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.
<January 15> liberally to our necessities, as the Citizens of en masse, and the people of , generally, seemed to emulate each other in this labor of love. We would, however, make honorable mention of , , General Leech, , Revd. Mr. Young, Col. Henry N. Bushnell, John Wood, J. N. Morris, , Samuel Holmes, and , Esquires, who will long be remembered by a grateful community for their philanthropy to a suffering people, and whose kindness on that occasion is indelibly engraven on that tablet of our hearts, in golden letters of love. We would, likewise, make mention of the Legislature of this , who, without respect of parties, without reluctance, freely, openly, boldly and nobly, have come forth to our assistance, owned us as citizens and friends, and took us by the hand, and extended to us all the blessings [HC 4:267] of civil, political, and religious liberty, by granting us, under date of Decr. 16. 1840, one of the most liberal charters, with the most plenary powers, ever conferred by a legislative assembly on free citizens, for “The City of ,” The “Nauvoo Legion” and the “University of the City of Nauvoo,” The first of these Charters, (that for the “City of ,”) secures to us in all time to come, irrevocably all those great blessings of civil liberty, which of right appertain to all the free Citizens of a great civilized republic— ’tis all we ever claimed. What a contrast does the proceedings of the legislature of this present, when compared with those of , whose bigotry, jealousy, and superstition, prevailed to such an extent, as to deny us our liberty and our sacred rights— has set a glorious example, to the whole and to the world at large, and has nobly carried out the principles of her Constitution, and the constitution of these , and while she requires of us implicit obedience to the laws, (which we hope ever to see observed) she affords us the protection of law— the security of life, liberty, and the peaceable pursuit of happiness. The name of our City () is of Hebrew origin, and signifies a beautiful situation, or place, carrying with it, also, the idea of rest; and is truly descriptive of this most delightful situation. It is situated on the Eastern bank of the , at the head of the Des Moines Rapids in ; bounded on the east by an extensive prairie of surpassing beauty, and on the north, west and south, by the . This place has been objected to by some, on account of the sickness which has prevailed in the summer months, but it is the opinion of , aphysicianofgreatexperienceandmedicalknowledge, that , and all the Eastern and Southern portions of the City of , are as healthy as any other portions of the western country, (or the world to acclimated citizens) whilst the north western portion of the has experienced much affliction from fever and ague, which, however, he thinks can be easily remedied by draining the sloughs on the adjacent islands in the . The population of our city is increasing with unparalleled rapidity, numbering more than three thousand inhabitants. Every facility is afforded in the and adjacent Country in , for the successful prosecution of the mechanical arts, and the pleasing pursuits of agriculture. The waters of the can be successfully used for manufacturing purposes, to an almost unlimited extent. Having been instrumental in the hands of [p. 1144]