JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. E-1, created 20 Aug. 1855–5 Apr. 1856; handwriting of Robert L. Campbell, , and Jonathan Grimshaw; 392 pages, plus 11 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the fifth volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This fifth volume covers the period from 1 July 1843 to 30 Apr. 1844; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, C-1, D-1, and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction
History, 1838–1856, volume E-1, constitutes the fifth 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 July 1843 to 30 April 1844, and it was compiled in Utah Territory in the mid-1850s.
The material recorded in volume E-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , who was JS’s cousin. Smith collaborated with in collecting material for the history and creating a set of draft notes that Smith dictated to Bullock and other clerks.
Robert L. Campbell, a recently returned missionary and member of the Historian’s Office staff, transcribed ’s notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents (such as letters and meeting minutes). The Church Historian’s Office journal entry for 2 May 1855 pinpoints the beginning of his work: “R. L. C. on Book D forenoon, afternoon began book E.” Campbell’s work on the volume apparently concluded on 5 April 1856; entries in the Historian’s Office journal indicate that he then moved on to other assignments while another clerk, Jonathan Grimshaw, began work on volume F-1, the last manuscript in the series. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 2 May 1855; 5 and 9 Apr. 1856.)
Volume E-1 contains 391 pages of primary text and 11 pages of addenda. The initial entry on page 1637 is a continuation of the 1 July 1843 entry that closed volume D-1. The final entry in volume E-1 is for 30 April 1844.
The 391 pages of volume E-1 document a crucial period of JS’s life and the history of the church. Important events recorded here include
• An account of JS’s 2 July 1843 meeting with several Pottawatamie chiefs.
• JS’s 4 July 1843 address regarding his recent arrest, the Legion, and Mormon voting practices.
• JS’s 12 July 1843 dictation of a revelation regarding eternal marriage, including the plurality of wives, in the presence of and .
• The 13 August 1843 disfellowshipment of and revocation of his priesthood license.
• Dispatch of the first missionaries to the Pacific Islands on 20 September 1843, led by .
• JS’s 1 October 1843 announcement of ’s appointment to a mission to Russia.
• Minutes of a 6–9 October 1843 general conference inserted under the date of 9 October at which pled his case in regard to his 13 August 1843 disfellowshipment and was permitted to continue as counselor in the First Presidency.
• Text of JS’s appeal to the Green Mountain Boys of , inserted under the date of 29 November 1843.
• A 20 January 1844 entry that includes a poem by commemorating the presentation of two copies of the Book of Mormon to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert by .
• JS’s nomination on 29 January 1844 as an independent candidate for the presidency of the .
<October 1> penalties prescribed in the Edicts of the Holy Inquisition.”
Why the Jews have been thus selected as the victims of their hellish wrath, is difficult for us to determine. We cannot account for it upon any other principle than that of legalized plunder— such as has been too frequently practised upon them by most of the courts of Europe.— It is thus that their property, in the second section, is not ostensibly confiscated; but it is virtually so, as it places them in the power of their enemies, if they cannot find purchasers for their property, which is very unlikely when they are placed under these severe, inhuman restrictions. “The property must be disposed of within three months, whether in town or country, permanent or moveable, or rents, or interest or any rights involving shares in funded property.” And if there are no buyers, what then? “TheHolyoffice (rather say holy devils) is to sell the same by public auction.”
We are led to ask, is this christianity? Are these the followers of the meek and lowly Jesus? Is this the conduct of a church which professes to be the only true church? purely apostolic? Oh shame! where is thy blush?— The heart sickens at the contemplation. Only think of thousands of men, women and children, being dispossessed of their inheritance— robbed of their property— rendered houseless and homeless, and destined to wander about as vagrants and exiles, through the tyranny, rapacity and thirst for plunder, which is evidently manifested by these infernals of the Holy order. We had hoped that those days of horrid barbarity were gone by and that even the Roman church would not have attempted to revive them: and still less did we imagine that the edicts of the Holy Inquisition would ever have disgraced the footstool of God. What if the governments of , , Russia, Prussia, Norway, Sweden, and other powers, were to exercise the same spirit of intolerance towards the professors of the Catholic religion? Would they like to have meted to them the same measure which they give to others? We know that there was great dissatisfaction manifested by the Catholics of and Ireland during the existence of the Test act. They made long and loud complaints against the injustice, tyranny and oppression of that instrument; and no one felt more indignant than ourselves at such illiberal proceedings— but we must confess that in this instance they have “out-Heroded Herod” a thousand times.— What would the Irish Catholics have thought had the British Government dealt with them as their great Pontificate has dealt with the poor Jews? How much misery, how much distress would not such a step create among them?
We cannot but feel indignant at such proceedings: and as the conductors of public journals, feel ourselves in duty bound to express our feelings. We heartily despise oppression in every shape; and if the European courts do not take sufficient notice of such proceedings as to frown down, indignantly, upon the perpetrators of those inhuman deeds, and awe them into a respect sufficient to ameliorate the condition of their victims, we shall, at least, have had the satisfaction of entering our protest against the proceedings of those heartless wretches, who would make a pretext of religion to plunder the inoffensive, and put in force these inhuman, savage edicts, merely because they have them in their power. [p. 1742]