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 21> Summer and fall of 1833, when the Inhabitants began to [HC 4:71] threaten us with destruction. I was at work in my field, and a man by the name of Allen and others with him, came along and cried out you are at work as though you was determined to stay here, but we are determined that you shall leave the immediately— I replied that I was a free born Citizen of the , and had done harm to no man. I therefore claim protection by the law of the land, and that the law and constitution of the Land would not suffer them to commit so horrid a crime, they then replied, that the old law and constitution is worn out, and we are about to make a new one. I was at a meeting where we had met for prayer, and a man by the name of Masters came and desired an interview with us, he then stated that he was sent by the mob to inform us, that if we would forsake our Mormon and Prophet religion, and become of their religion, they the Mob, would be our Brothers and would fight for us, but if you will not, we are ready and will drive you from the . a few days after this, a large mob came to my house commanded by General — — — , and Lewis Franklin, and broke down my door, and burst into my house, armed with guns, clubs and knives, some of them were painted red and black, this was in the night and my family was much frightened, they threatened me with immediate death if I did not leave the place, after much abuse they left us for the night, but in a few days after they returned and drove me and my family into the Street, not suffering us to take any thing with us, I saw that we must go or die; we went South to Van Buren County in company with Eighty or Ninety others, in a short time after I returned to my farm and found my house plundered, my Grain and Crop, Stock, and all my farm and farming tools laid waste and destroyed, and shortly after my house was burned to ashes. I called on of and enquired of him if he could inform me what all this mobbing and riot meant, informing him of the destruction and plundering of my house, to which he gave me no satisfaction, but insulted me and treated me roughly. lived in the , and I have seen him passing through among us in our great distress and gave no attention to our distresses, he was then Lieutenant Governor of the ; on my return to my family in Van Buren County I was much abused by a man, by the name of Brady, he said he would kill me if I ever attempted to go to my farm, or if he saw me passing that way again. I returned to my family, and in a few days after, a company of men came where we lived, and said they would spill my blood if I did not leave the place immediately, the leaders of this Company were John Cornet, Thomas Langley and Hezekiah Warden, they lived in , [HC 4:72] this was in the cold winter and our sufferings were great— I fled across the to , where I lived three years in which time I often heard Judge Cameron and others say, that you Mormons cannot get your rights in any of the Courts of the Upper Country, and I had not [p. 1037]