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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 24> Immediately after I left , my and children started with my carriage from Inlet Grove for , driven by her Nephew .
The received a letter from of , requesting them to appoint a in that place to settle some difficulties existing there. [HC 5:445]
The free and accepted Ancient York Masons, met at the Lodge room, being the anniversary of St. John’s day, then formed a procession in due Masonic form, in front of the , and walked to Main Street where the Corner stone for a was laid by the Worshipful Master , two Masonic Hymns were sung; after which they proceeded to the near the , where an oration was delivered by brother ; from thence they proceeded to Mr. Warner’s, where about 200 sat down to an excellent dinner; the Company broke up early in the afternoon, highly delighted with the days proceedings.
<25> At it was ascertained that Judge [John D.] Caton was on a visit to , whereupon , , , , , Dixon, and myself, with others, started about 8 A.M., and returned to the town of arriving about 4 p.m. when I was again locked in a room and guarded thro’ the night.
The water has fallen in the , more than a foot since last Sunday.
At 10 a.m. meeting at the , preached on charity and in the afternoon was preaching, when my Brother went to the , and requested the Brethren to meet him at the in 30 minutes. The Brethren immediately went there in such Numbers that one fourth of them could not get into the room; so they adjourned to the green, and formed a hollow square, when my brother informed them that Elder had arrived about 2, and told him that Sheriff of Missouri and of , had come upon me by surprize <and arrested me> and related the occurrences as far as was known up to my arrival in ; he wanted a Company to go up to my assistance, and see that I had [HC 5:446] my rights; he called for Volunteers when upwards of 300 volunteered, from whom they selected such as were wanted; Generals and started the same evening with a company of about 175 men on horseback. previous to starting, Elder , went to the Company and donated a barrel of rifle Powder, when every man filled his horn or flask. < declared he would not go a step unless he could have money to bear his expences, upon which <Elder> said the money should be forthcoming, although he did not know at the time where he could raise a dollar; in about 30 minutes, he got on the track, and in the course of two hours he had borrowed seven> and my brother delivered to several hundred dollars <and put it in the hands of and > to defray the expenses of the expedition and about 75 on board the Maid of with Captain who went up the for Peoria, and to examine the Steam boats, suspecting I might be a prisoner on board one of them, as they supposed me on the road to Ottawa—
Several of the Pottawatamie Indians called to see the and [p. 1585]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [782]
JS, Journal, 24 June 1843, in JSP, J3:39.
- [783]
See 25 June 1843 entry in History Draft.
- [784]
JS, Journal, 25 June 1843, in JSP, J3:40; Woodruff, Journal, 25 June 1843; Clayton, Journal, 25 June 1843.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
Insertion in handwriting of Thomas Bullock.
Insertion in handwriting of Thomas Bullock.
Insertion in handwriting of Thomas Bullock.