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.
Ignorant of what? why of this mystery, that blindness in part had happened <July. ’s Epistle continued.> unto Israel. And to what end? why that Salvation might come unto the Gentiles. See Romans, 11th chap: 12 and 13th verses. “Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?” For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the Apostle to the Gentiles. I magnify mine office.
Now, we are to understand the Apostle, as speaking of the return of Israel, when he said, “How much more their fulness,” in their return. “For I would not have you ignorant concerning this matter,” that blindness will depart from them in the day that the fulness of the Gentiles is come in. And the reason is very obvious, because it is said, that “out of Zion shall come the deliverer”; and for what cause? why that the word of God might be fulfilled; that this deliverer might, through the grace and mercy of God “turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”
This work evidently commences, at the time God begins to take the darkness from the minds of Israel, for this will be the work of God by the Deliverer, for he shall turn away ungodliness from the whole family of Jacob, “For this is my Covenant with them, when I shall take away their sins.” [HC 3:49]
Now then we can see that this Deliverer is a kind of Harbinger or forerunner, that is, one that is sent to prepare the way for another. And this deliverer is such an one, for he comes to turn away ungodliness from Jacob; Consequently he must receive a dispensation and authority suitable to his calling, or he could not turn away ungodliness from Jacob, nor fulfil the scriptures.
But the words of the prophets must be fulfilled: And in order to do this, to this messenger must be given the dispensation of the fulness of times according to the prophets. For Paul says again in speaking of the dispensation of the fulness of times; Ephesians 1.9. “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he had purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him.” And Isaiah says in the 11th Chapter 11th. verse “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time, to recover the remnant of his people.” Now this is the time that the deliverer shall come out of Zion, and turn away ungodliness from the house of Israel. Now, the Lord has said that he would set his hand the second time, and we ask, For what? but to recover the house of Jacob. From what have they fallen? Most assuredly they had broken the covenant, that God had made with their fathers, and through their fathers with them. For Paul Says, Romans 11:19, 20. “Thou wilt say then the branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well, because of unbelief, they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high minded, but fear.” Now it is evident that the Jews did forsake the Lord and by that means they broke the covenant. And now we see the need of the Lord’s setting his hand the second time to gather his people, according to Ephesians 1:10. “That the dispensations of the fulness [p. 808]