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.
<September 19. > proceeded to speak largely, and explain his design in teaching as he did, saying he beleived that God directed him by his spirits, and afterwards being rebuked by Presedents, , and , he called upon the Lord, and recived again a witness of the truth Spirit that he was right, and the Presidints were wrong. taught in his concluding remarks that God had shown him by laying his hand upon him in judgment and delivering him therefrom; that he was thus rebuked by heaven for his iniquity, and that he was made an example to the whole church, and God would curse them if they did not hold up the committee; for he was made an example in this thing.
<> arose and said that he attended the meeting, in which spoke, and was certain, and is certain that he did not have the spirit of wisdom to direct; and after he had sat down, and elder had occupied some half an hour, filled with the Spirit, he arose again and said, that if any man spoke against the Committee, god would curse him, and set the committee away up from the common brethren, and said that God would take care of the committee, and the brethren had nothing to do with them, for their [HC 2:277] station was appointed them of God, and not of man; therefore, God will curse any man or woman in the Church, who shall speak evil of the committee. That he told at the time, in private, that he did wrong; and in company with other of the presidents advised him, after he should fill a certain mission to the east, that he should make a confession to the Church, in order to satisfy many of the brethren, who were aggrieved with him,
<.> then arose and said that had truly related the matter as far as he had gone, but one thing more. commanded the brethren to pray for the Committee, and demanded it in the name of the Lord, with an authoritative voice and gesticulation, which are not according to the meekness of the Spirit of Jesus. President arose and said, I do not intend to occupy much time in speaking, for those who have spoken, have expressed pretty much my mind and feelings on the subject: that in the advice and talk which he and the other two presidents had given and had, with , they did have the Spirit of meekness, and only desired to do him good, and had no personal feelings, and did not express any, but to the contrary.
<> President concurred in the statements of the above and said that he did not beleive that God had made an example of , for he was not before the church as such, and God hath not so revealed it to the saints. And again, that should command the Saints to pray for the [p. 616]
TEXT: There is a mark here resembling a single quote mark, which corresponds to a similar mark in the margin, possibly indicating that this should be a new paragraph.