JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. B-1, created 1 Oct. 1843–24 Feb. 1845; handwriting of and ; 297 pages, plus 10 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the second volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This second volume covers the period from 1 Sept. 1834 to 2 Nov. 1838; the subsequent four volumes, labeled C-1 through F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction
This document, volume B-1, is the second of the six volumes of the “Manuscript History of the Church.” The collection was compiled over the span of seventeen years, 1838 to 1856. The narrative in volume B-1 begins with the entry for 1 September 1834, just after the conclusion of the Camp of Israel (later called Zion’s Camp), and continues to 2 November 1838, when JS was interned as a prisoner of war at , Missouri. For a fuller discussion of the entire six-volume work, see the general introduction to the history.
, serving as JS’s “private secretary and historian,” completed the account of JS’s history contained in volume A-1 in August 1843. It covered the period from JS’s birth in 1805 through the aftermath of the Camp of Israel in August 1834. When work resumed on the history on 1 October 1843, Richards started a new volume, eventually designated B-1.
At the time of JS’s death in June 1844, the account had been advanced to 5 August 1838, on page 812 of volume B-1. ’s poor health led to the curtailment of work on B-1 for several months, until 11 December 1844. On that date, Richards and , assisted by , resumed gathering the records and reports needed to draft the history. Richards then composed and drafted roughed-out notes while Thomas Bullock compiled the text of the history and inscribed it in B-1. They completed their work on the volume on or about 24 February 1845. Richards, , and Jonathan Grimshaw later added ten pages of “Addenda,” which provided notes, extensive revisions, or additional text to be inserted in the original manuscript where indicated.
Though JS did not dictate or revise any of the text recorded in B-1, and chose to maintain the first-person, chronological narrative format established in A-1 as if JS were the author. They drew from a variety of primary and secondary sources including JS’s diaries and letters, minutes of meetings, the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, church and other periodicals, reports of JS’s discourses, and the reminiscences and recollections of church members. As was the case with A-1, after JS’s death, , , , and others modified and corrected the manuscript as they reviewed material before its eventual publication.
Beginning in March 1842 the church’s Nauvoo periodical, the Times and Seasons, began publishing the narrative as the “History of Joseph Smith.” It was also published in England in the church periodical the Millennial Star beginning in June 1842. Once a press was established in Utah and the Deseret News began publication, the “History of Joseph Smith” once more appeared in print in serialized form. Beginning with the November 1851 issue, the narrative picked up where the Times and Seasons had left off over five years earlier.
The narrative recorded in B-1 continued the story of JS’s life as the prophet and president of the church he labored to establish. The account encompasses significant developments in the church’s two centers at that time—, Ohio, and northwest —during a four-year-span. Critical events included the organization of the Quorums of the Twelve Apostles and the Seventy, the dedication of the House of the Lord in Kirtland, Ohio, the establishment of the Kirtland Safety Society, dissension and apostasy in Kirtland and Missouri, the first mission to England, JS’s flight from Kirtland to Missouri in the winter of 1838, the Saints’ exodus from Kirtland later that year, the disciplining of the Missouri presidency, and the outbreak of the Missouri War and arrest of JS. Thus, B-1 provides substantial detail regarding a significant period of church expansion and transition as well as travail.
you may say or ask why I have not remembered the good that you <December 18 ’s Letter continued> have done to me: When I reflect upon the injury I have done you, I must confess that I do not know what I have been about. I feel sorry for what I have done and humbly ask your forgiveness. I have not confidence as yet to come and see you, for I feel ashamed of what I have done, and as I feel now, I feel as though all the confessions that I could make verbally or by writing, would not be sufficient to atone for the transgressions. Be this as it may, I am willing to make all the restitution you shall require. If I can stay in the church as a member, I will try to make all the satisfaction possible. Yours with Respect. .
Do not cast me off for what I have done, but strive to save me in the church as a member. I do repent of what I have done to you and ask your forgiveness. I consider the transgression the other evening [HC 2:339] of no small magnitude, but it is done and I cannot help it now. I know, brother Joseph, you are always willing to forgive: but I sometimes think, when I reflect upon the many injuries I have done you, I feel as though a confession was hardly sufficient, but, have mercy on me this once, and I will try to do so no more. The Twelve called a Council yesterday, and sent over after me, and I went over. This council remember was called together by themselves, and not by me. .”
To the foregoing I gave the following answer the same day.
<Joseph’s Letter to > , Having received your letter. I now proceed to answer it, and shall first proceed to give a brief narration of my feelings and motives since the night I first came to the knowledge of your having a debating school, which was at the time I happened in with , his Father and mother &c. and from that time I took an interest in them, and was delighted with it, and formed a determination to attend the school for the purpose of obtaining information, and with the Idea of imparting the same, through the assistance of the Spirit of the Lord, if by any means I should have faith to do so. and with this intent, I went to the school on last wednesday night, not with the idea of breaking up the school, neither did it enter into my heart, that there was any wrangling or jealousies in your heart, against me. Notwithstanding, previous to my leaving home, there were feelings of solemnity rolling across my breast, which were unaccountable to me, and also these feelings continued by spells to depress my spirits, and seemed to manifest that all was not right, even after the school commenced, and during the debate; yet I strove to believe that all would work together for good; I was pleased with the power of the arguments that were used, and did not feel to cast any reflections, upon any one that had spoken; but I felt that it was the duty of old men, that set as presidents, to be as grave, at least, as young men, [p. 668]