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 .
<August 14> toil of crossing to — they met with ’ skiff just about to go over to , they got into that Skiff and left to return at his own leisure. Before they could get over, the wind arose again considerabl<y>, but they arrived safe home about 6 o’clock <in the evening> where they found from who had just returned from . While there he ascertained that there was no writ issue<d> in for me. [blank] The people enquired “if it was not true that Joseph had been commissioned by the to visit the Indians and negociate with them for a tract of land,” such being the report in circulation. answered that he “was not authorized to assert that the report was [HC 5:95] true, but he thought it was not only possible but probable”— but in this was mistaken.
<15> Monday 15. This forenoon several reports were in circulation in the , that the Militia are on their way here, and the same is said to have been stated by the Stage driver, but it is supposed that it is only a Scheme to alarm the Citizens. presented the foregoing letter to , to which he responded as follows,
“, Illinois August 15th. afternoon, 1842— Lieutenant General Joseph Smith, Dear Friend. I this morning received a line from you, by the young man () respecting the Guns &c. One of them is in the Stone Shop by the . One I expect to get put into’ barn, and the other I cannot get under lock and key in any place I know of yet, but I will have them taken the best care of that I can. I have also received from the hand of your your orders at length, respecting matters and things and I am happy indeed to receive such orders from you, for your views on these subjects are precisely my own. I do respond with my whole heart to every sentiment you have so nobly and so feelingly expressed, and while my heart beats, or this hand which now writes, is able to draw and wield a sword, you may depend on it being at your service in the glorious cause of Liberty and Truth, ready in a moments warning to defend the rights of man both civil and religious. Our common rights and peace is all we ask, and we will use every peaceable means in our power to enjoy these, but our rightswemusthave, peace we must have, if we have to fight for them. There has nothing worthy of notice come to my knowledge to day, the Gentlemen Officers are seemingly very unhappy and out of humor with themselves more than with any body else, they see we have the advantage of them and that they cannot provoke us to break the law; and I think they know if they do that, we will use them up the right way. I guess they see that in our patience we possess our souls, and I know that if they shed or cause to be shed a drop of the blood of one of the least amongst us, that the lives of the transgressors shall atone for it with the help of our God— I send you the ordinance that was passed by the Court Martial on [HC 5:96] Saturday last for your approval or otherwise, as it cannot become a law without your approbation— I also send you the returns of the Election for Major General, as you ordered the Election, you will please order the War Secretary of the Legion () to send for a Commission With the warmest feelings of my heart I remain most respectfully yours— — P. S. Afternoon 6 o’clock— I have just learned that Mr. Pittman got a letter about noon and got ready immediately and started off as he said for , but I think for giving it up for a bad job— ”
About dark returned from and stated that he had conversed [p. 1368]