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 .
<November 14> per mile; and upon sufficient security given to pay the charges of carrying him, her, or them back, if he she or they shall be remanded, make return of such Writ, and bring or cause to be brought, the body or bodies of the Prisoner or Prisoners, before the Municipal Court forthwith, and certify the true cause of his, her or their imprisonment unless the commitment of such person or persons shall be to the County Jail, in in which case the time shall be prolonged till five days after the delivery of the Writ as aforesaid, and not longer. [HC 5:186] Provided nevertheless, that in case any person or persons may at any time hereafter be taken and lodged in the or Jail, under any Writ or process, as provided by the City Charter of the City of , and shall require a writ of to issue, to bring him, her or them before the Municipal Court of said , said Writ shall issue to bring him, her, or them before said Court, and be directed to the City to be served upon the person or persons in whose Custody such Prisoner or Prisoners may then be detained.
Section 2. Where any Person or Persons not being committed or detained for any criminal or supposed criminal matter, shall be confined, or restrained of his her or their liberty, under any color or pretence whatever, he she or they may apply for a writ of Habeas Corpus, as aforesaid, which application shall be in writing signed by the Party, or some person on his, her or their behalf, setting forth the facts concerning his her or their imprisonment, and wherein the—— illegality of such imprisonment consists, and in whose custody he she or they are detained; which application or Petition shall be verified by the Oath or affirmation of the party applying or some other Person on his, her, or their behalf; if the confinement or restraint is by virtue of any Judicial Writ, or Process, or Order, a copy thereof shall be annexed thereto or an affidavit made that the same had been demanded and refused: the same proceedings shall there-upon be had in all aspects as are directed in the preceding section, and any Officer, person, or persons, knowing that he or they have an illegal Writ or not having any Writ, who shall attempt— through any false pretext, to take or intimidate any of the inhabitants of this through such pretext, shall forfeit for every such offence a sum not exceeding one thousand Dollars. nor less than five hundred Dollars, or in case of failure to pay such forfeiture, to be imprisoned not more than twelve Months nor less than six Months.
Section 3 Upon the return of the Writ of Habeas Corpus, a day shall be set for the hearing of the Cause of imprisonment or detainer, not exceeding five days thereafter unless the Prisoner or Prisoners shall request a longer time.
The said Prisoner or Prisoners may deny any of the material facts set forth in the return, or may allege any fact to shew; either that the imprisonment or detention is unlawful or that he, she, or they is or are then entitled to his her or their discharge, which allegations or denials, shall be made on Oath.
The said return may be amended by leave of the Court, before or after the same is filed, as also may all suggestions made against it that thereby material facts may be ascertained. The said Court shall proceed in a summary way to settle the said facts, by hearing the testimony and arguments as well of all parties interested civilly if any there be as of the Prisoner, or Prisoners and [p. 1417]