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> Chapel, and commenced meeting therein on the third of September 1837, and continued until they were ejected through the influence of others, the Temperance Society not having it entirely at their control. Similar favors have been received from several other Temperance Societies in England, for which, the Lord reward them. continued to labor against much opposition in Bed[HC 4:319]ford, and the region round about, until the seventh of March 1838, when he returned to , leaving about forty members in charge of Elder James Lavender. Elder Russell continued to labor at Alston, Brampton &c and returned to near the same time, leaving about sixty members in the care of Elder Jacob Peart. At Christmas 1837 was ordained Elder, and several were ordained teachers &c at ; and in March 1838 the Church had extended from to Penwortham, Longton, Southport, Eccleston, Whittle, Hunters Hill, Chorley, and the intermediate region, through the labors of Elders , , and , and the members amounted to several hundreds in the regions of and Clithero. During this month, Elders and were diligently engaged in organizing the different branches, and on the first of April a general Conference was called at , when the organization of the Churches was completed, and many were ordained; among whom were Elders , , and , to the High Priesthood, and set apart by Elders and , to preside over all the Churches in England. On the 9th. Elders , and Russell, took leave of the Saints in , and went to , where they were visited by Elders , , and others, and on the 20th. of April, sailed for , on board the “Garrick,” the same ship they came out on to England. When Elders and had returned to Longton, they found a pamphlet purporting to be <written> by the Revd. Richard Livesey, a Methodist Minister, who had spent some time on a Mission to the , as he says, and having nothing more important to attend to during his mission, it appears that he spent his time in gathering up a heap of lies and filth from the American papers, and imported them to England on his return; and finding that the work of God had commenced in his native land, and was likely to destroy his craft, set himself at work to condense his heterogeneous mass of transatlantic lies, and from the wonderful production of the Revd. Richard Livesey’s tract against the Latter Day Saints, it being the first thing of the kind that the enemy of all righteousness had found means to export from , and circulate in England; but since which he has found servants in abundance, to assist in this nefarious merchandize of his heart’s delight. The Church at this time, was in its infancy, and needed much instruction, which necessarily occupied the attention of the presiding elders to a great extent, and as there were few laborers in the field, the spread of the work was not very rapid for some time. [HC 4:320] Sister Alice Hodgin died at on the second of September 1838, and [p. 1179]