In the 1 March issue of the Times and Seasons, JS published a narrative history that included a description of his early visions, of the organization, growth, and migrations of the , and of the persecution the Latter-day Saints endured; it also included a succinct summary of Latter-day Saint beliefs. The document states that , proprietor and editor of the weekly Chicago Democrat, solicited the history on behalf of , a attorney. Barstow was then working on a history of New Hampshire and apparently sought information about JS and the Latter-day Saints for possible inclusion in the book. While it is unclear whether Wentworth or Barstow ever received the information included in this narrative history, JS published the material in the Times and Seasons, the church newspaper printed in , Illinois.
Opportunities to treat the church or its doctrines favorably in publications unaffiliated with the church were rare, and some previous attempts were not entirely successful. On 4 January 1833 JS wrote a letter to , editor of the newspaper American Revivalist, and Rochester Observer. JS told Saxton that he wrote the letter “by the commandment of God” and asked the editor to publish it in its entirety, but Saxton published only an excerpt. JS wrote again on 12 February 1833 asking that the whole of his previous letter be “laid before the public,” but Saxton did not republish it. In 1836, in a volume titled The Religious Creeds and Statistics of Every Christian Denomination in the United States, editor John Hayward included a summary of the Book of Mormon and short excerpts from the Doctrine and Covenants as well as a statement of beliefs that church member furnished, but these materials were bracketed by negative statements from (JS’s father-in-law) and from a skeptical Hayward. In 1839 the editor of the St. Louis Gazette asked church for an article about the church but then declined to print it. Taylor later published the history himself in a tract titled A Short Account of the Murders, Roberies, Burnings, Thefts, and Other Outrages Committed by the Mob and Militia of the State of Missouri, upon the Latter Day Saints.
Though JS had previously produced texts that chronicled the origins and history of the church, the featured historical sketch and statements of belief represent the first time he published that information. Succinctly titled “Church History,” the document was published in the 1 March 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons. No manuscript copy has been located, and it is not known how much of the text JS originally wrote or dictated. In several places the historical narrative parallels other accounts JS produced between 1832 and 1838 or echoes wording from ’s 1840 tract A[n] Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions. To produce his thirteen doctrinal statements, JS may have drawn upon several different texts, including the “Articles and Covenants,” drafted when the church was organized in 1830; ’s “broad principles,” published in the October 1834 issue of the Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate; ’s “leading principles,” published in Hayward’s 1836 Religious Creeds; and Pratt’s Interesting Account, which drew upon a theological summary written by . In addition to consulting these texts, JS may have counseled with trusted associates to compose the document. Whatever his intellectual debt to Cowdery, Pratt, or others, JS took responsibility for “Church History” when it was published in the Times and Seasons. He introduced himself at the beginning of the article as “the founder,” and his name appears at the conclusion as the author. An editorial passage printed above his name further confirms his endorsement: “This paper commences my editorial career, I alone stand responsible for it, and shall do for all papers having my signature henceforward.”
In the featured text JS imparted what he characterized as a “sketch of the rise, progress, persecution, and faith of the Latter-Day Saints.” In this historical narrative, later referred to as the “Wentworth letter,” JS offered a synopsis of his first vision, the reception and production of the Book of Mormon, and the founding and expansion of the church. JS also used the featured text as a medium to describe “the injustice, the wrongs, the murders, the bloodshed, the theft, misery and woe” that Latter-day Saints endured in during the 1830s. Following his historical sketch, JS presented thirteen statements of belief that later became known as “The Articles of Faith.” As he had when he wrote nine years earlier, JS asked that “publish the account entire, ungarnished, and without misrepresentation.”
Following the historical narrative’s publication in the Times and Seasons, several other publications made brief, oblique references to it. The newspaper Quincy Whig noted JS’s historical sketch in conjunction with his new role as editor of the church’s periodical. In Mormonism and the Mormons, pastor Daniel Kidder remarked that JS’s 1842 autobiographical narratives were “nothing but the old story about the and the angel, with a few emendations to save appearances.”
