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.
was necessary that the Twelve should state whether they were detirmined <January 16. Council of the Twelve.> to perservere in the work of the Lord, whether the presidency are able to satisfy them or not; vote called and carried in the affirmative unanimously. I then said to them that I had not lost confidence in them, and that they had no reason to suspect my Confidence, and that I <Joseph’s Reply Continued.> would be willing to be weighed in the scale of truth, to day, in this matter, and risque it in the day of Judgment: and as it respects the chastening contained in the letter in question, which I acknowledged might have been expressed in too harsh language, which was not intentional, and I asked their forgiveness inasmuch as I had hurt their feelings; but nevertheless the letter that wrote back to , while the Twelve were at the east, was harsh also, and I was willing to set the one against the other; I next proceeded to explain the duty of the twelve, and their authority, which is next to the present presidency, and that the arrangement of the assembly in this place on the 15th. instant, in placing [HC 2:373] the High councils of next the presidency, was because the business to be transacted, was business relating to that body in particular, which was to fill the several Quorums in ; not because they were first in office; and that the arrangement was the most judicious that could be made on the occasion, also the Twelve are not subject to any other than the first presidency, viz,— myself, and . <who are <now> my Counsellors and where I am not, there is no first presidency; over the twelve> I also stated to the Twelve that I did not countenance the harsh language of to them, neither in myself nor any other man, although I have sometimes spoken too harsh from the impulse of the moment, and in-asmuch as I have wounded your feelings, brethren, I ask your forgiveness, for I love you and will hold you up with all my heart, in all righteousness, before the Lord, and before all men, for be assured, brethren, I am willing to stem the torrent of all opposition; in Storms and in tempests; in thunders and in lightnings; by sea and by land, in the wilderness or among false brethren, or mobs, or whereever God in his providence may call us; and I am determined that neither heights nor depths, principalities nor powers, things present or things to come, nor any other creature, shall seperate me from you; and I will now covenant with you before God that I will not listen to nor credit any derogatory report against any of you, nor condemn you upon any testimony beneath the heavens, short of that testimony which is infallible, until I can see you face to face, and know of a Surety; And I do place unremitted confidence in your word, for I believe you to be men of truth, and I ask the same of you, when I tell you any thing that you place equal confidence in my word, for I will not tell you I know any thing, which I do not know; but I have already consumed more time than I intended when I commenced, and I will now give way to my colleagues. [p. 691]