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.
<October 12> Oxfordshire, leaving the Oxford university a little upon our left, this University consists of twenty colleges endowed, five halls not endowed, <and> is considered the largest and most noted University in the world, we then took the railroad and travelled seventy miles, had a <splendid> view of — Windsor Castle as we passed along, we landed at the <terminus of the> Great Western Railway — — — — — at four oclock in the evening, from thence we took Coach and rode a few miles into the , we walked over London Bridge and called upon Mr. Allgood, 19. King Street Borough, Mrs. Allgood is Sister to Elder ’s Wife, she treated us kindly, gave us such refreshments as we needed and directed us to Lodgings in the neighborhood where we spent the night. After which we immediately commenced our researches through this great Metropolis, for the honest in heart and the meek of the earth; we first commenced by visiting the Ministers and Preachers of the various orders, and requested the privilege of delivering our Message unto the people in their Churches and Chapels, but of course you will not be astonished, when we inform you that they denied us this privilege and rejected our testimony. We next went to and fro’ through the City of from day to day endeavoring to get some door open whereby we could warn the people and search out the honest in heart, when on diligent search we found the whole city given to Covetousness (which is idolatry) priestcraft, tradition, superstition and all manner of abominations, wickedness and uncleanness and all doors closed against us, we did not hesitate to stand in the midst of the Streets, and Jonah like cry repentance unto the inhabitants of that mighty city— The Me[HC 4:221]tropolis of England— the pride and glory of Britain— the boast of the Gentiles and the largest commercial city in the world— containing <over> one million five hundred thousand souls who are ripening in iniquity and preparing for the wrath of God; and like the ox going to the slaughter, know not the day of their visitation— We shall long remember standing together in the midst of that people and bearing a message which will prove a savor of life unto life, or of death unto death, not only unto them, but unto all they, unto whom the sound of the Everlasting gospel shall come, even unto the whole — — world; and the judgment of the great day shall manifest the truth of it unto all nations— And it will ever — — — — — — — sweenten the memory of that eventful period of our lives, to know that our labors on that occasion, were not in vain; but we were enabled through the great mercy of God, toil, labor, diligent search and perserverance, to find some of the blood of Ephraim, a few honest souls who were willing to receive and obey the gospel, and that we were enabled to lay the foundation of a work in the City of , which will not be removed until the City is warned, so that they will be left without excuse, and the Saints gathered out to stand in holy places, while judgment works: until that time, the seed which we have sown there, will bring forth fruit, and the fruit will redound to the honor and glory of God. We have baptized 11 only in the city of , but through faith and the mercy of God, we ’ere long expect a harvest of souls in that place; but we are willing to acknowledge, that in our travels, either in or Europe, we have never before found a people, from whose minds we have had to remove a greater multiplicity of objections, or combination of obstacles, in order to excite an interest in the subject, and prepare the heart for the reception of the word of God, than in the city of , while conversing with the common people, concerning the gospel, we found their highest attainments [p. 1111]