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 19> your brethren, who have been pure in heart, and have been slain in the land of , saith the Lord. 17 And again, verily I say unto you I command you again to build a to my name, even in this place that you may prove yourselves unto me, that ye are faithful in all things, whatsoever I command you, that I may bless you, and crown you with honor, immortality, and eternal life. 18 And now, I say unto you, as pertaining to my , which I have commanded you to build, for the boarding of strangers, let it be built unto my name, and let my name be named upon it, and let my servant Joseph and his house have place therein, from generation to generation: for this anointing have I put upon his head, that his blessing shall also be put upon the head of his posterity after him; and as I said unto Abraham, concerning the kindreds of the earth; even so I say unto my servant Joseph, in thee, and in thy seed, shall the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Therefore, let my servant Joseph and his seed after him have place in that , from generation to generation, for ever and ever, saith the Lord, and let the name of that house be called the ; and let it be a delightful habitation for man, and a resting place for the weary traveller, that he may contemplate the glory of , and the glory of this Corner Stone thereof; that he may receive, also, the counsel from those whom I have set to be as plants of renown, and as watchmen upon her walls. 19. Behold! verily I say unto you, let my servant , and my servant , and my servant , and my servant , organize themselves, and appoint one of them to be a president over their quorum for the purpose of building that . And they shall form a constitution whereby they may receive stock for the building of that . And they shall not receive less than fifty dollars for a share of stock in that , and they shall be permitted to receive fifteen thousand dollars from any one man for stock in that ; [HC 4:279] but they shall not be permitted to receive over fifteen thousand dollars stock from any one man; and they shall not be permitted to receive under fifty dollars for a share from any one man in that ; and they shall not be permitted to receive any man as a stock holder in this , except the same shall pay his stock into their hands, at the time he receives stock; and in proportion to the amount of stock he pays into their hands, he shall receive stock in that ; but if he pay nothing into their hands, he shall not receive any stock in that . And if any pay stock into their hands, it shall be for stock in that , for himself, and for his generation after him, from generation to generation, so long as he and his heirs shall hold that stock, and do not sell or convey the stock away out of their hands by their own free will and act: if you will do my will, saith the Lord your God. 20. And again, verily I say unto you, if my servant , and my servant , and my servant , and my servant , receive any stock into their hands, in monies or in properties wherein they receive the real value of monies, they shall not appropriate any portion of that stock to any other purpose, only in that ; and if they do appropriate [p. 1153]