Jacob Gates (9 March 1811 - 14 April 1892) was an early Mormon convert who recorded eyewitness accounts of many significant events in the Latter Day Saint movement's very beginnings. His meticulous notes and journals are housed in the LDS Church History Library in seven handwritten volumes. This book is an edited, annotated, and readable presentation of his collected journals. Also included are other documents related to the time periods covered in these journals, including correspondence, public speeches, legal records, and personal writings. The original manuscript journals are presented in a separate five-part facsimile edition, available as a companion to this edited version.