The restoration was begun through Joseph Smith but was not completed. In order to complete, it must begin where it last ended. Joseph laid a foundation that has been compromised and must be respected. To respect the work done by the Lord through Joseph Smith, we first need to recover all that has been lost from that initial work.
The scriptures are the result of the best efforts of numerous volunteers to complete the labor of research and recovery to restore the Joseph Smith Revision of the Bible, the most accurate version of the Book of Mormon as Joseph intended it to read, and the most reliable account of the revelations given through Joseph. They differ in numerous ways, some of them quite significant, from existing versions of scripture.
The new leather bound version of the scriptures attempts to print sacred material in a quality that mirrors the value of the contents. The final specifications for the leather bound printing were provided to a large degree by a man who has decades of experience in handcrafted custom book-binding. He has restored many old volumes, including copies of the first edition of the Book of Mormon printed in EB Grandin’s shop.
Samples of the leather bound options will be available to inspect during the upcoming conference in Boise.
We hope to continue on with the Lord’s guidance, to allow Him to complete the restoration, and fulfill His covenants with the fathers. I intend to address that topic in the upcoming conference in Boise.

The link I put up yesterday about the leather edition of the scriptures will only allow special-order for a limited time, with delivery of the entire order expected in early 2020.

The website Scriptures.shop has added a significant volume of new content to help those who are ordering new leather scriptures. It is designed to allow a person to learn about each cover type, as well as the process for making the leather-bound edition.

During the Special Order window that will last only until October 15th, a wide variety of choices of multiple colors and cover types will be available, with pictures and explanations available on scriptures.shop. Most sets are $99, which includes delivery within the USA.

As to the pricing, although the price may seem to be unbelievably low for books of this outstanding quality, it is because much of the development and production of these scriptures has been subsidized by volunteers who have made generous donations of time and money, and because the Restoration Scriptures Foundation does NOT seek to earn a profit from providing the scriptures. Although many of the hard costs involved with making these scriptures are already known, some variable costs such as freight, packaging, and postage cannot be known until the time when an order is actually delivered. Those costs have been estimated and included in the order price. In the event of a shortfall because the price was set too low, several generous people have offered to help cover it. However, in the event the price produces an overage after all orders have been filled, the plan is to donate it to the temple fund. It is my understanding that it is likely the shortfall or overage will be less than $100 on the entire special order of a minimum of 1,400 books.

For those planning to attend next week’s General Conference in Boise, ID, there will be a Leather Scriptures Booth, where you will be able to see and hold the various prototypes. Once you place an order an email confirmation of your order will be sent to you.

The preferred payment method is check or money order, to avoid the processing fees associated with credit card transactions. Especially for orders of $500 or more, they ask that you consider completing your checkout using the “check or money order” payment method, then drop a check for the total amount in the mail to the address on your order confirmation email.

It is now possible to order a leather-bound, 100% cotton paper set of scriptures through this website: Scriptures.Shop

The opportunity to order will last until October 15th, and then the order will be placed with the printer. It is likely there will be another future printing, but when (and even if) that happens is unknown.

The printer will produce all the copies in a single order. We must purchase that order and pay for it, because the printer is not producing these in a print-on-demand process. There will be a single printing of a set number. The number will depend on the quantity of orders that are placed.

Paperback versions will remain print-on-demand and available for purchase at any time. It is only the leather-bound version that is special order and limited quantity.

The link provided above will provide you with the other information and instructions on how to place an order.

I am very grateful for all the labor provided by the many volunteers to make these possible. I also want to thank in advance all those who will be handling the shipping and distribution that will be involved in finishing this process.

September 20-22, 2019 in Boise, Idaho there will be a conference held. The theme of the conference is Keeping the Covenant.

Information and schedule are at this website, which will be updated between now and the conference: Keeping the Covenant General Conference.

The variety of events has expanded over the last few years. Although some parts of the conference are broadcast over the Internet, and others are recorded for later listening, break-out sessions are not always available unless you attend.

Come meet new people, and renew friendships at this event.

Some of the Restoration Edition scriptures are now available for purchase in paperback format. Please go to www.scriptures.info for more information.

Scriptures.shop is still a work in progress. Only some of the volumes and options are available right now, with more coming available as Ingram completes the on boarding process. There are 36 different variations (18 paperbacks, 18 hardcovers) that will ultimately be available. The process of getting them all posted and live will probably take 2-3 more weeks.

On February 15, 1841 Joseph Smith signed an authorization for Hyrum Smith and Isaac Garland to act as agents for the church. Among other things the authorization mentions that Nauvoo was “the corner stone of Zion.” JSP, Documents Vol. 8, page 46.

In a letter to the saints abroad, published May 24, 1841, Joseph urged all saints to gather to Nauvoo, Illinois “without delay.” It said, “This is important, and should be attended to by all who feel an interest in the prosperity of this the corner stone of Zion.” Id., p. 156.

To make the point that Nauvoo was where the saints were to gather as the center point, the letter announced that all stakes were dissolved, excepting only the ones in Nauvoo and across the Mississippi River in Iowa:

“Let it therefore be understood, that all the stakes, excepting those in this country, and in Lee county, Iowa, are discontinued, and the saints instructed to settle in this county as soon as circumstances will permit.” Id.

Of course, three years later locations were changing again. Joseph looked much further westward to establish the center stake and corner stone for Zion. Somewhere in the western Rocky Mountains where a New Jerusalem would be built. Joseph was slain before he could take that journey. Therefore, that location has yet to be revealed.