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.
<October 12> brethren in the Eastern States, who have lands which they wish to dispose of, so that they may remove hither and secure to themselves an inheritance among the Saints, either in the Cities or farms in the vicinity, and are willing to have their lands in the East made over to Messrs and Co. towards the payment of the foregoing notes, communicatewith usimmediately, at this place,stating to us theextentand valueof their property. Then as soon as we shall have received communications concerning property, sufficient to cancel the obligations, and the necessary preliminaries are understood with Messrs. and Co, we will dispatch [HC 4:435] an Agent to , to complete the negociation, transfer your property, take up the notes and secure a deed; and those, whose property is thus transferred can have the value thereof here, in city lots, or lands in the vicinity; and thus your property will prove to you as good as money, inasmuch as you desire to emigrate, and you will no longer be obliged to tarry afar off, because that money is so scarce you cannot sell and get your pay. If there are those among you, to whom God has given in abundance, and they desire to appropriate some portion thereof for the benefit of his people; for the redemption of ; for a blessing to the widows of those who have been slain for the word of God, and been buried in a well, for a sustenance to their fatherless children, and provide for them a habitation, they cannot do it more effectually than by devoting a portion of their substance towards liquidating this claim. To those brethren who live so far distant that they cannot send in their loaded teams, and yet desire to assist in building the , we would say, gather yourselves together and bring of your substance, your silver, and gold, and apparel, and of your superabundance cast into the Treasury of the Lord, and see if he will not pour you out a blessing till there is not room enough to receive it. Brethren the blessings of the kingdom are for you, for the body of Christ, for all the members, and God will help those who will help themselves, and bless those who will bless each other, and do as they would be done unto. The gold and the Silver is the Lord’s; all the treasures of the earth, the flocks, and the herds of the fields. and the cattle of the thousand hills are his; if he were hungry would he crave thy food, or thirsty would he ask thy drink? Nay! he would only ask that which was his own, he would feast in his own flocks and quench his thirst at his own springs. This God, is the God of the Saints, he is your God, and he has made you stewards of all that has been committed to you, and will require his own with usury; and will you not be faithful in a little that you may be made rulers over many cities? Yes, you will, we know you will. The journeyings and gatherings, and buildings of the Saints are nothing new, and as they are expecting, looking and praying for the completion of the dispensation of the fullness of times, they must also expect that their progress will be onward, or they will be of no avail, for what is not of faith, is sin, and can you believe that God will hear your prayers, and bring you on your journey, gather you, and build your houses, and you not put forth your hand or make one exertion to help [p. 1237]