DESCRIPTION: These volumes record copies of Articles of Incorporation filed with the Emery County Clerk of the County Court by LDS Church Wards. The record books were kept as the official copy which was available for public use. The actual articles of incorporation record the following: names of the corporation officers including the office of President which was the filled by the Bishop of the ward, names of the ward members, and oaths of office. The Articles of Incorporation state that members of the ward "desired to become a body corporate, under and in accordance with the existing laws of Utah Territory, and had met for that purpose." The law of the Utah Territory stated "that any number of persons associated together for religious, social, scientific, benevolent or other purposes...when pecuniary profit is not their object...may incorporate themselves as provided in this Act" ( Law of Utah, 1878, chap., 18, sec.1).

Under current Utah law and the laws of the territorial legislature, individuals desiring to incorporate, were to file and record articles of incorporation with their respective county clerk. These agreements specified the nature and place of business, amount of stock to be issued, terms for officers, etc. The clerk in turn issued a certificate of incorporation and recorded the final articles of incorporation in these record books.