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.
to be his duty. But when I laid before him the principles of the gospel <January 21.> viz, faith, and repentance, Baptism for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the reception of the holy Ghost, he manifested much surprise. I observed that the hour for school had arrived and I must attend. The man seemed astonished at our doctrine but by no means hostile.
About 3 o’clock P.M. I dismissed the school and the presidency <The Anointing> retired to the loft <attic storey> of the , where we attended to the ordinance of washing our bodies in pure water. We also perfumed our bodies and our heads, in the name of the Lord. At early candlelight I met with the presidency, at the west school room in the to attend to the ordinance of anointing our heads with holy oil: Also the councils of and Zion met in the two adjoining rooms, who waited in prayer while we attended to the ordinance. I took the oil in my left hand, being seated before me, and the remainder of the presidency encircled him round about. We then stretched our right hands towards heaven and blessed the oil and consecrated it in the name of Jesus Christ. We then laid our hands on our aged , and invoked the blessings of heaven. I then anointed his head with the consecrated oil, and sealed many blessings upon him; The presidency then in turn laid his hands upon his head, beginning at the eldest until they had all laid their hands upon him, and pronounced such belessings upon his head, [HC 2:379] as the Lord put into their hearts, all blessing him to be our Patriarch to anoint our heads and attend to all duties that pertain to that office. The presidency then took the seat in their turn, according to their age, beginning at the eldest, and received their anointing and blessing under the hand, of ; and in my turn my father anointed my head, and sealed upon me the blessings of Moses, to lead Israel in the latter Days, even as Moses led him in days of old; also the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. All of the Presidency laid th[e]ir hands upon me, and pronounced upon my head many prophecies, and blessings, many of which I shall not notice at this time. But as Paul <Visions and Revelations> said, so say I, let us come to visions and revelations. The heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell. I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate, through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire. Also the blazing throne of God, wherein was seated the Father and the Son. I saw the beautiful streets of that kingdom, which had the appearance of being paved with Gold. I saw Father Adam, and Abraham, and Michael, and and , my brother that has long since slept and marveled how it was, that he had [p. 695]