JS’s overview of church history was reproduced in various publications in the succeeding decade. John Hayward incorporated excerpts from the sketch in his 1842 volume The Book of Religions, and church members and published a nearly verbatim copy of the text in an 1844 tract titled Correspondence between Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and Col. John Wentworth. Historian included an augmented version of “Church History”—published as “Latter Day Saints”—in his 1844 work He Pasa Ekklesia: An Original History of the Religious Denominations at Present Existing in the United States; it also appeared in the 1848 edition of the book, published by John Winebrenner and retitled History of All the Religious Denominations in the United States. Additionally, versions of JS’s thirteen doctrinal statements were featured in several missionary tracts or newspapers from 1844 to 1851, as well as in an 1851 history of the Latter-day Saints written by London journalist Henry Mayhew. While serving as president of the British mission in 1851, published the thirteen statements of belief, along with a few revelatory texts JS produced, in a collection titled The Pearl of Great Price—a revised version of which was canonized as church scripture in 1880.
George Barstow, History of New Hampshire from Its Discovery, in 1614, to the Passage of the Toleration Act, in 1819 (Concord, NH: I. S. Boyd, 1842). Barstow’s initial interest in the church may have been prompted by recent Latter-day Saint missionary activity and church growth in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. (See Letter from Eli Maginn, 22 Mar. 1842; and Williams, “Missionary Movements of the LDS Church in New England,” 128–133, 147–156.)
Williams, Richard Shelton. “The Missionary Movements of the LDS Church in New England, 1830–1850.” Master’s thesis, Brigham Young University, 1969.
Hayward, Religious Creeds and Statistics, 130–142.
Hayward, John. The Religious Creeds and Statistics of Every Christian Denomination in the United States and British Provinces. With Some Account of the Religious Sentiments of the Jews, American Indians, Deist, Mahometans, &c. Boston: By the author, 1836.
Scott, Franklin William. Newspapers and Periodicals of Illinois, 1814–1879. Springfield, IL: Illinois State Historical Library, 1910.Taylor, John. A Short Account of the Murders, Roberies, Burnings, Thefts, and Other Outrages Committed by the Mob and Militia of the State of Missouri, Upon the Latter Day Saints. Springfield, IL: By the author, 1839.
The issue was likely published after 2 March, when JS read the proof sheets. Wilford Woodruff, who worked in the printing office, recorded that he spent the day of 4 March “at the [printing] Office making up the Mails or prepairing papers for it.” (JS, Journal, 2 Mar. 1842; Woodruff, Journal, 4 Mar. 1842.)
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.
Hayward, John. The Religious Creeds and Statistics of Every Christian Denomination in the United States and British Provinces. With Some Account of the Religious Sentiments of the Jews, American Indians, Deist, Mahometans, &c. Boston: By the author, 1836.
Pratt, Parley P., and Elias Higbee. An Address by Judge Higbee and Parley P. Pratt, Ministers of the Gospel, of the Church of Jesus Christ of “Latter-day Saints,” to the Citizens of Washington, and to the Public in General. N.p., 1840.
Church historian Brigham H. Roberts was among the first to refer to the featured text as the “Wentworth letter.” Given its lack of a date, salutation, and valediction, the featured text is not a letter, though portions of the text may have been derived from one. (History of the Church, 4:535.)
History of the Church / Smith, Joseph, et al. History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Edited by B. H. Roberts. Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1902–1912 (vols. 1–6), 1932 (vol. 7).
From 1844 to 1851 these doctrinal statements appeared in various church-related tracts under different titles, including “Faith and Doctrine of the Latter Day Saints,” “L.D. Saints’ Faith,” “Latter Day Saint’s Faith,” and “Faith of the Latter-Day Saints.” The 1878 version of the Pearl of Great Price referred to the statements as “Articles of our Faith”; the 1902 version added numbers to the statements and referred to them as “The Articles of FaithOf the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” ([Gooch], Death of the Prophets Joseph and Hyram Smith, 9–10; Flanigan, Reply to a Sheet, 7–8; Orson Hyde, “Latter Day Saint’s Faith,” Frontier Guardian [Kanesville, IA], 20 Feb. 1850, [1]; [Mayhew], Mormons, 46–47; Pearl of Great Price, 1878 ed., 63; Pearl of Great Price, 1902 ed., 102–103, emphasis in original.)
Death of the Prophets Joseph and Hyram Smith, Who Were Murdered while in Prison at Carthage, on the 27th Day of June, A. D. 1844. Boston: John Gooch, 1844.
