Welsh Mormon Writings from 1844 to 1862: A Historical Bibliography

Mormon missionaries began proselyting in Wales in 1840. From their pulpits Welsh religious leaders warned members of their congregation to be wary of this new faith. Their concern was reflected not only in sermons and conversations but also in the Welsh periodical and pamphlet as well.

Although willing to publish attacks against the Mormons, the editors of the religious periodicals refused to print any of the rebuttals submitted by those under siege. What Welsh Mormons needed was their own periodical, a vehicle through which they could defend themselves against their enemies and spread their unique religious beliefs as well.

The father of the Welsh Mormon press was Captain Dan Jones, a Welshman who was baptized in the Mississippi River in 1843 and became an intimate friend of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Five publications preceded the establishment of Dan Jones's periodical Prophwyd y Jubili (prophet of the Jubilee) in July 1846; over one hundred items followed during the next sixteen years. Poems, hymns, letters, polemics, translated works, and doctrinal pamphlets strengthened Welsh Mormons and welcomed their compatriots to become members of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ronald Dennis is the first Mormon historian to learn the Welsh language and conduct research in Welsh-language materials; this book contains many of his findings and will introduce the reader to the fascinating and previously untold story of the Mormon movement in nineteenth-century Wales.