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 .
<July 1> not an enviable one— surrounded by mobs on one side, and popular opinion and prejudice against you on the other— gladly would I fly to your relief with my troops, but I fear it would be worse for you— most of them have relations living in this , and will not fight against them. One of my principal Captains namely and his men have already mutinized and have refused to obey my command. I can only say to you gentlemen, follow the command of , whom I have commanded to disperse all mobs found in , or to make them prisoners and bring them before the civil authorities forthwith. I wish to be distinctly understood that is vested with power and authority from me to disperse from your midst all who may be found on the side of mobocracy in the county of . I deeply regret gentlemen (knowing as I do the vigilance and perseverance of in the cause of freedom and rights of man) that I could not even be a soldier under his command in quelling the hellish outrages I have witnessed. In conclusion, gentlemen, be vigilant and persevere and allay every excitement of mobocracy. I have visited your place frequently— find you to be an industrious and thriving people, willing to abide the laws of the land.— And I deeply regret that you could not live in peace [HC 3:443] and enjoy the privileges of freedom. I shall now, gentlemen, return and dismiss my troops and put under arrest— leave the sole charge with , who I deem sufficiently qualified to perform according to law in all military operations necessary.”
then went to , when coming in sight of , he discovered about 100 of the mob holding some of the Saints in bondage, and tantalizing others in the most scandalous manner— at the sight of and company the mob took fright and such was their hurry to get away, some cut their bridle reins, and some pulled the bridles from their horses heads and went off with all speed.
I went to Millport, and on my way discovered that the inhabitants had become enraged at the orders of Generals and , and that they had sworn vengeance not only against the church but also against the two Generals together with , and to carry out their plans they entered into one of the most diabolical schemes ever entered into by man, and these hellish schemes were ingeniously carried out: Firstly, by loading their families and goods in covered wagons, setting fire to their houses, moving into the midst of the mob and crying out ‘the Mormons have driven us and burnt our houses’. In this situation I found the country between my house and Millport, and also found Millport evacuated and burnt. Runners were immediately sent to the , with the news that the Mormons were killing and burning every thing before them, and that great fears were entertained that they would reach before the runners could bring the news. This was not known by the church of Latter day Saints, until 2200 of the Militia had arrived within half a mile of , and they then supposed the Militia to be a mob. I was sent for from to — reached there the sun about one hour high in the morning of the 29th. of October, 1838, called upon Joseph Smith, enquired the cause of the great uproar, he declared, he did not know, but feared the Mob had increased their numbers, and was endeavoring to destroy us— I enquired of him if he had had any conversation with any one concerning the matter— he said he had not, as he was only a private citizen [p. 1634]