Part 1: 1 September–31 October 1842

In September and October 1842, JS attended to his and municipal responsibilities while also eluding officers of the law who were attempting to arrest him and extradite him to . Despite claims from JS and other church members that the attempted extradition was illegal, governor was relentless in his efforts to apprehend JS and send him to Missouri to face charges that he had been an accessory to the attempted assassination of in May 1842. JS feared that his enemies would kill him if he returned to Missouri, so he spent much of these two months in hiding in and around , Illinois.

When , constable of , Illinois, and two other law officers surprised him at his home on 3 September, JS successfully avoided arrest by fleeing out the back door and through his garden to the home of . Later that day, he moved to the home of . Meanwhile, Adams County undersheriff , Pitman, and about fifteen other men searched unsuccessfully for JS in and around his home and eventually left empty handed. JS emerged from hiding on 10 September and stayed at his home for the remainder of the month. Fearing capture, however, he kept a low profile, skipping many church meetings and other public gatherings that he normally would have attended. Toward the end of September, became gravely ill, and JS spent the first week of October by his wife’s side, attending to her needs.

On 19 and 20 September 1842, and governor each issued a formal proclamation promising a reward of $200 and $300, respectively, for the capture of either JS or , who was charged with shooting . Word of the proclamations reached by 2 October. On or around 7 October, JS determined that he must leave Nauvoo “for a short season untill there should be some change in the proceedings of our enemies.” Accordingly, he traveled in the dark of night to the home of church member in Henderson County, Illinois, approximately thirty miles northeast of Nauvoo. Though JS visited Nauvoo briefly on 20 October to see , he returned to Taylor’s home the next day and remained in Henderson County until 28 October, when he returned to Nauvoo.

While in hiding, JS relied on couriers and bodyguards to relay messages and keep him abreast of developments in . In his absence, much of his personal, financial, and ecclesiastical business was handled by , one of his clerks. In at least one instance, a church member writing a letter to JS addressed it to Clayton knowing he could transmit the letter’s content to JS.

Part 1 of this volume comprises thirty-five documents. Among them are letters JS exchanged with individual church members and other associates throughout the regarding church concerns, particularly ’s ongoing public attack on JS and the church. In addition, this part includes letters JS wrote to the church explaining why he had gone into hiding and giving instructions on the practice of for the dead. Letters from missionaries, church members, and others in Great Britain regarding the church there are also featured, as are selections of editorial content from four issues of the Times and Seasons, of which JS was the editor.