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.
<March 17> that she would had she been otherwise situated— my boy was buried by the Mob— my wife not being able to pay the last respects to her child. I went from my home into and applied to and for advice as they were acting Officers in the State of , and there were men called out to go and liberate my family which I had been absent from some ten or fifteen days and on my return I found the remainder of my family confined to their beds, not being able, the one to assist the other and my house guarded by an armed force, I was compelled to remove my family in this situation on a bed to a place of safety, this together with all the trouble, and for the want of care was the cause of the death of the Residue of my family as I have no doubt which consisted of a Wife and two more children as they died in a few days after their arrival at my friends, such was my situation that I was obliged to assist in making their Coffins— I will give the names of some of the men that have drove me from my house and abused my family, those that I found at my house on my return Samuel Low, Calvin Hatfield, Stanley Hatfield, Andy Hatfield, and those that were leading men were James Wellden, Doctor William P. Thompson a Justice of the Peace, and William Cochran and many others the names I do not recollect, [HC 4:66] and I have also seen men abused in various ways, and that whilst they were considered Prisoners, such as the Mob cocking their Guns and swearing that they would shoot with their guns to their face, and the Officers of the Militia so called, standing by, without uttering a word, and in these Councils they have said if a Missourian should kill a Mormon, he should draw a pension, same as a Soldier of the Revolution— I was also compelled to give up my Gun, and the terms were, I was to leave the aforesaid State of , or be exterminated, my property is yet remaining in said , whilst I am deprived of the control of the same. Written this 17th. day of March 1840. ” Sworn to, before J.P. , Iowa Territory—
“I of the Town of and State of Illinois do hereby certify that in the year — — 1836 when moving to the State of with my family and others, <we> were met in in said State by a Mob of 114 armed men, who commanded us not to proceed any further, but to return, or they would take our lives, and the Leader stepped forward at the same time, and cocked his piece, we turned round with our team and the Mob followed us about six miles and left us, some time after this I moved to in said and purchased about two hundred acres of Land, and a village Lot on which I erected a dwellinghouse, staked, and commenced improving my land and had at the time I was drove away about forty acres of Corn, Vegetables &c and in the year 1838 in the month of November was compelled to leave my home and possessions in consequence of ’s Exterminating Order, without means sufficient to bear my expence out of the . Given under my hand at Illinois 17th. March [p. 1033]