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.
instances that I have suddenly been brought from a state of health, to the <June.> borders of the grave, and as suddenly restored, for which my heart swells with gratitude, to my heavenly Father, and I feel renewedly to dedicate myself and all my powers to his service. While I was thus afflicted the enemy of all Righteousness was suggesting, Apostates reporting and the doubtful believing that my afflictions were sent upon me because I was in transgression, and had taught the church things contrary to godliness; but of this the Lord judge betwixt me and them, while I pray my Father to forgive them this wrong.
The brethren engaged in the mission to England landed at , and <English Mission.> went down the Canal, <near Lyonstown> while walking on its bank found an iron ring about [HC 2:493] one and one fourth inch diameter which he presented to , saying, I will make you a present of this, keep it in remembrance of me, for our friendship shall be as endless as this ring. The brethren having been disappointed in not receving funds from , while at ,—
, left the company at Albany, and in company with visited his friends in , Mass, where they obtained means sufficient <22 Arrival in .> to continue their journey, and arrived in on the eve of the 22d June where they found , & , also three Brethren from <23.> viz. John Goodson one of the seventies, and elders Isaac Russel[l], and , <a Priest> who had gone forward to join the Mission, and on the 23d. they engaged passage to in the second Cabin of the Merchant Ship Garrick. The brethren found but one member of the church in the , viz. Elder , who was very attentive and rendered them assistance ac[HC 2:494]cording to his means, but they being short of funds to pay their passage &c. removed from their lodgings at Mrs. Fordham’s, (’s sister-in-law) <24 Lodgings on the floor.> on the 24th., and hiring a room in an unfinished store house, of ’s father, took lodgings on the floor and ate their bread and <25> drank their water, until they went on ship board. Sunday 25th. the brethren kept in fasting, prayer and council, for the success of the mission, and had a joyful time. In the afternoon two sectarian priests came in to talk, & find <28> fault,— but they were soon confounded. On the 28th the brethren deposited one of ’s Timely Warnings, in the , Post Office, for each of the sectarian <29.> priests in the city, amounting to some hundreds. Went on board the Garrick <30> on the 29 and left the dock; on the 30th lay at anchor in the North <East> River, <July 1 Mission Sailed> and at 7½ A.M. of the first of July were towed out of harbor by a steamer Hoisted sail and were out of sight of land at 4½ P.M.— [HC 2:495]
<+ 7 Letter> The following is an extract of a letter to the brethren in written at
“, Mo. July, 7th 1837. Monday the 3d. of July was a great and glorious day in ; more than fifteen hundred saints assembled in this place, and, at half past eight in the morning, after a prayer, singing, and an address, proceeded to break the ground for the ; the day was beautiful, the Spirit of the Lord was with us, a cellar for this great edifice, 110 long by 80 feet broad, was nearly finished; On Tuesday the fourth we had a large meeting and several of the Missourians were baptized: our meetings, held in the open prairie, were larger than they were in when I was there. We have more or less to bless, confirm, and baptize every sabbath. This same day our school section was Sold at Auction, and although entirely a prairie, it brought, [p. 763]
Kimball, Heber C. “The Journal and Record of Heber Chase Kimball an Apostle of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” ca. 1842–1858. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 1.