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.
might be highly excited, and yet, within, have the Spirit of <September 19. council. Decisions of the Presidents> God or of satan; but it came by his own spirit or judgment therefore some things may be of God, others of satan, man, and others from the adversary; and had in his sermon some of the spirit of God, but in his last remarks he had it not, but his own spirit of self justification and Pride, commanding in the name of Jesus, and not by the Spirit of Jesus, or of meekness, and was very wrong in this thing. Also in exalting the committee above the brethren, as if they might not be touched by the brethren. And again when was healed, it came in answer to his earnest prayers before God, but his impressions about being made an example to the church were not an answer to prayer, and might be wrong. [HC 2:279]
<> President gave his decision that did err with his lips in speaking; And also erred in understanding the presidents who labored with him for it, and misinterpreted their admonitions, which led him into what has followed, and finally has brought him before this council.
<> Presedent said that according to the testimony it is plain that has lacked in humility. and also in confidence in his brethren, and erred as expressed by .
<Joseph Smith.> President Joseph Smith then arose and said that the decision of his mind was. that brother erred in judgment, in not understanding what the brethren desired of him, when they labored with him; and he erred in Spirit when he taught in the church, the things testified of here: And that the hand of the destroyer was laid upon him because he had a rebellious spirit from the beginning, and the word of the Lord had has been spoken by my mouth, that it should come upon him, and this council should see it, and now that he has been seized by the destroyer comes in fulfillment of his (the Lord’s) word, and God required him to bear testimony of it before the church, and warn them to be careful and not do as he had done. But instead of doing this he said he would prove the Book of Mormon, and one thing or another, not being sufficiently humble to deliver just the message that was required, and so he stumbled and could not get the spirit, and the brethren were not edified, and he did not do the thing that God required, but erred in choosing words to communicate his thoughts; such as commanding the prayers of the church instead of Soliciting them; and also of making himself an example for the church, when it was only the things which he suffered, which were to be as a check upon transgressors. His rebelling against the advice and council of the presidents was the cause of his falling into the hands of the destroyer again, as he had done before, when he rebelled against the council that was given him by the authorities [p. 618]