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> one single religious right pertaining to the people among whom I dwell. But what could legislation in regard to this matter effect? What would it prove? It would neither prove Joseph Smith to be a Christian, nor that Tom Thumb came from the Moon. It would prove nothing in reference to the principles of any body of religionists. But I do not feel it my prerogative to enter into a discussion of religious principles here. I know very well that the people called Mormons are thought to be a very strange people. I come right from among them and you can all judge whether or not they seem to have the appearance of a strange animal of 7 heads and 10 horns. You can all decide for yourselves whether from the appearance I present I should be numbered among outcasts, or be ranked among human beings. One word further as to the chartered privileges. They have, as this honorable body is well aware, assembled a population of from five to ten or fifteen thousand inhabitants. It is in consequence of the privileges granted in their charter that they have been induced to do this— is not, as some may erroneously suppose, a city composed entirely of Mormons. I can inform gentlemen that Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Universalians, in short many of different kinds of religion, and even infidels may be found there. And all these [HC 5:202] are tolerated there, just as in any other community. A great many persons have gone to and there invested their property. They are now engaged in the erection of buildings, which when consummated will cost enormous sums of money. But, should the charter of that be repealed,—— individuals who now consider themselves rising to wealth in consequence of what has been done by a former legislature of this , will be reduced to wretchedness and want. In that event, property now worth from three to ten thousand dollars will not be worth five hundred— or nothing in comparison to that amount. There is another point Mr. Speaker, to which I would call your attention; and that is to the observations which have been made in regard to taking away from the Citizens of the arms. Well, suppose that should be done. Would that effect any thing? They are now organized and have under existing laws drawn a certain portion of the public arms. In that, wherein are they acting differently from any other Citizens? They have not even that equal portion of arms that they are entitled to by law. Where would be the object in taking away the public arms from the Militia of this . It surely cannot be believed that there is any danger of the Mormons breaking out and killing the people. There is no more danger of that, than there is that five, six, or a dozen old women, and a few boys should do the same thing. Is this to be carried by a hue and cry of that kind raised by politicians? I own that it is not the design of that people even so much as to molest a hair on the head of a single individual; but that, on the contrary, it is their intention in all things to conform to the constitution and laws of the land. If prejudices have been accumulating upon the public mind calculated to produce the expression that they are villains, such prejudices are entirely unfounded. It is a great mistake to suppose the contrary. Those people consider themselves bound by the laws and endeavor to obey them. Have they not, I would ask, contributed their portion towards replenishing your and Revenues? Have they ever refused to pay their taxes? Have they not always been both ready and willing to obey both the civil and military laws of this ? Where then is the necessity that this honorable body should enact a law taking away from them their chartered privileges? I will [p. 1426]