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 24> lodgings. He had previously been apprized of the coming forth of this work in , through the medium of letters from his relatives and others, and had requested his Church to pray that God would send them his servants, and exhorted his people to receive their message when they should come. Sunday 23rd. as they had no place in which to preach, the seven brethren went to Vauxhall Chapel, to hear the Revd. Mr. Fielding, and at the close of the moring service, Mr. Fielding gave public notice, that an Elder of the Latter Day Saints would preach in the afternoon in his pulpit. This was voluntary with Mr. Fielding, as no one had requested the privilege— and in the afternoon according to the notice, gave a brief history of the rise of the Church, and the first principles of the gospel, and bore testimony; after which the Revd. Mr. Fielding requested the brethren to give out an appointment for the evening, when Elder Goodson preached, and Brother bore testimony. At the close, Mr. Fielding again gave leave for preaching at the same place on Wednesday evening, when preached and bore testimony; and from that time the Revd. Mr. Fielding closed his doors against the Elders, and began to oppose the work, and stated that the Elders promised to say nothing about baptism in their preaching, before he consented to let them preach in his pulpit; whereas the subject of the elders preaching in his Chapel had not been named between the parties, before Mr. F. gave out the Public appointment before referred to; much less (if possible) that they would “say nothing about baptism.”
Nine of Mr. Fielding’s members offered themselves for baptism; and Mr. Fielding presented himself before the Elders and forbid their baptizing them, but he received for answer, that they were “of age and could act for themselves,” and on Sunday the 30th., they were baptized under the hands of ; brother being the first who offered himself for baptism in England, and is now an Elder laboring in Edinburgh Scotland. Elder Russell preached in the Market Place in the afternoon, and from that day the doors of private houses were open on almost every hand for the Elders. July 31st. a Council of the Elders decided that Elders Goodson and should go on a mission to Bedford, and Elder Russell and on a Mission to Alston, Cumberland; and after a night [HC 4:315] of prayer praise, and thanksgiving, the brethren took their departure on the morning of the first of August for their several stations. The Revd. Mr. Fielding continued to oppose the doctrine of baptism for a season, but finding that he was likely to lose all his “best members”, he offered to baptize them himself, but they being aware that he had no authority, declined his friendly offers; whereupon he engaged the Revd. Mr. Giles, a Baptist minister in , of as little authority as himself, to do the baptizing for his flock— but this iniquitous scheme succeeded little better than the other, only one coming forward to his baptism, so far as we have heard. Mr. Fielding’s people also stated that he acted the part of a hypocrite and deceived them, when he read the letters to them in public, which he received from , by keeping back that part which treated on baptism, which since the foregoing failure he has opposed. Elders and [p. 1175]