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 29> Dutche’s before 5 in the eve about 32 miles, the weather extremely cold— asked why the Sun was called [HC 5:210] masculine, and the Moon feminine? I replied that the root of Masculine is stronger, and of feminine weaker. The Sun is a governing Planet to certain Planets, while the moon borrows her light from the Sun and is less or weaker &c. Let the Government of redress the wrongs she has done to the Saints, or let the curse follow them from generation to generation until they do. When I was going up to in Company with and our families, on an extreme cold day. To go forward was fourteen miles to a house, and backward nearly as far– We applied to all the taverns for admission in vain, we were Mormon’s and could not be received. Such was the extreme cold that in one hour we must have perished. We plead for our women and children in vain— We counseled together and the brethren agreed to stand by me, and we concluded we might as well die fighting, as freeze to death. I went into a tavern and plead our cause to get admission. The Landlord said he could not keep us for love or money. I told him we must and would stay, let the consequence be what it might for we must stay or perish, The Landlord replied “we have heard the Mormons are very bad people, and the Inhabitants of have combined not to have any thing to do with them or you might stay.” I said to him we will stay, but no thanks to you; I have men enough to take the Town, and if we must freeze, we will freeze by the burning of these houses, The Taverns were then opened, and we were accommodated, and received many apologies in the morning from the inhabitants for their abusive treatment.
<30> Friday 30. Started at Eight this morning, and arrived at in 2 ½ o’clock <in the afternoon> where I saw Esqre., District Attorney, who told me that had continued the [HC 5:211] court two or three days on account of my case, and would close on the morrow, and that he should try my case on its merits and not on any technicality. of was in the place, but would not say whether he had the original writ which had previously been demanded of the Officers of , and — I gave a general history of my Persecution, and it was agreed by him that I should be arrested on the Writ— Had an interview with <my> brother who was a member of the Legislature at the time, and spent the evening with , and the brethren from
We all lodged at ’s
Christ and the resurrected Saints will reign over the Earth, during the 1000 years, but will not dwell on the Earth. They will visit it when they please, or when it is necessary to govern it. There will be wicked men on the Earth during the 1000 years. The heathen nations who will not come up to worship will be <visited with the judgments of God, and must eventually be> destroyed <from the Earth.>
Salt, Vinegar and Pepper given internally, and plunging in the river when the Paroxysms begin, will cure the Cholera.
<31> Saturday 31. At 9 in the morning called and informed me that had the original Writ, and I signed a Petition to to issue a new Writ, that my case might be tried thereon, as well as on the Proclamation. My petition was granted, and at 11 o’clock I was arrested thereon by a deputy, Mr. Maxey, on presence of , my Attorney, who immediately wrote a Petition to , for a writ of which I signed, and at 11 ½ in the morning went before , read my Petition and stated that the writ and warrant, were different from the requisition of the [p. 1431]