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.
Vivativeness— 4 M or S. indifference to life; views the approach of death without fear. Feelings, Cautiousness— 7 F provision against prospective dangers and ills, without hesitation or irresolution.
Approbativeness— 10 L ambition for distinction; sense of character; sensibility to reproach; fear of scandal.
Self-esteem— 10 L high mindedness, independence, self confidence, dignity; aspiration for greatness.
Concentrativeness— 7 F can dwell on a subject without fatigue, and control the imagination.
Sentiments— Benevolence— 10 L kindness, goodness, tenderness, Sympathy.
Veneration— 6 F religion without great awe or enthusiasm; reasonable deference to superiority.
Firmness— 10 L Stability and decision of character and purpose.
Conscientiousness— 8 L high regard for duty, integrity, moral principle, justice, obligation, truth. &c.
Hope— 10 L Cheerfulness; sanguine expectation of success and enjoyment. [HC 5:53]
Marvelousness— 10 L wonder; credulity, belief in the supernatural.
Imitation— 5 M inferior imitative powers; failure to copy, describe, relate stories, &c.
Prepossession— 8 L or F attached to certain notions; not disposed to change them &c.
Ideality— 9 L lively imagination; fancy taste; love of poetry, elegance, eloquence, excellence &c.
Perceptives. Admonition 8 F, or M desirous to know what others are doing; ready to counsel, and give hints of a fault of duty, &c.
Constructiveness— 7 F respectable ingenuity without uncommon skill, tact or facility in making, &c.
Tune— 5 F or M love of Music, without quickness to catch or learn tunes by ear.
Time— 11 VL or L distinct impressions as to the time when, how long, &c.
Locality— 11 VL or L great memory of places and position.
Eventuality— 11 VL extraordinary recollection of minute circumstances.
Individuality— 10 L great desire to see; power of observation.
Form— 10. F cognizance, and distinct recollection of shapes; countenances, &c.
Size— 11. VL, L or F ability to judge of proportionate size. &c.
Weight— 9 VL, or L or F knowledge of gravitation, momentum &c
Color— 9 F or M moderate skill in judging of colors, comparing and arranging them.
Language— 6 F freedom of expression, without fluency or verbosity; no great loquacity.
Order— 9 L love of arrangement; every thing in its particular place.
Number— 7 respectable aptness in arithmetical calculations, without extraordinary talent.
Reflectives Mirthfulness— 10 L wit, fun, mirth; perception and love of the ludicrous.
Causality— 9 L ability to think and reason clearly, and perceive the relations of cause and effect.
Comparison— 11 VL extraordinary critical acumen; great power of analysis.
There are four Temperaments. The Lymphatic, or Phlegmatic, in which the secreting glands are the most active portion of the system, [HC 5:54] produces both corporeal and mental languor, dullness, and inactivity. The Sanguine, in which the arterial portion of the system is most active, gives strong feelings and passions, and more ardor, zeal, and activity, than of strength or power. The bilious, in which the muscular portion predominates in activity, produces strength, power and endurance of body, with great force and energy of mind and character. The nervous, in which the brain and nervoussystem are most active, gives the highest degree of activity, with clearness of perception and of thought but less endurance. Sharp and prominent organs denote activity; smooth and broad ones, intensity and strength. Explanation of the Chart The written figures opposite the organs and ranging in a scale from 1 to 12, indicate the various degrees in which the respective organs are developed in the head of the individual examined: thus 1.2. indicate that the organ is very small or almost wholly wanting: 3, 4, means small, or feeble, and inactive; 5, 6, moderate or active only in a subordinate degree, 7. 8 full or fair, and a little above par; 9. 10. large or quite energetic, and having a marked influence upon the character: 11, 12, mean very large or giving a controlling influence, and extreme liability to perversion. The size of the brain, combinations of the faculties and Temperament of the individual, may be indicated in the same manner as the degrees of the faculties or organs.
The initials VL denote very large; L large; F full, M. moderate; S small; V.S. very small. [p. 1353]