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.
committee, for in so doing, if they did not fellowship him, they must <September 19.> pray for his removal, an[d] so all his designs would be frustrated. Several others were called upon, and all testified that these things, which have been expressed above, were true, and as they understood them. And one thing further did say, that even the faults of the committee might be charged back upon the brethren, if they neglected to pray for them.
After hearing the testimony the six counsellors spoke, and the <Counsellor's pleas .> sum of their conviction upon the matter was as follows (viz) Counsellor said he thought that did not express the feelings of heart so as to be understood, and perhaps <> his heart was not so hard as his word . Father said that was exalted, and did not recieve the admonitions of the presidents, and in consequence lost the true spirit, and so has erred since the time of his discourse, and <.> needs admonishing. Counsellor agreed with the <.> above. Counsellor said that had a small degree of [HC 2:278] the spirit in his discourse and a greater degree in his remarks afterwards, but was awkward in expressing his views, not having much of the Spirit, and that the feelings of his heart were not as expressed by his words. An appeal was <Appeal to the Court.> made to the court, whether this counsellor was correct in appealing to the feelings of mens hearts, and not to the words <Decision of Court.> and actions, as they appeared. The court decided that the council must be confined to facts, words, and actions; and not go into feelings and designs which were not expressed.
The other counsellors concurred in the above. Counsellor <.> said that had been blessed of God, and by the prayer of faith the sick had been healed, under his administration, yet he doth not always have the gift of God and wisdom to direct, so in the case before the court. Pride had engendered in his heart a desire to excell, and the spirit of meekness was withdrawn, and he left to err, as has been shown by the testimony, because he is not yet perfect. But he erred in understanding and his words were wrong, yet the spirit of his heart, or the integrity of the same, might be good in the main.
<> then arose and said that he was willing to acknowledge his faults, and that he lacked wisdom. He went on to explain how he had erred, and why; being seized with the cholera while at the East, he called upon God for deliverance, and finally received the Spirit of God which healed him, and he then thought it was the same spirit which he had when preaching in . When he was <> through president arose and said that presidents and had requested him to speak, and they would say nothing as it was getting late, and the case was already plain before the court. He showed that a man [p. 617]