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 .
<April 13> for them. The object of this meeting is to tell you these things, and then if you will pursue the same course you must bear the consequences of your own folly.
There are several objects in your coming here, one object has been to bring you from Sectarian bondage, another object was to bring you from National bondage, to where you can be planted in a fertile soil. We have brought you into a free government, not that you are to consider yourselves outlaws.
By free governments we do not mean that a man has a right to steal, rob &c, but free from bondage, <unjust> taxation, oppression, and everything if they conduct honestly and circumspectly with their Neighbours; free in a spiritual capacity. This is the place that is appointed for the oracles of God to be revealed; if you have any darkness, you have only to ask and the darkness is removed. It is not necessary that miracles should be wrought to remove darkness. Miracles are the fruits of faith.
How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent?
God may translate the scriptures by me if he chooses. Faith comes by hearing the word of God, and not faith by hearing, and hearing by the word &c. If a man has not faith enough to do one thing, he may have faith to do another; if he cannot remove a mountain, he may heal the sick— where faith is, there will be some of the fruits; all gifts and power which were sent from Heaven were poured out on the heads of those who had faith. [HC 5:355]
You must have a oneness of heart in all things; and then you shall be satisfied one way or the other before you have done with us.
There are a great many old huts here, but they are all new, for our is not 6 or 700 years old, as those you come from; this city is not 4 years old, it is only a three year old last fall, there are very few old settlers.
I got away from my keepers in , and when I came to these shores I found 4 or 500 families who had been driven out of without houses or food, and I went to work to get meat and flour to feed them; the people were not afraid to trust me, and I went to work and bought all this region of country, and I cried out “Lord what wilt thou have me to do?’ and the answer was, build up a city, and call my Saints to this place, and our hearts leaped with joy to see you coming here. We have been praying for you all winter from the bottom of our hearts, and we are glad to see you. We are poor and cannot do by you as we would, but we will do for you all we can. It is not expected that all of you can locate in the . There are some who have money and will build and hire others; those who cannot purchase lots, can go out in the country: the farmers want your labor. No industrious man need suffer on this land. The claims of the poor on us are such that we have claim on your good feelings, for your money to help the poor, and the debts also have their demands to save the credit of the Church; this credit has been obtained to help the poor and keep them from starvation, &c, those who purchase church land and pay for it, this shall be their sacrifice
Men of $50 and 100,000 who were robbed of every thing in the State of , are labouring in this for a morsel of bread, and there are those who must have starved [p. 1530]