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.
this ministry and Apostleship you are now to be ordained, <February 21.> and may all temporal and spiritual blessings attend you. Your sins are forgiven you and you are to go forth and preach the everlasting gospel. You shall travel from kingdom to kingdom, and from nation to nation. Angels shall bear thee up and thou shalt be instrumental in bringing thousands of the redeemed of the Lord to Zion. Sealed by president . even so, Amen.
<’s Blessing.> ’s Blessing. Dear Brethren Brother you are chosen and set apart to be ordained to this Apostleship and this ministry. You shall go forth and preach the gospel and do a mighty work. You shall be sustained. The Holy Spirit shall enlighten thy mind. Thou shalt travel from nation to nation. The Lord God shall sustain preserve thee and return thee safe, with songs of everlasting joy upon thy head. Confirmed by president .
The following charge was given to the twelve by president .
<Charge to the Twelve by .—> Dear Brethren, previously to delivering the charge, I shall read a part of a revelation. It is known to you that previous to the organizing of this church in 1830, the Lord gave Revelations or the church could not have been organized. The people of this church were weak in faith compared with the ancients. Those who embarked in this cause were desirous to know how the work was to be conducted. [HC 2:194] They read many things in the Book of Mormon, concerning their duty, and the way the great work ought to be done, but the minds of men are so constructed, that they will not believe without a testimony of seeing or hearing. The Lord gave us a revelation, that in process of time there should be twelve men chosen to preach his gospel to Jew and Gentile. Our minds have been on a constant stretch, to find whose these twelve were. When the time should come we could not tell, but we sought the Lord by fasting and prayer, to have our lives prolonged to see this day, to see you and to take a retrospect of the difficulties through which we have passed, but, having seen the day, it becomes my duty to deliver to you a charge: and first, a few remarks respecting your ministry. You have many revelations put into your hands: Revelations to make you acquainted with the nature of your Mission. You will have difficulties by reason of your visiting all the nations of the world. You will need wisdom in a ten fold proportion to what you have ever had. You will have to combat all the prejudices of all nations. He then read from the Revelation, and said, have you desired this ministry with all your hearts? If you have desired it, you are called of God, not of man, to go into all the world. He read again, from the Revelation, what the Lord said to the [p. 571]