JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. C-1, created 24 Feb. 1845–3 July 1845; handwriting of , , Jonathan Grimshaw, and ; 512 pages, plus 24 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the third volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This third volume covers the period from 2 Nov. 1838 to 31 July 1842; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, D-1, E-1 and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction
This document, “History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842],” is the third of six volumes of the “Manuscript History of the Church” (in The Joseph Smith Papers the “Manuscript History” bears the editorial title “History, 1838–1856”). The completed six-volume collection covers the period from 23 December 1805 to 8 August 1844. The narrative in this volume commences on 2 November 1838 with JS and other church leaders being held prisoner by the “’s forces” at , Missouri, and concludes with the death of Bishop at , Illinois, on 31 July 1842. For a more complete discussion of the entire six-volume work, see the general introduction to this history.
Volume C-1 was created beginning on or just after 24 February 1845 and its narrative was completed by 3 May 1845, although some additional work continued on the volume through 3 July of that year (Richards, Journal, 24 and 28 Feb. 1845; Historian’s Office, Journal, 3 May 1845; 3 and 4 July 1845). It is in the handwriting of and contains 512 pages of primary text, plus 24 pages of addenda. Additional addenda for this volume were created at a later date as a supplementary document and appear in this collection as “History, 1838-1856, volume C-1 Addenda.” Compilers and Thomas Bullock drew heavily from JS’s letters, discourses, and diary entries; meeting minutes; church and other periodicals and journals; and reminiscences, recollections, and letters of church members and other contacts. At JS’s behest, Richards maintained the first-person, chronological-narrative format established in previous volumes, as if JS were the author. , , , and others reviewed and modified the manuscript prior to its eventual publication in the Salt Lake City newspaper Deseret News.
The historical narrative recorded in volume C-1 continued the account of JS’s life as prophet and president of the church. Critical events occurring within the forty-five-month period covered by this text include the Mormon War; subsequent legal trials of church leaders; expulsion of the Saints from Missouri; missionary efforts in by the and others; attempts by JS to obtain federal redress for the Missouri depredations; publication of the LDS Millennial Star in England; the migration of English converts to ; missionary efforts in other nations; the death of church patriarch ; the establishment of the city charter; the commencement of construction of the Nauvoo ; the expedition that facilitated temple construction; the introduction of the doctrine of proxy baptism for deceased persons; the dedicatory prayer by on the Mount of Olives in Palestine; publication of the “Book of Abraham” in the Nauvoo Times and Seasons; publication of the JS history often referred to as the “Wentworth letter;” the organization of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo; and the inception of Nauvoo-era temple endowment ceremonies.
<November 28 Petition to Congress> themselves, and that an armed force was collecting to come and take them. Your Memorialists aver that the Sheriff had never made any efforts to serve the Writ, and that the said Smith and White <> so far from making any resistance, did not know that such a writ had been issued, until they learned it first by report as above related. In the mean time the rumor had run over the whole Country that the Mormons were compelling individuals to sign certain Instruments in writing & that they were resisting the process of the Law, The public mind became much inflamed and the mob began to collect from all quarters and in large numbers with pretensions of assisting the Sheriff to serve the process And here let it be observed in passing, that had sold the improvement and pre-emption claim on which he then resided to the Mormons, received his pay for the same, and that through his instrumentality the Mormons were driven off, and now retains both their money, and the improvement. As soon as the above reports, reached the ears of the said Smith and , they determined immediately upon the course they ought to pursue, which was to submit to the laws. They both surrendered themselves up to , underwent a trial, and in the absence of all sufficient testimony they were discharged. They hoped that this voluntary submission of theirs to the law, and their triumphant vindication of the charge, would allay the excitement of the community. But not so— The long desired opportunity had arrived when the oppression and extermination of the Mormons, might be made to assume the form of legal proceeding, The Mob that had assembled for the pretended purpose of assisting the officers in the of process, did not disperse upon the acquittal of Smith and White <>, but continued embodied, with the encampments and forms of a military force, and committing depredations upon Mormon property. The Mormons in this extremity [HC 4:30] called upon the laws of the land, and the officers of the law for protection, after much delay, the Militia under Generals , and were sent to their relief. They arrived on the 13th. of September, and encamped between the Mormons and the Mob. The above officers made no attempt to disperse the Mob, excusing themselves by saying, that their “own men had sympathies with the Mob.” After remaining there for several days, those officers adopted the following expedient of settling the difficulties. They mustered the Mob, and enrolled them with their own troops, and then disbanded the whole, with orders to seek their several homes. The officers went home excepting who remained for their protection with his men. The Mormons made an Agreement with the Citizens of , to buy out their lands and pre-emption rights and appointed a Committee to make the purchase, and to go on buying till they had purchased to the amount of twenty five thousand dollars. While these purchases were going on, the Citizens were heard to say, that as soon as they had sold out to the Mormons and received their pay, they would drive the Mormons off, and keep both their lands and the money. The Mob when disbanded in by the Generals as aforesaid, instead of repairing to their homes as commanded, proceeded in a body to the adjoining County of Carrol and encamped around , a village [p. 980]