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 .
<June 28> saying “when these men took Joseph a prisoner, they took his arms from him even to his pocket knife. They are now prisoners of yours and I demand of you to take their arms from them, for that is according to law,” they refused to give them up, when the Sheriff was told “if you cannot take the arms from them, there are men enough here and you can summon a posse to do it, for it is plain to be seen that they are dangerous men.” and then reluctantly gave up their arms to the Sheriff. The Company then started taking the middle road towards to within 6 miles of , and stopped at a Farm house having travelled about 40 miles, got there about Sundown and called for supper and lodging. P[eter] W. Conover lay down at the S.W. corner of the building outside <of> the house. In about 10 minutes and came out of the house with the son of the Landlord, they talked for some time and came to the conclusion to take the carriage horses, go to — raise a Mob and come [HC 5:452] to the farm house in the night, seize Joseph and convey him to the , and take him to as they had a steamboat in readiness at the mouth of Rock River, for that purpose; after completing their plan of operations, , and the boy separated, and went towards the Stable. Conover who had heard the plot, unobserved, immediately rose and came to me and told me what he had just heard, I consulted with , the Landlord, and Sheriff Campbell— who took and into his custody, and put them in the upper room, placing a guard of 2 men at the door, with orders not to allow any man to pass in or out of the house, except the Landlord who as soon <as> he was told of the attempt to get his son into difficulty put a stop to his proceedings at once.
some anxiety about so many stangers and suspicious characters being in the .
The Neighbor of this day has the following
“By the counsel and advice of President , Messrs and who have been appointed to go on a mission to Russia, will deliver two addresses <on the 4th of July> upon the subject of our holy religion, for the benefit and edification, not only of our own citizens, but also for strangers, who may be pleased to visit our town on that day. The morning’s address by at ½ past 10 o’clock, and the afternoon’s by at 2 o’clock. From the circumstances under which we are placed, this course is thought far more advisable for all who wish to be considered saints to assemble for religious worship, and collectively offer up our prayers to Almighty God for peace and prosperity to attend us as a people. The giddy and unthinking will no doubt resort to public dinners, festivals, and per haps to the ball chamber, to spend their time and money to gratify their appetite and vanity, but no true hearted saint at this peculiar moment will do it.
At the close of each address a collection will be taken for the especial purpose of assisting to complete ’s house, that he may be the sooner liberated to [p. 1589]