The Papers
Reference
About
History, 1838–1856, volume B-1 [1 September 1834–2 November 1838]
Source Note
Source Note
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
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.
Addenda
<Note A.> On the Sabbath previous to the 14th of February Brothers and came to my house after meeting and sung for me, when The Spirit of the Lord was poured out upon us, and I told them I wanted to see those brethren together who went up to Zion in the camp, the previous summer, for I had a blessing for them, and a meeting was called <notified> of which the following are the minutes. (564)
<Note B.> President Joseph Smith Jun. After making many remarks on the Subject of choosing the Twelve, wanted an expression from the brethren if they would be satisfied to have the Spirit of the Lord dictate in the choice of the Elders, to be apostles: Whereupon all the Elders present, expressed their anxious desire to have it so. (565)
<Note C.> and were absent on a Mission retur[n]ed to on the 25 of April & on the 26— and received their ordinations and blessings wh[i]ch are recorded in this place in connexion with their brethren (570)
[4 lines blank]
Note D (page 594) [14 words illegible]
<Note D.> = The following is the copy of a Letter from certain members of the Irvinite Church, so called, in England, presented to certain elders of the Church of Latter Day Saints, on the evening of the 10th. of June, 1835 by a gentleman named in the same at the time, calling himself a communicant and preacher of that church.
“To the saints of the Most High:— Dear brethren in the Lord— At a council of the pastors of our church, held March 28.th. 1835, upon the propriety of the Rev John Hewitt visiting you, it was resolved and approved that as he had an anxious to go to see the things that are spoken of in one of your papers, brought here by a merchant from , he should have, as he desired, the sanction of the Council, and if it pleased the Lord his approval, “The Lord hath seen our joy and gladness to hear that He was raising up a people for himself in that part of the New World, as well as here— O may our faith increase that he may have evangelists, Apostles and prophets filled with the power of the spirit, and performing his will in destroying the works of darkness.” The Rev. Mr. Hewitt, was professor of mathematics in Rother’m Independent Seminary, and four years pastor of Barnesly Independent church. He commenced preaching the doctrines we taught about two years since, and was excommunicated— many of his flock followed him, so that eventually he was installed in the same church, and the Lord’s work prospered. As he is a living epistle you will have, if all be well [p. 1 [addenda]]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
Thomas Bullock handwriting ends; Willard Richards begins.
Willard Richards handwriting ends.
Willmer Benson handwriting begins.
- [700]
Thomas Shaw, Barnsley, [England], LDS Messenger and Advocate, May 1836, 2:316–317
Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.