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.
by the church, or else we must do it by our own labors; and if the <May 12.> church say to us, “help yourselves,” we will thank them, and immediately do so; but if the church say “se[r]ve us,” some provision must be made for our sustenance. “The council investigated the matter, and instructed the to make overe to Presidents Joseph Smith Jun and , each, an eighty acre lot of Land from the property of the church, situated adjacent to the City Corporation: Thr Also; appointed, three of their mumbers viz, , and , a committee to confer with said presidency and satisfy them for their services the present year, not for preaching, or for receiving the word of God by Revelation, neither for instructing the saints in righteousness; but for services rendered in the printing establishment, in translating the Ancient Records, &c, &c. Said committee agreed that Presidents Smith and should receive [blank] as a just remuneration for their services this year.”
<18 Joseph left , to explore the North Country> Friday 18th. I left , in company with , , , , , and many others, for the purpose of visiting the north country, and laying off stakes of Zion, making locations and laying claims to facilitate the gathering of the saints and for the benefit of the poor, in upbuilding the church of God; we travelled to the mouth of , which is a tributary of , where we camped for the night. We passed a beautiful country of land, a majority of which is prairie, (untimbered land) and thickly covered with grass and weeds, among which is a plenty of Game, such as Deer, Turkey, Hen, Elk, &c. We discovered a large black wolf, and my dog gave him chase, but he out-ran us. We have nothing to fear in camping out except the rattle Snake, which is natural to this country, though not very numerous. We turned our horses loose and let them feed on the prairie.
<19> Saturday 19th. This morning we struck our tents and formed a line of march, crossing at the mouth of , and . is a large, beautiful, and deep and rapid stream, during the high waters of spring, and will undoubtedly admit of Steam boat navigation and other water craft; and at the mouth of is a splendid harbor, and good landing. We pursued our course up the river, [HC 3:34] mostly in the timber, about 10 miles when we arrived at Col. ’s, who lives at the Foot of . -[a name I gave it in consequence of the remains of an old Nephite -[]-. Altar or Tower]- where we camped for the sabbath. In the after-noon, I went up the rivere about half a mile to , accompanied by , and my clerk , for the purpose of <selecting &> laying claim to a city plot near , in , Township 60, Range 27 and 28. And sections 25, 36, 31 and 30, which the brethren called [p. 797]