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 20 Letter of Joseph Smith in > neither are our Spirits altogether broken, [HC 3:291] at the grievous yoke which is put upon us. We know that God will have our oppressors in derision, that he will laugh at their calamity and mock when their fear cometh. Oh that we could be with you brethren and unbosom our feelings to you, we would tell, that we should have been liberated at the time was, on the writ of , had not our own lawyers interpreted the law contrary to what it reads, against us, which prevented us from introducing our evidence before the mock court, they have done us much harm from the begining, they have of late acknowledged that the law was misconstrued and tantalized our feelings with it, and have entirely forsaken us, and have forfeited their oaths and their bonds, and we have a come back on them for they are co-workers with the mob. As nigh as we can learn the public mind has been for a long time turning in our favor. And the majority is now friendly, and the lawyers can no longer browbeat us, by saying that this, or that, is a matter of public opinion, for public opinion is not willing to brook it, for it is begining to look with feelings of indignation against our oppressors, and to say that the Mormons were not in the fault in the least, we think that truth, honor, and virtue and innocence will eventually come out triumphant, we should have taken a Habeas Corpus before the High Judge and escaped the mob in a summary way, but unfortunately for us, the timber of the wall being very hard our augur handles gave out, and hindered us longer than we expected, we applied to a friend, and a very slight incautious act gave rise to some suspicions and before we could fully succeed, our plan was discovered, we had every thing in readiness but the last stone and we could have made our escape in one minute, and should have succeeded admirably had it not been for a little imprudence, or over anxiety on the part of our friend. The Sheriff and Jailor did not blame us for our attempt, it was a fine breach and cost the a round sum, but public opinion says that we ought to have been permitted to have made our escape, that then the disgrace would have been on us, but now it must come on the . that there cannot be any charge sustained against us, and that the conduct of the Mob, the murders committed at , and the exterminating order of the , and the one sided rascally proceedings of the Legislature has damned the State of to all Eternity, I would just name also that has proved himself as contemptible as any of them. We have tried for a long time to get our Lawyers to draw us some [HC 3:292] Petitions to the Supreme Judges of this , but they utterly refused, we have examined the law and drawn the petitions ourselves, and have obtained abundance of proof to counteract all the testimony that was against us, so that if the Supreme Judge, does not grant us our liberty he has got to act without cause, contrary to honor, evidence, law or justice sheerly to please the devil, but we hope better things, and trust before many days God will so order our case, that we shall be set at liberty and take up [p. 902]