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Mormon literature is generally considered to have begun with the March 1830 publication of the Book of Mormon. It has since grown to include LDS Poetry, LDS fiction, LDS scripture, LDS hymns, works by various LDS historians, biography, drama, and other forms.

Early Mormon Literature, 1830-1930
The Book of Mormon, published 1830, was the first major publication in Mormon literature. Within the following 100 years, a variety of works were written, most of which are currently in the public domain in the United States and many of which are available online. During this period, much LDS literature was directed towards missionary work; many important works were written as missionary pamphlets, which could be published in large numbers inexpensively, in preference to expensive full-length books. Eugene England writes that during a "Foundations" period from 1830-1880 there was "an initial outpouring ... of largely unsophisticated writing, expressive of the new converts' dramatic symbolic as well as literal journeys to Zion and their fierce rejection of Babylon, and often intended to meet the immediate and practical needs of the church for hymns, sermons, and tracts." In the following fifty years (the "Home Literature" period), didactic fiction and poetry became increasingly common and "Mormon theological and historical writing, especially in James E. Talmage and B. H. Roberts, [were refined] into excellent and lasting forms."

Works published during this period include:

Second Century Mormon Literature, 1930-Present
The increasing volume of Mormon literature during this period includes the work of writers as diverse as Hugh Nibley, Orson Scott Card, and Bruce R. McConkie. Many writers in the "Lost Generation" period, 1930-1970, gained national recognition for their work while rejecting or criticizing much of the Mormon experience. During the "Faithful Realism" period, 1960-present, Mormon literature expanded dramatically as many writers struck various balances between faith, academic endeavor, and commercial success (both within expanding Mormon markets and nationally).

This period also witnessed the rise of Mormon periodicals such as Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought and the Journal of Mormon History.

Organizations and Awards
Various groups have worked to make early Mormon literature available. The Joseph Smith Papers Project, a major academic initiative, has digitized many early documents related to Joseph Smith, including manuscripts, pamphlets, and books written by or about him. The Mormon Texts Project, a distributed volunteer effort, works to make early Mormon literature available on Project Gutenberg.

The Association for Mormon Letters (AML) has promoted quality writing "by, for, and about Mormons" since 1976 and has issued the AML Awards annually since 1977. The Whitney Awards have also recognized achievement in Mormon Literature since 2007.