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.
<August> Clubs, Pistols, Dirks, Knives and some Guns, cursing and swearing— The Brethren not having arms, thought it wisdom to return to their farms, collect their families, and hide them in a thicket of hazle brush, which they did, and stood sentry around them, through the night while the women and children lay on the ground in the rain
<August 7> Tuesday morning a report came to , by way of those not belonging to the Church that at the Election at yesterday two or three of our brethren were killed by the Missourians and left upon the ground, and not suffered to be interred, that the brethren were prevented from voting and a majority of the Inhabitants of were determined to drive the Saints <Joseph starts for > from the county— on hearing this report, I started for to assist the brethren, accompanied by , and fifteen or twenty others, who were armed for their own protection, and the command was given to , [HC 3:58] aColonelintheMilitia on our way we were joined by the brethren from different parts of the Country, some of whom were attacked by the Mob, but we all reached ’s that night in safety, where we found some of the brethren who were mobbed at , with others, waiting for our Counsel Here we received the cheering intelligence that none of the brethren were killed, although several were badly wounded— From the best information about one hundred and fifty Missourians warred against from six to twelve of our brethren who fought like Lions— Several Missourians had their skulls cracked— blessed be the memory of those few brethren who contended so strenuously for their Constitutional rights, and religious freedom, against such an— overwhelming force of desperadoes.
<Wednesday 8.> After spending the night in Council at s I rode out with some of the Brethren to view the situation of affairs in that region, and among others called on Justice of the Peace, and Judge elect for , who had some time previous sold his Farm to Brother , and received part pay according to Agreement, and afterwards united himself with a band of Mobbers to drive the Saints from, and prevent their settling in — On interrogation he confessed what he had done, and in consequence of this violation of his Oath as Magistrate, we asked him to give us some satisfaction so that we might know whether he was our friend or enemy, whether he would administer the Law in Justice, and politely requested him to sign an Agreement of Peace, but being jealous, he would not sign it but said he would write one himself to our satisfaction and sign it, which he did as follows
<’s agreement> <see original Documents and make corrections if necessary> “I , a justice of the peace of , do hereby [HC 3:59] sertify to the people coled Mormin, that he is bound to suport the constitution of this State, and of the , and he is not attached to any Mob nor will not attach himself to any such people. And so long as they will not molest me, I will not molest them. This the 8th. day of august 1838. J.P.”
hoping he would abide his own decision and support the Law, we left him in peace and returned to ’s at . In the evening some of the Citizens from Mill Port called on us and we agreed to meet some of the principle men of the County in Council, at the next day at twelve noon.
<Camp> The Camp still continued their labors in , many were sick and evil Spirits were striving to trouble the brethren, Elders , Carter, Knights, Pettingil, Brown and Perry spent the evening in walking through the tents rebuking diseases and foul spirits and standing between the Saints and the destroyer. Brother Boynton’s child died, and many were healed.
<Thursday 9. Agreement for Peace at .> The Committee assembled at at twelve according to previous appointment viz, on the part of the Citizens , Senator elect, , Representative elect, Clerk of the Circuit Court, and others; on the part of the Saints, , , , and others. At this meeting both parties entered into a covenant of peace, to preserve each others rights, and stand in their defence; that if men should do wrong, neither party should uphold them or endeavor to screen them from justice [p. 813]