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.
<December 13> and others, from time to time, till the Spring or Summer of 1841 when articles of Agreement were entered into between Esqre., Witter, and others, owners of the School Section; and the First Presidency; giving the Saints the privilege of settling on the school section, which had been surveyed and laid out in town lots, and called , on certain conditions; and went to on the 8th. of September, and spent several weeks to prepare for the reception of Emigrants; in the mean time the Inhabitants of , attempted to form an Anti-mormon Society, and were much enraged because that Esquire Davis, (who had spoken favorably of the Saints) was appointed Clerk of the County by Judge — In November two hundred <and four> Saints arrived at , from England, led by , and were visited on the 24th. of November by and of the Quorum of the Twelve, and counselled to tarry at according to the instruction of the First Presidency. December 13th. presiding Elder at stated to the Presidency at , that Mr. Witter had risen one dollar per barrel on flour, and sold the sweepings of his Mill to the Saints at $2.25 per hundred; and that Witter and had forbid<den> the brethren the privilege of getting the old wood on the School Section, which they had full liberty to get; that the price of wood on the wharf had fallen twenty five cents per Cord, since the arrival of the Saints; that the Citizens had risen <raised> on their rents &c. and the First Presidency decided that the Saints should remove from [HC 4:471] , to immediately, and that the proceedings at be published in the Times and Seasons.
This morning delivered the Message I gave him on Saturday evening to and <>, <the> Committee, in presence of Elders , , and —
by letter instructed the Saints at to remove to .
<*> “Baptism for the Dead. An Epistle of the Twelve <Apostles> to the Saints of the last days. The building of the , in the City of , is occupying the first place in the exertions and prayers of many of the Saints at the present time, knowing as they do, that if this building is not completed, speedily, “we shall berejected as a Churchwith our dead,” for the Lord our God hath spoken it; but while many are thus engaged in laboring, and watching and praying for this all important object, there are many, very many more, who do not thus come up to their privilege and their duty in this thing, and in many instances we are confident that their neglect arises from a want of proper understanding of the principles upon which this building is founded, and by which it must be completed. The children of Israel were commanded to build a house in the land of promise; and so are the Saints of the last days, as you will see in the Revelation given to Joseph the Seer, January 19. 1841 wherein those ordinances may be revealed which have been hid for ages, even their anointings and washings and baptismsfor the dead; wherein they may meet in solemn assemblies for their memorials, sacrifices, and oracles in their most holy places; and wherein they may receive conversations and statutes, and judgments for the beginning of the revelations and foundations of — [p. 1261]