, History, Manuscript, ca. 1839; handwriting of ; nineteen pages (several additional leaves missing); CHL.
Historical Introduction
While incarcerated at , Missouri, in March 1839, JS addressed a letter to the Saints and to “ in particular” in which he called for the Saints to gather up “a knoledge of all the facts and sufferings and abuses put upon them” in that they might publish the records “to all the world” and “present them to the heads of the government.” (JS et al., Liberty, MO, to the church members and Edward Partridge, Quincy, IL, 20 Mar. 1839, in Revelations Collection, CHL [D&C 123:1, 6].) Apparently in response to this assignment, Edward Partridge wrote a history that became the first three installments of “A History, of the Persecution, of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter Day Saints in Missouri,” an eleven-part series published in the church’s newspaper, Times and Seasons, between December 1839 and October 1840.
may have intended to tell the entire story himself, but he fell ill shortly after publication began and died 27 May 1840. Partridge’s manuscript, which he did not title, is provided here. The full text of “A History, of the Persecution,” which necessarily relied on other sources following Partridge’s demise, receives comprehensive treatment in volume 2 of the Histories series of The Joseph Smith Papers and is available on this website.
’s history begins with his account of the conflicts in the early 1830s. Partridge was a bishop of the church in Missouri, first in and then in following the Saints’ expulsion from Jackson County. He also served as bishop in after the Saints relocated there from Clay County in 1836. By the time he drafted his account of the Mormon experiences in Missouri, the Saints had been exiled from the state and had relocated to .
’s narrative is based on firsthand observations and may also have relied on other records he kept. It begins, “In presenting to our readers a history of the persecutions,” indicating that Partridge wrote it for publication purposes. However, there are occasionally significant differences between the manuscript version and “A History, of the Persecution” as published.
The early custodial history of the manuscript is somewhat uncertain. However, the manuscript was presumably among materials in the possession of church historian and recorder Joseph Fielding Smith, who held that office from 1921 to 1970 and who had worked in the Church Historian’s Office many years prior. The manuscript became part of the First Presidency’s papers when Smith became church president in 1970, and, with other records (including Revelation Book 1 and two drafts of JS’s history), was transferred from the First Presidency’s office to the Church History Library in 2005.
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committee who was to request the Saints to appoint a committee to meet them on at at a certain <given time> day
The committees met agreeable to appointment when it was proposed <a proposition was made> by the committee to the other <something to this effect> that whereas the people of had <kindly> received the saints in their distress when <when> <and at that time> it was expected that they wanted would soon return to and not think of making a permanent home and whereas the prospect of returning to was small at that <present> time and <that> a portion of the citizen of were dissatisfied to have them stay where they were any longer therefore they <the committee in behalf> requested that they <the saints> should look them<selves> out a new place to of location either in some unsettled part of the or otherwise go out of the as suited them best. The committee disclaimed all right to request any such thing: they said that the saints had just as good a right there as they had but that they thought that considering the opposition that there was to them there it would be better for them to be <go where they could be> more by themselves <& even recommend their gathering to gether which was the very thing they wanted> <they said> <they> that if they would consent to go they would send a committee with them who could pilot <were acquainted> themanywhere with the country and would pilot them in looking out a location They <However A location> had already looked <been> searched out a location and purchased about 1600 acres of land <purchased> and <they> were willing and even making preperations some of them to move away <there> there soon consequently the committee on the part of the church consented to the propositions made to them and all parted in <with apparant> good feeling Soon afterwards 3 on the part of the church & 2 pilots started to seek a location they traveled a number of days about the new settlements in <towards> the N.W. corner of the they finally concluded that the place previously pitched upon Now was the place where they would settle there being but <a> few inhabitants <and they generally willing to sell out> in a district of country large enough for a Co.
Upon these movements the mob spirit measureably subsided and the saints prepared and moved to their new settlement as fast as their circumstances would permit pleased with the idea of settleing <together> by themselves togeth