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History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843]
Source Note
Source Note
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
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 .
Footnotes
<June 8> sick.
In the afternoon rode out on horseback called on , who was at work in his garden, asked him who gave him leave to occupy that Lot? he answered “Your Honor,” when I replied you are perfectly welcome to it so far as I am concerned; then continued my journey to the Prairie.
<9> Rode out to shew Mr Lewis some lots in the
Continued most of the day with , who was very sick.
<10> At home brothers [Jonas] Livingston and Goodrich [Riley Goodridge] from Peterboro New Hampshire visit<ed> me, about establishing a Cotton Factory in .
City Council met and passed “An ordinance to regulate the rates of Toll at the Ferry in the City of ” which is published in the Neighbor.
Several petitions were presented to repeal the Hog Law which were rejected. [HC 5:421]
<The Court Martial ordered an arsenal to be built in the City of for the security of the public arms, and also ordered Brig. Gen. to organize the second battalion 1st. Reg. 2nd. Cohort, into a Regiment of Light Infantry, to be the 5th. Regiment 2nd. Cohort>
To shew the wickedness and rascality of and the corrupt conspiracy formed against me in and , I insert the following under date of the letter
“ Mo June 10th. 1843. To his Excellency . Sir. For the last three months I have been corresponding with Doct. relative to one certain Jo Smith Mormon prophet &c. of your . In several of s letters to me, he informs me that my name is known to you, taking this for granted, authorizes me without hesitation to write you fully upon a subject, that the people of this part of our feel themselves vitally interested.
At the last term of the Circuit Court of an indictment was found by the grand Jury of said against Joseph Smith for treason against this , the necessary papers are now on their way to , who on the receipt thereof I have no doubt will make a requisition upon you for the apprehension and delivery of said Smith to the bearer Mr. who goes as a Special Agent to attend to this business and I am in hopes that so soon as the proper papers come to hand you will take that course that will secure this imposter and have him delivered over to . further writes me that he has made an arrangement with of ( seat of Justice) in whose hands he wishes the Writ that shall be issued by you to be put, from the tenor of his letters I am induced to believe that he has made the same suggestions to you, the only wish of the people of this is, that this man Joseph Smith may be brought to that Justice which the magnitude of his crime merits. Respectfully your obt. Servant Saml C. Owens.” <-[Commander in Chief of the Mob in ]-> [HC 5:422]
A Steamship of Iron called “the Great Britain,” was built at Bristol, , at a cost of £90.000 she has six masts, and is 320 feet in length on deck, and is said to be the largest vessel that has been built since the days of Noah.
<11> 10 a.m. Meeting at the .
The following report is from the Journals of Elders and .
[“]A Large Assembly of the Saints met at the Temple . Hymn by the choir. Prayer by <Elder> and singing. [p. 1571]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [734]
See 9 June 1843 entry in History Draft.
- [735]
JS, Journal, 9 June 1843, in JSP, J3:31; Clayton, Journal, 9 June 1843.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
- [736]
See 10 June 1843 entry in History Draft.
- [737]
JS, Journal, 10 June 1843, in JSP, J3:31.
- [738]
Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 10 June 1843, 180–182.
Nauvoo City Council Minute Book / Nauvoo City Council. “A Record of the Proceedings of the City Council of the City of Nauvoo Handcock County, State of Illinois, Commencing A.D. 1841,” ca. 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3435.
Insertion in handwriting of Thomas Bullock.
- [739]
Samuel C. Owens, Independence, MO, to Thomas Ford, Springfield, IL, 10 June 1843, in JS, Office Papers, CHL.
JS Office Papers / Joseph Smith Office Papers, ca. 1835–1845. CHL. MS 21600.
- [740]
“The Great Britain Steamship,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 20 Sept. 1843, [1].
Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.
- [741]
- [742]
JS, Journal, 11 June 1843, in JSP, J3:31–35; Woodruff, Journal, 11 June 1843.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.