History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843]
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 30> . riding by my side into . The Carriages having formed in line, the Company with me following next, and the citizens fell in the rear. As we approached the , the scene continued to grow more interesting. The streets were generally lined on both sides with the Brethren and Sisters, whose countenances were joyous and full of satisfaction to see me once more safe; I was greeted with the cheers of the people, and firing of guns and cannon, we were obliged to appoint a number of men to keep the Streets open for the procession to pass, and arrived at my house about one oClock, where my aged was at the door to embrace me with tears of joy rolling down her cheeks, and my children clung around me with feelings of enthusiastic and enraptured pleasure; Little , exclaimed “Pa the Missourians wont take you away again, will they?” the friends from gazed with astonishment and rapture to see the enthusiastic attachment of my family and the Saints towards me. The multitude seemed unwilling to disperse until after I had arisen on the fence and told them “I am out of the hands of the Missourians again, thank God, I thank you all for your kindness and love to me. I bless you all in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen, I shall address you [HC 5:459] at the near the at 4 o’Clock.” this afternoon.
<x> <x When I went to dinner with my family, and were placed at the head of the Table with about 50 of my friends, and were served with the best that the table afforded by my , [blank] whom they refused to allow me to see, when they so cruelly arrested and ill treated me, which contrasted strongly with their treatment to me when I was first arrested by them, & until my friends met me.> [HC 5:460]
As soon as we arrived in the the Municipal court came together when I told them that “the writ of granted by the Master in at was made returnable to the nearest court having jurisdiction, and you are that court.” A requisition was made on to return the Writ who refused when I signed the following Petition.
To the Honorable the Municipal Court, of the city of , Hancock County, and State of :— Your Petitioner, Joseph Smith, Senior, who has been arrested by, and under the name of Joseph Smith Junior, states on oath, that he is now detained as a prisoner, and in the custody of , in the said city of , and state of , who claims to be the Agent of the state of and that your Petitioner was arrested by one , by virtue of what purports to be a warrant issued by His Excellency, , Governor of the state of , in the county of , and state of , and by said your petitioner was delivered into the custody of said , at and within the county of , aforesaid; that said supposed warrant, so issued by his Excellency, , Governor as aforesaid, and the arrest thereupon, and the imprisonment consequent thereupon, by said , and afterwards by said , is illegal, and in violation of law, and without the authority of law, as he is informed and verily believes, for the following, besides other reasons, to wit; [HC 5:461]
1st. The said supposed warrant so issued by the said of the State of , as aforesaid, does not confer any authority to arrest your Petitioner, for that it commands the officers therein named, to arrest one Joseph Smith Junior, where as the name of your Petitioner is Joseph Smith, Senior, and your Petitioner avers that he is not known and reputed by the name of Joseph Smith Junior.
2nd. The said supposed warrant, is defective and void, for that it does not [p. 1593]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [805]
TEXT: The following insertion written at the bottom of the page.
- [806]
Nauvoo Municipal Court Docket Book, 56–60; “To the Honorable the Municipal Court, of the City of Nauvoo,” Times and Seasons, 1 July 1843, 4:244–246.
Nauvoo Municipal Court Docket Book / Nauvoo, IL, Municipal Court. “Docket of the Municipal Court of the City of Nauvoo,” ca. 1843–1845. In Historian's Office, Historical Record Book, 1843–1874, pp. 51–150 and pp. 1–19 (second numbering). CHL. MS 3434.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Go to page