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> the same name, is administering in the same ordinances, just as though he fully believed that the doctrines and sacraments of hell would be sanctified and made holy and heavenly, when administered by the tongue and hands of an impostor. About the time that Mr. Matthews rejected the truth in Bedford, his Son (as Mr. Matthews called him) the Revd. Robert Aitken commenced his attack on the principles of righteousness in , and while furiously pounding his pulpit with the Book of Mormon, and warning his people to beware of the Latter Day Saints and their doctrines, saying that they and their record came from hell; called upon his people to use all their efforts to put down the work of God, or stop the progress of the [HC 4:318] Latter Day Saints; and if it could not be put down without, prayed that God would smite the leaders; and from that time to the present, his prayer has been answering on his own head. After Mr. Aitken had preached against the corruptions of the Church of England for years, and established many flourishing chapels, in , , , Burslem, , &c, &c. after he had been visited by the Elders of the Church of Latter Day Saints, and acknowledged to them at one time that baptism was right, but he could find no man who had an authority to baptize; and at another time, that he was afraid of them, and rejected their testimony; and last of all would not receive the Elders into his house; after all this, and deserted by a part of his flock, he has fled from the remainder because he was an hireling, and cared not for the sheep: yes he has deserted his “christiansociety”— ceased to be an Aitkenite, and dissolved his Copartnership with Father Matthews, as may well be supposed, returned, and taken “holy order” in mother church, against the corruptions of which he has testified so diligently from year to year, and is now about to enter on his parochial duties in St. John the Evangelist’s Church, Hope St., , for no other reason that the writer knows of, only that he could find no one who had authority to baptize for the remission of sins; and not possessing the faith of his father, Matthews, to believe that the doctrines of the pit would become holy and gospel doctrines, when taught by the tongue of wickedness and imposture; he has concluded thus publicly to acknowledge him<self> a servant of those very errors he has so long contended against, for the sake of filthy lucre. About the 12th. of September, Elder Goodson and returned to , and soon after sailed for . Some years previous, the principles of the Temperance Society, (originally established in ) were introduced into England, and was the first town to receive them. Among the many interesting and valuable items held forth by the temperance people, it was often remarked by them that temperance was the fore runner of the Gospel, which prophecy proved true; for when the fulness of the gospel came from to England, it was first preached in , and through the influence of the Temperance Society, the Latter day Saints procured the use of the Temperance Hall, in (a commodious building, originally erected for Cock fighting,) for their [p. 1178]