Flanigan, J. H. Reply to a Sheet Entitled, “The Result of Two Meetings between the L.D. Saints and Primitive Methodists,” at Gravely, Cambridgshire. Bedford, England, 1849.
Frontier Guardian. Kanesville, IA. 1849–1852.
[Mayhew, Henry]. The Mormons; or, Latter-Day Saints. With Memoirs of the Life and Death of Joseph Smith, the “American Mahomet.” London: Office of the National Illustrated Library, [1851].
The Pearl of Great Price: Being a Choice Selection from the Revelations, Translations and Narrations of Joseph Smith, First Prophet, Seer, and Revelator to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Latter-day Saints’ Printing and Publishing Establishment, 1878.
The Pearl of Great Price: A Selection from the Revelations, Translation, and Narrations of Joseph Smith First Prophet, Seer and Revelator to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1902.
Kidder, Mormonism and the Mormons, 334. Kidder may have been referring to both “Church History” and the more extensive “History of Joseph Smith” that JS began publishing serially in the 15 March 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons. (Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1842, 3:726.)
Kidder, Daniel P. Mormonism and the Mormons: A Historical View of the Rise and Progress of the Sect Self-Styled Latter-Day Saints. New York: G. Lane and P. P. Sandford, 1842.
Hayward, Book of Religions, 260–266; Correspondence between Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and Col. John Wentworth, 3–6.
Hayward, John. The Book of Religions; Comprising the Views Creeds, Sentiments, or Opinions, of All the Principal Religious Sects in the World, Particularly of All Christian Denominations in Europe and America; To Which Are Added Church and Missionary Statistics, Together with Biographical Sketches. Boston: John Hayward, 1842.
Correspondence between Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and Col. John Wentworth, Editor of “The Chicago Democrat,” and Member of Congress from Illinois; Gen. James Arlington Bennet, of Arlington House, Long Island, and the Honorable John C. Calhoun, Senator from South Carolina. . . . New York: John E. Page and L. R. Foster, 1844.
Winebrenner, John, comp. History of All the Religious Denominations in the United States: Containing Authentic Accounts of the Rise and Progress, Faith and Practice, Localities and Statistics, of the Different Persuasions: Written Expressly for the Work, by Fifty-Three Eminent Authors, Belonging to the Respective Denominations. 2nd ed. Harrisburg, PA: John Winebrenner, 1848.
See, for example, [Gooch], Death of the Prophets Joseph and Hyram Smith, 9–10; The Latter-Day Saints’ Belief (n.p., [1851?]), copy at CHL; Flanigan, Reply to a Sheet, 7–8; “Latter Day Saint’s Faith,” Frontier Guardian (Kanesville, IA), 20 Feb. 1850, [1]; and [Mayhew], Mormons, 46–47.
Death of the Prophets Joseph and Hyram Smith, Who Were Murdered while in Prison at Carthage, on the 27th Day of June, A. D. 1844. Boston: John Gooch, 1844.
The Latter-Day Saints’ Belief. N.p., [1851?]. Copy at CHL.
Flanigan, J. H. Reply to a Sheet Entitled, “The Result of Two Meetings between the L.D. Saints and Primitive Methodists,” at Gravely, Cambridgshire. Bedford, England, 1849.
Frontier Guardian. Kanesville, IA. 1849–1852.
[Mayhew, Henry]. The Mormons; or, Latter-Day Saints. With Memoirs of the Life and Death of Joseph Smith, the “American Mahomet.” London: Office of the National Illustrated Library, [1851].
Pearl of Great Price, 1851 ed., 55; Pearl of Great Price, 1878 ed., 63; “Fiftieth Semi-annual Conference,” Deseret News (Salt Lake City), 13 Oct. 1880, 588.
The Pearl of Great Price: Being a Choice Selection from the Revelations, Translations, and Narrations of Joseph Smith, First Prophet, Seer, and Revelator to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Liverpool: F. D. Richards, 1851.
