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 .
<February 21> of the best men in the world; those that have not complained I want to continue with me, and those that hate Mormonism, and every thing else that’s good; I want them to get their pay, and run away as quick as possible” When had done speaking, I addressed the multitude in substance as follows,
“Well, the Pagan Prophet has preached us a pretty good Sermon this morning, and I dont know as I can better it much, but I feel disposed to break off the yoke of oppression and say what I have a mind to, If the Pagans and the Pagan Prophet feel more for our prosperity than we do for ourselves, it is curious: I am almost converted to his doctrine, “He has prophesied if these buildings go down, it will curse the place.” I verily know it is true, let us build the . There may be some speculations about the , says some, some say because we live on the hill, we must build up this part on the hill— does that coat fit you ? (“pretty well”!) put it on then; This is the way people swell like the toad in the fable, they’l come down under the hill among little folks, and say brother Joseph, how I love you; can I do any thing for you; and then go away secretly and get up opposition, and sing out our names, to Strangers and Scoundrels with an evil influence. I want all men to feel for me, when I have shook the bush and borne the burden in the heat of the day; and if they do not, I speak in authority; in the name of the Lord God, they shall be dam’d. Some say that the people on the Flats are aggrandizing themselves by the , but who laid the foundation of the ? Brother Joseph, in the name of the Lord, not for his aggrandizement, but for the good of the whole <of the Saints.> Our speculators say poor folks on the flat are down, and keep them down: How the cheats this man and that man say the Speculators. Those who report such things as facts, ought to hide their heads in a hollow pumpkin, and never take them out again. [HC 5:284]
The first principle brought into consideration is aggrandizement, Some think it unlawful, but it is lawful with any man, while he has a disposition to aggrandize all around him. It is a false principle for a man to aggrandize himself at the expence of another. Every thing that God does is to aggrandize his Kingdom. And how does he lay the foundation? “Build a Temple to my great name, and call the attention of the Great, the Rich, and the Noble” But where shall we lay our heads? In an old Log Cabin. I will whip and and every body else over ’s head, who instead of building the , build a great many little Skeletons, See ’s Mammoth Skeletons rising all over ; but there is no flesh on them, they are all for personal interest and aggrandizement, but I do not care how many bones there are in the , somebody may come along and clothe them— See the Bones of the Elephant yonder (as I pointed to the big house on Mullholland Street preparing for a Tavern as yet uncovered) the Crocodiles, and Man Eaters all about the , such as Grog Shops and Card Shops and Counterfeit Shops &c got up for their own aggrandizement and all for Speculation; while the is neglected. Those who live in Glass Houses should not throw Stones. The building of the is just as sacred in my view as the . I want the built, it must be built, our Salvation depends upon it. When men have done what they can, or will do for the , let them do what they can for the . We never can accomplish our work at the expence of another. There is a great deal of murmuring in the Church about me, but I dont care any thing about it. I like to hear it Thunder, and I like to hear the Saints grumble, for the growling dog gets the sorest head, if any man is poor and afflicted let him come and tell of it, and not complain or grumble about it – The finishing of the is like a man finishing a fight, if he gives up he is killed; if he holds out a little longer he may live. Ill tell you a story, a man who would whip his Wife is a Coward. <When I was a boy> I once fought [p. 1474]