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.
<May 19 > , but by the mouth of the Lord it was named ; because, said he, it is the place where Adam shall come to visit his people, or the ancient of days shall sit as spoken of by Daniel the Prophet. [HC 3:35]
<Sunday. 20> Sunday the 20th. was spent by our company principally at ; but near the close of the day we struck our tents and travelled about six miles north, and <en>camped for the night, in company with and Co.— who are were also travelling north.
<21.> Monday 21st. This morning after making some locations in this place, which is in township 61, Range 27 and 28, we returned to , about 2 miles, to secure some land near , whi[c]h we passed the day before previous, and finding a mistake in the former survey, I sent the surveyor south five or six miles to obtain a correct line, while some of us tarried to obtain water for the <Council on > camp. In the evening I called a council of the brethren, to know whether it was wisdom to go immediately into the North country, or tarry here and hereabouts, to s[e]cure the land on , &c. The brethren spoke their minds freely on the subject: when I stated to the Council that I felt impressed to tarry, and secure all the land near by, that is not secured, between this and , Especially on . Concurred and the council voted unanimously to secure the land on <x> and between this and . <Elders and arrived at , from Eng.>
<22.> Tuesday 22d. went east with a company and selected some of the best locations in the , and returned with a good report of that vicinity, and [HC 3:36] valueable locations which might be secured. Following awhile in the course of the Co.— I returned to camp, in , and from thence went west to obtain some game to supply our necessities. We discovered some antiquities about one mile west of the camp, consisting <Stone Mounds> of stone mounds, apparently erected in square piles, though somewhat decayed, and obliterated by the weather of many years. These mounds were probably Erected by the aborigine of the land to secrete Treasures. We returned without game.
<23> Wednesday 23d. We all travelled east, locating lands, to secure a claim; on , and near the city of . Towards evening I accompanied to s, and the remainder of the company returned to their tents.
<28> Monday 28 The company started for home. (.) And I left the same day. in company with Brother and 15 or 20 others, to seek locations in the North, and about noon [p. 798]