated that contained marginal annotations purportedly by the “King of Rock and Roll.” Word of the acquisition spread quickly by fireside speakers, classroom teachers, and newspaper columnists. Requests to see and touch the book came repeatedly, so much so that by 2002 the book’s binding had cracked and a digital copy was made for visitors who came each week for a peek. In 2007, an independent film shown at the sixth annual LDS Film Festival in Orem, Utah, used the book as its launching point for a highly creative look at Presley’s later years, titled Tears of a King: The Latter Days of Elvis. Now, more than forty years after Presley’s death, the story of his handwriting in this Book of Mormon continues to circulate regularly throughout the Latter-day Saint market for “uplifting” books and social media content.

Recommended Citation

Erekson, Keith A. (2018) "Elvis Has Left the Library: Identifying Forged Annotations in a Book of Mormon," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 57: Iss. 4, Article 4.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol57/iss4/4