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 15> it, yea the fruit of the tree, yielding seed to them we will give it, it shall be for their meat; and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth; behold we will give them life, and also we will give to them every green herb for meat, and all these things shall be thus organized. And the Gods said we will do every thing that we have said, and organize them; and behold, they shall be very obedient. And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning, they called night; and it came to pass that it was from morning until evening, they called day, and they numbered the sixth time.
30. And thus we will finish the heavens and the earth, and all the hosts of them. And the Gods said among themselves, on the seventh time, we will end our work, which we have counselled; and we will rest on the seventh time, from all our work which we have counselled. And the Gods concluded upon the seventh time, because, that on the seventh time they would rest from all their works, which they, the Gods, counselled among themselves to form, and sanctified it. And thus were their decisions, at the time that they counselled among themselves to form the heavens and the earth. And the Gods came down and formed these, the generations of the heavens, and of the earth, when they were formed, in the day that the Gods formed the earth and the heavens, according to all that which they had said, concerning every plant of the field, before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field, before it grew; for the Gods had not caused it to rain upon the earth, when they counselled to do them; and had not formed a man to till the ground; but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the Gods formed man from the dust of the ground, and took his spirit, that is the man’s spirit, and put it into him, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.
31. And the Gods planted a garden, eastward in Eden, and there they put the man, whose spirit they had put into the body, which they had formed. And out of the Ground made the Gods to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food: the tree of life, also, in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good [HC 4:533] and evil. There was a river running out of Eden, to water the garden, and from thence it was parted and became into four heads. And the Gods took the Man and put him in the garden of Eden, to dress it, and to keep it: and the Gods commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the Garden, thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the time that thou eatest thereof, thou shall surely die. Now I, Abraham, saw that it was after the Lord’s time, which was after the time of Kolob; for as yet, the Gods had not appointed unto Adam his reckoning.
32. And the Gods said, Let us make an help meet for the man, for it is not good that the Man should be alone, therefore we will form an help meet for him. And the Gods caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and he slept, and they took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in the stead thereof, and the rib which the Gods had taken from man, formed they a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said this was bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh, now she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man; therefore shall a man leave his Father and his Mother, and shall cleave unto his Wife, and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. And out of the ground the Gods formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought unto Adam to see what he would call them; and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that should be the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, to the fowl of the air, to every beast of the field; and for Adam there was found an help meet for him.” [HC 4:534] [p. 1294]