JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. D-1, created 4 July 1845–4 Feb. 1846 and 1 July 1854–2 May 1855; handwriting of , Robert L. Campbell, and ; 275 pages, plus 6 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the fourth volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This fourth volume covers the period from 1 Aug. 1842 to 1 July 1843; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, C-1, E-1 and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction
History, 1838–1856, volume D-1, constitutes the fourth of six volumes documenting the life of Joseph Smith and the early years of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The series is also known as the Manuscript History of the Church and was originally published serially from 1842 to 1846 and 1851 to 1858 as the “History of Joseph Smith” in the Times and Seasons and Deseret News. This volume contains JS’s history from 1 August 1842 to 1 July 1843, and it was compiled after JS’s death.
The material recorded in volume D-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , with the assistance of . After Richards’s death in 1854, continued work on the volume as the new church historian with Bullock’s continued help. The process adopted by Richards and Bullock involved Richards creating a set of rough draft notes and Bullock transcribing the notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents (such as letters and meeting minutes). George A. Smith followed a similar pattern, though he dictated the draft notes to Bullock and other scribes.
According to the Church Historian’s Office journal, finished the third volume of the series, volume C-1, on Thursday, 3 July 1845, in , Illinois. He began work on the fourth volume, D-1, the next day, beginning on page 1362 with the entry for 1 August 1842. (The pages in volumes A-1–E-1 were numbered consecutively.) Bullock continued work on the record, drawing upon ’s draft notes, until 3 February 1846—the day before D-1 and the other volumes were packed up in preparation for the Latter-day Saints’ exodus from Nauvoo. At that point he had reached page 1485 with the entry for 28 February 1843. Subsequently, apparently after the collection had arrived in Utah, Bullock added a brief comment beneath that entry: “end of W. Richard’s compiling[.] the books packed Feby. 4— 1846 in Nauvoo[.] Miles Romney— present. The records carried by T Bullock from Winter Quarters to G S L [Great Salt Lake] City in 1848.”
A notation at the top of page 1486 reports that “the books were unpacked in G. S. L. City by and . June 7. 1853. J[onathan] Grimshaw & Miles Romney present.” Vertically, in the margin, is a poignant epitaph: “Decr. 1 1853 Dr. Willard Richards wrote one line of History—being sick at the time—and was never able to do any more.” With Richards’s death on 11 March 1854, JS’s cousin was called to the office of church historian. The notation on the top of page 1486 acknowledges this change in officers, noting, “commencement of George A. Smith’s compiling as Historian. April 13. 1854[.] [C]ommenced copying July 1. 1854.” From mid-April to the end of June 1854, George A. Smith, in collaboration with Thomas Bullock, worked on the draft notes for the history before a new scribe, , resumed writing in D-1 on 1 July 1854, beginning with the entry for 1 March 1843.
continued transcribing intermittently into the late fall of 1854, when he was assigned other duties in the Historian’s Office. He had reached page 1546 with the entry for 5 May 1843. Work resumed in February 1855 in the hand of Robert L. Campbell, recently returned from a mission. He concluded volume D-1 on the morning of 2 May 1855 and began writing in E-1 that afternoon.
The 274 pages of volume D-1 contain a record of much that is significant in the life of JS and the development of the church he founded. Among these events are
• JS’s 6 August 1842 prophecy that the Saints would become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains.
•JS’s 8 August 1842 arrest on a warrant for being “an accessory before the fact” to an attack on former governor .
• ’s 17 August 1842 letter to governor , pleading for the humane treatment of her husband and family.
•JS’s 1 and 6 September 1842 instructions regarding the proper procedures for performing baptisms for the dead.
• JS’s 15 November 1842 “Valedictory” as he stepped down as editor of the Times and Seasons.
• The 26 December 1842 arrest of JS on a “proclamation” by former governor , and subsequent hearing in , Illinois.
• The 7 February 1843 recovery of a volume of patriarchal blessings given by , which had been stolen in , Missouri.
• JS’s 21 February 1843 remarks regarding the and .
• JS’s 2 April 1843 instruction at , Illinois, on the nature of God and other subjects.
• JS’s 16 May 1843 remarks at , Illinois, on the everlasting covenant and eternal marriage.
• The account of JS’s 23 June 1843 arrest and his hearing the following week at .
Section 1. No person shall place or cause to be placed, any Stones, Timber, Lumber, plank boards or other Materials for building, in or upon any Street, lane, alley or public square, without a written permission for that purpose first obtained from the Mayor, or one of the Alderman, under the penalty of two dollars for each offence, and the further penalty of two dollars for each and every forty eight hours during which the Articles or Materials aforesaid shall be or remain in any such Street, lane, alley or public square, (without permission as aforesaid) after notice from the Mayor, any—— Alderman, the Supervisor of Streets, or any Police Officer to remove the same.
Section 2. The Mayor or any of the Alderman is authorized to grant to any person permission in writing, to place and keep any building materials in any of the public Streets for a period not exceeding four months, but such permission shall not authorize the obstructing of more than one half the side walk, and one half the Street, on the side next the lot on which a building is to be, or being erected, by the person to whom such permission is granted, and such permission may be revoked at any time by the City Council, in their discretion.
Section 3. Every person to whom permission is granted as aforesaid, shall cause all the timber, building materials and rubbish arising therefrom, to be removed from the Street by the expiration of the time limited in such permission as aforesaid, under the penalty of one dollar for every forty eight hours the timber, materials, or rubbish aforesaid shall be and remain in such street after the expiration of the time limited in the permission granted, but no single recovery shall exceed the sum of twenty five dollars.
Section 4. All ornamental or shade trees hereafter placed or set out in any Street shall be placed within one foot of the outer line of the side walk of such Street, under the penalty of five dollars for each offence, and the further penalty of one dollar for each week any such tree shall be suffered to remain contrary to the prohibition contained in this Section.
Section 5. All side walks in said shall be at least eight feet in width, where the Streets are three rods wide, but where the Streets shall exceed that width, ten feet shall be the width
Section 6. Any person who shall injure or tear up any pavement, side or cross walk, drain or sewer, or any part thereof, or who shall dig any hole, ditch or drain, in any Street, without due authority, or who shall hinder or obstruct the making or repairing any—— pavement, side or cross walk, which is or may be making under any law or resolution of the City Council, or who shall hinder or obstruct any persons employed by the City Council or the Supervisor of Streets, or the person employed by him, in making or repairing any public improvement, or work ordered by the City Council, shall for every offence forfeit and pay a penalty of ten dollars.
Section 7. No person shall cast or throw, or cause to be cast or thrown into any of the drains or sewers within the , any Straw, shavings, wood, stones, shells, rubbish, or any filthy or other substances, or any obstructions, nuisance, or injury in or to the same, by diverting or stopping the course thereof, or otherwise, under a penalty not exceeding ten dollars, nor less than one dollar for every offence, in the discretion of the Court convicting.
Section 8. No person shall without permission from the City Council, dig, remove, or carry away, or cause the same to be done, any Stone, Earth, sand or gravel, from any public Street, highway, alley, or public ground in this , under the penalty of five dollars for each offence. [p. 1461]