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 4> have given up his dog on such a requisition. That an attempt should be made to deliver up a man who has never been out of the , strikes at all the liberty of our institutions. His fate to day may be yours tomorrow. I do not think the defendant ought under any circumstances to be given up to . It is a matter of history that he and his people have been murdered or driven from the . If he goes there it is only to be murdered, and he had better be sent to the gallows. He is an innocent and unoffending man. If there is a difference between him and other men it is that this people believe in prophecy, and others do not; the old Prophets prophesied in poetry and the modern in prose. managed the case very judiciously. The Court room was crowded during the whole trial, the utmost decorum and good feeling prevailed, and much prejudice was allayed. was not severe [HC 5:222] apparently saying little more than his relation to the case demanded. Court adjourned till tomorrow 9 a.m. for the making up of opinion. After, an introduction to several persons I retired to ’s and after dinner spent some time in conversation with and — at 5 ½ o clock I rode in carriage to his house accompanied by and Elder where I had a very interesting visit with and family, , Esquires , , and , ’s and many others; partook of a—— splendid supper, with many interesting anecdotes, and every thing to render the repast and visit agreeable, and returned to about 11 o’clock.
<5> Thursday 5 At 9 A. M. repaired to the Court Room, which was crowded with spectators anxious “to behold the Prophet” and hear the decision of , who soon took his seat, accompanied by half a dozen ladies, and gave the following
opinion.
The importance of this case, and the consequences which may flow from an erroneous—— precedent, affecting the lives and liberties of our Citizens have impelled the court to bestow upon it the most anxious consideration. The able arguments of the Counsel for the respective parties have been of great assistance in the examination of the <important> question arising in this cause. When the patriots and wise men who framed our Constitution were in anxious deliberation to form a perfect union among the states of the—— Confederacy, two great sources of discord presented themselves to their consideration: the— commerce between the States, and fugitives from justice and labor. The border Collisions in other countries had been seen to be a fruitful source of War and bloodshed, and most wisely did the constitution confer upon the National Government the regulation of those matters, because of its exemption from the excited passions awakened by Conflicts—— between neighbouring States, and its ability alone to adopt a uni[HC 5:223]form rule, and establish uniform laws among all the States in those cases. This case presents the important question— arising under the constitution and laws of the , whether a Citizen of the State of can be transported from his own to the State of , to be there tried for a crime, which, if he ever committed, was committed in the State of ; whether he can be transported to , as a fugitive from justice, when he has never fled from that . Joseph Smith is before the court on , directed to the Sheriff of State of Illinois.— The return shows that he is in Custody under a Warrant from the of .—— professedly issued in pursuance of the Constitution and laws of the , and of the State of , ordering said Smith to be delivered to the Agent of the Executive of [p. 1437]