The Pearl of Great Price: Being a Choice Selection from the Revelations, Translations and Narrations of Joseph Smith, First Prophet, Seer, and Revelator to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Latter-day Saints’ Printing and Publishing Establishment, 1878.
heavenly vision and saw two glorious personages who exactly resembled each other in features, and likeness, surrounded with a brilliant light which eclipsed the sun at noon-day. They told me that all religious denominations were believing in incorrect doctrines, and that none of them was acknowledged of God as his church and kingdom. And I was expressly commanded to “go not after them,” at the same time receiving a promise that the fulness of the gospel should at some future time be made known unto me.
On the evening of the 21st of September, A. D. 1823, while I was praying unto God, and endeavoring to exercise faith in the precious promises of scripture on a sudden a light like that of day, only of a far purer and more glorious appearance, and brightness burst into the room, indeed the first sight was as though the house was filled with consuming fire; the appearance produced a shock that affected the whole body; in a moment a personage stood before me surrounded with a glory yet greater than that with which I was already surrounded. This messenger proclaimed himself to be an angel of God sent to bring the joyful tidings, that the covenant which God made with ancient Israel was at hand to be fulfilled, that the preparatory work for the second coming of the Messiah was speedily to commence; that the time was at hand for the gospel, in all its fulness to be preached in power, unto all nations that a people might be prepared for the millennial reign.
I was informed that I was chosen to be an instrument in the hands of God to bring about some of his purposes in this glorious .
I was also informed concerning the aboriginal inhabitants of this , and shown who they were, and from whence they came; a brief sketch of their origin, progress, civilization, laws, governments, of their righteousness and iniquity, and the blessings of God being finally withdrawn from them as a people was made known unto me: I was also told where there was deposited some on which were engraven an abridgement of the records of the ancient prophets that had existed on this continent. The angel appeared to me three times the same night and unfolded the same things. After having received many visits from the angels of God unfolding the majesty, and glory of the events that should transpire in the last days, on the morning of the 22d of September A. D. 1827, the angel of the Lord delivered the records into my hands.
These records were engraven on plates which had the appearance of gold, each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long and not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters and bound together in a volume, as the leaves of a book with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed. The characters on the unsealed part were small, and beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity in its construction and much skill in the art of engraving. With the records was found a curious instrument which the ancients called “,” which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow fastened to a breastplate.
Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift, and power of God.
In this important and interesting book the history of ancient America is unfolded, from its first settlement by a colony that came from the tower of Babel, at the confusion of languages to the beginning of the fifth century of the Christian era. We are informed by these records that America in ancient times has been inhabited by two distinct races of people. The first were called Jaredites and came directly from the tower of Babel. The second race came directly from the city of Jerusalem, about six hundred years before Christ. They were principally Israelites, of the descendants of Joseph. The Jaredites were destroyed about the time that the Israelites came from Jerusalem, who succeeded them in the inheritance of the country. The principal nation of the second race fell in battle towards the close of the fourth century. The remnant are the Indians that now inhabit this . This book also tells us that our Saviour made his appearance upon this continent after his resurrection, that he planted the gospel here in all its fulness, and richness, and power, and blessing; that they had apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists; the same order, the same priesthood, the [p. 707]
A revelation recorded in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants indicated that a prophet named Moroni was the referenced individual, sent to “reveal the book of Mormon”; in 1838 JS stated that he had obtained the plates from Moroni. JS’s 1838 account identified the messenger as Book of Mormon figure Nephi, but the name was later changed to Moroni by an unidentified scribe who indicated that the first name had been a clerical error. (Revelation, ca. Aug. 1835 [D&C 27:5]; Questions and Answers, 8 May 1838; JS History, vol. A-1, 5.)
The term “Urim and Thummim” appears in the Old Testament in reference to a divinatory instrument used by the high priest of Israel. JS later employed the term to describe an instrument he used to translate the characters inscribed on the plates; in one account he described them as “spectacles.” The term “Urim and Thummim” was also apparently applied to seer stones JS used to receive some of his early revelations. (Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8; Numbers 27:21; “The Book of Mormon,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Jan. 1833, [2]; JS History, vol. A-1, 5; Woodruff, Journal, 27 Dec. 1841 and 19 Feb. 1842; Emma Smith Bidamon, Nauvoo, IL, to Emma Pilgrim, Independence, MO, 27 Mar. 1870, Emma Smith, Papers, CCLA.)
The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.