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 .
the person or persons who holds him her or them in custody and [HC 5:187] shall dispose the Prisoner or Prisoners as the case may require. If it appear that the Prisoner or Prisoners are in custody by virtue of Process from any Court legally constituted he, she, or they can be discharged for the following causes: First, where the court has exceeded the limits of its Jurisdiction, either as to the matter, place, sum, Person, or Persons; Second, where though the original imprisonment was lawful, yet by some Act, omission or event, which has—— subsequently taken place, the party has become entitled to his, her or their, discharge; Third, where the process is defective in some substantial form required by Law; Fourth, where the process though in proper form, has been issued in a case, or under circumstances where the law does not allow Process, or orders for imprisonment or arrest, to issue; Fifth where although in proper form, the process has been issued or executed by a Person or Persons either unauthorized to issue or execute the same, or where the Person, or Persons, having the custody of the Prisoner or Prisoners under such Process, is not the Person or Persons empowered by Law to detain him her or them; Sixth where the process appears to have been obtained by false pretence or bribery; Seventh where there is no general law nor any Judgment, Order, or decree, of a Court. to authorize the process, if in a civil suit, nor any conviction, if in a criminal proceeding.
In all cases where the imprisonment is for a criminal or supposed criminal matter, if it shall appear to <the> said Court that there is sufficient legal causes for the commitment of the Prisoner or Prisoners, although such commitment may have been informerly made, or without due authority, or the process may have been enacted by a Person or Persons not duly Authorised, the Court shall make a New commitment, in proper form, and directed to the proper Officer or Officers, or admit the party to Bail, if the Case be bailable.
Section 4th.. When any Person or Persons shall be admitted to Bail, on , he she or they shall enter into recognizance with one or more securities in such sum as the Court shall direct, having regard to the circumstances of the Prisoner or Prisoners. and the nature of the offence, conditioned for his her or their appearance at the next Circuit Court to be holden in and for the County where the offence was committed, or where the same is to be tried: Where the Court shall admit to bail, or remand any Prisoner or Prisoners brought before the Court, on any Writ of Habeas Corpus, it shall be the duty of said Court to bind all such Persons as do declare any thing material to prove the offence, with which the Prisoner or Prisoners are charged by recognizance to appear at the proper Court having cognizances of the offence, on the first day of the next Term thereof, to give evidence touching the said offence, and not to depart the said Court without leave: which recognizance so taken, together with the recognizance entered into by the Pris[HC 5:188]oner or Prisoners, when he, she or they are admitted to Bail, shall be certified and returned to the proper Court on the first day of the next succeeding term thereof. If any such Witness or Witnesses shall neglect or refuse to enter into a recognizance as aforesaid when thereunto required, it shall be lawful for the Court to commit him her or them to Jail until he, she, or they shall enter into such recognizance, or be otherwise dischar [blank] discharged by due course of law; if the Court shall neglect or refuse to boind any such Witness or Witnesses, Prisoner or Prisoners, by recognizance as aforesaid, or to return any such recognizance, when taken as aforesaid, the Court shall be deemed guilty of a Misdemeanour in Office, and be proceeded against accordingly. [p. 1418]