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 .
<January 2> dined at the . As we rose from table invited me to his room and informed me, he was about publishing a history of , and wished me to furnish a history of the rise [HC 5:216] and progress of the Church of Latter Day Saints to add to it— 1 ½ P.M. returned to ’. A Gentleman from told that “the general impression was, that Smith was innocent, and it would be a kind of murder to give him up; that he ought to be whipped a littleand let go”. It was evident that prejudice was giving way in the public mind. At 4 , the Marshall and some half a dozen others called to see me. The said it was the first time during his administration, that the Ladies had attended Court on a trial. A peculiarly pleasant and conciliatory feeling prevailed in the Company, and the invited me to a family dinner when I should be freed, at 5 went to Mr. Sollars with Elders and . enquired the situation of the Negro, I replied they came into the world slaves, mentally and physically. Change their situation with the Whites and they would be like them. They have souls and are subjects of salvation. Go into or any City and find an educated negro, who rides in his Carriage, and you will see a man who has risen by the powers of his own mind to his exalted state of respectability. The slaves in are more refined than the Presidents, and the black boys will take the shine off of those they brush and wait on. remarked “put them on the level, and they will rise above me”. I replied if I raised you to be my equal, and then attempted to oppress you, would you not be indignant and try to rise above me, as did , and many others, who said I was a fallen prophet and they were capable of leading the people, altho’ I never attempted to oppress them, but had been always lifting them up. Had I any thing to do with [HC 5:217] the negro, I would—— confine them by strict law to their own species, and put them on a national equalization.
Because faith is wanting the fruits are [blank]. no man since the world was; ever had faith without having something along with it. The ancients quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, women received their dead” &c “by faith the worlds were made” A man who has none of the gifts has no faith, and he deceives himself if he supposes he has. Faith has been wanting not only among the heathen, but in professed Christendom also, so that tongues, healings, prophecy, and prophets; and apostles and all the gifts and blessings have been wanting.
Some of the company thought I was not a very meek prophet, so I told them “I am meek and lowly in heart” and will personify Jesus for a moment to illustrate the principle, and cried out with a loud voice “Wo unto youye Doctors, Wo unto youye Lawyers, Wo unto you, ye Scribes, Phariseesand Hypocrites” &c But you cannot find the place, where I ever went that I found fault with their food, their drink, their house or their lodgings, Nonever, and this is what is meant by the meekness and lowliness of Jesus. Mr. Sollars stated that James Mullone of told him as follows “I have been to , and seen Jo Smith the Prophet, he had a grey horse, and I asked him where he got it, and Jo said “You see that White Cloud?” “Yes” Well as it came along I got the horse from that cloud”. This is a fair Specimen of the ten thousand foolish lies circulated by this generation, to bring the truth and its advocates into disrepute.
“What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally, with a hope of—— Salvation?” It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the Devil, by which he deceives the [p. 1434]