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 .
The Court decided that the Mayor had jurisdiction, but the Municipal Court has not, being authorized only by the Charter to try appeals in cases arising under the ordinances of the — this case arose under the Statu[t]es of , and should have been appealed directly to the circuit court; and dismissed the appeal, and then stated that a legal bond for appeal was not presented till after the 20 days had expired, and therefore it could not now be legally appealed to the Circuit Court.
After adjournment while conversing with and , I [HC 5:365] told them I had been called to thousands of cases in sickness, and I have never failed of administering comfort where the patient has thrown himself unreservedly on me; and the reason is, that I never prescribed any thing that would injure the patient, if it did him no good. I have lost a , and , because in my anxiety I depended more on the judgment of other men than my own; while I have raised up others, who were lower than they were. I will here remark (and (by the bye I will say, that that man who stands there (pointing to ) is the best physician I have ever been acquainted with) people will seldom die of disease, provided we know it seasonably, and treat it mildly, patiently and perseveringly and do not use harsh means. It is like the Irishman’s digging down the Mountain, he does not put his shoulder to it, to push it over, but puts it in his wheelbarrow and carries it away day after day, and perseveres in it, until the whole mountain is removed; so we should persevere in the use of simple remedies (and not push against the constitution of the patient) day after day and the disease will be removed and the patient saved. It is better to save the life of a man, than to raise one from the dead.
At 3 P.M. I met with , , , , , , and of the in my , and told them to go in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and tell to put the hands on to the , and begin the work, and be patient till means can be provided.
Call on the the Inhabitants of , and get them to bring in their means, then go to , and serve them the same. Thus commence your career and never stand still till the Master appears, for it is necessary the should be done. Out of the stock that is handed to me, you shall have as you have need, for the laborer is worthy of his hire. I hereby command the hands to go to work on the , trusting in the Lord. Tell to put them on, and he shall be backed up with it You must get cash, property, lands, horses, cattle &c, and flour, corn, wheat &c. the grain can be ground <in> this < place>. If you can get your hands on to the , it will give such an impetus to the work, it will take all the devils out of hell to stop it. Let the Twelve <Apostles> keep together, you will do more good to keep together, not travel together all the time, but meet in alternately from place to place, and associate together, and not be found long apart from each other; then travel from here to , till you make a perfect highway for the Saints. [p. 1537]