Joseph Smith Papers project dear to heart of Larry H. Miller
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
"Of his many philanthropic endeavors, the Joseph Smith Papers Project was one of the dearest to his heart," the obituary read.
Brother Miller, a prominent and eminently successful businessman, owner of the Utah Jazz NBA franchise, died Feb. 20 from complications of type 2 diabetes.
"He was a kind, generous man, a great citizen, and a friend to the community and his Church," said President Thomas S. Monson. "In recent years his generosity included significant underwriting for the Joseph Smith Papers Project that is bringing the Prophet's work to life. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Gail, and their family."
Brother Miller's involvement with the Joseph Smith Papers came about through a remarkable chain of circumstances, said Ronald K. Esplin, managing editor of the project.
"Larry had a number of things happen in his life in the fall of 2000 and the winter of 2001 which, in retrospect, led him to say, 'How many coincidences does it take before you realize it's not a coincidence?' And he felt directed to do something," Brother Esplin related.
Brother Miller's friend and former bishop from when he lived in Colorado, David Brown, was called with his wife, MelRae, on a mission to Kirtland, Ohio. In connection with the call, they wanted some tutoring in early Church history, Brother Esplin explained.
They arranged a meeting with Ron Barney of the Church Historical Department, as it was then called; Brother Miller accompanied them to the meeting where they saw a number of documents pertaining to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
"Out of that meeting he came away feeling, 'There's something I'm supposed to do here,' " Brother Esplin said. He set up a subsequent meeting with Brother Barney. From that contact, he met with Brother Esplin in March 2001, where he made the offer to help fund the project.
"He was with us from that time forward," Brother Esplin said.
At a question-answer forum on Feb. 20 (see related article on Page 5), at about the time of day when Brother Miller was passing away, Brother Esplin told the audience that Larry and Gail Miller's aid helped the department marshal an unparalleled assemblage of archivists, scholars, manuscript experts "looking collaboratively as a team at the documents of our early history."
He said, "The resources to do what we have today were not there initially."
Thus, a formidable obstacle faced at the genesis of the project was surmounted through the fortuitous offer made by Brother and Sister Miller.
A companion television series to the project has been carried on Sunday evenings for the past year on Brother Miller's Salt Lake City television station KJZZ. Beginning in April it will be made available to a wider audience via the cable channel BYU-TV.
"He had as one of his objectives in life to make sure that 'millions will know "Brother Joseph" again,' the words he uses when he talks about this," said Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Seventy, Church Historian and Recorder, in an interview for an Oct. 25, 2008 Church News article.
