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 .
<December 9> his case of Bankruptcy, with as Witness, , , , , , and accompanied them to attend to my case, present testimony to the that I was in , at the [HC 5:200] time was shot, consequently could not have been a fugitive from the Justice of , and thus procure a discharge from , on ’s Writ for my arrest. The weather was very cold, and the travelling tedious, yet my—— Messengers travelled 34 Miles, and staid with my brother , who kept a public house at .
Mr. Davis of Bond County introduced a resolution to the House of Representatives at concerning the charter of and urged its repeal.
Mr. Hicks was in favor of “having the State Arms taken from the Mormons”
thought “they had no more than their quota” -[The arms referred to consisted of 3 Cannon or Six pounders, and a few score of Muskets, Swords and Pistols which were furnished by the , to . for the supply of her Militia for common defence, of which, the Legion had received but a small portion, to which it was entitled]- My brother — Representative of , Colleague with , made the following speech in the house in reply to Mr. Davis
Mr. Speaker “I beg the privilege of making a few remarks on this subject. This Sir, seems to be a question which has excited to a very considerable extent, the attention of members who compose this honorable body. But Mr. Speaker, it does really appear to me that this is a question that has been gotten up quite prematurely; for I doubt not, many—— members here, have not yet had the opportunity of learning what privileges are granted in the city charter. The subject which the gentlemand has raised, is only an assumption. I doubt not, that if the subject had been fairly—— investigated, and weighed equally in the balance, by every candid individual in the community, that prejudices of this kind would not have obtained such a hold upon the public mind. In the estimation of genuine democracy the rights of the people of are just as sacred as those of any [HC 5:201] other people. The people that live there, should have just the same privileges extended to them, as are awarded to , , , or any other City in the . It is true indeed, that they have—— labored under many embarrassments. The public mind has been heated in—— regard to what were supposed to be their chartered privileges: But you, Mr. Speaker, are well aware, that all the corporate privileges that they enjoy have been granted to them by a previous legislature. Upon that occasion, all that was done was not considered by any, more than an act of justice towards them. They had no greater rights or privileges given them than were already enjoyed by the Citizens of or . The people have chartered privileges in both of those cities, and we have the same in . Our condition, in that respect, is not at all different from , , and many other chartered cities in this . It would hardly be worth while, Mr. Speaker, to detain either you or this honorable body by making many preliminary remarks in respect to our religion. That is a matter, that cannot at all come under the purview of this legislature. I do not—— fancy myself placed here before a body of sectarians, invested in their own estimation with authority to enact rules for the government or regulation of any sect upon matters of religion. I do not suppose that I stand in the presence of persons disposed to take away [p. 1425]