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 .
<November 29> Voted, that the appoint a Committee to get the names of Memorialists in this .
The appointed the assessors and collectors in their several wards
Voted that the same Committee collect means to purchase paper: Prest. go to La harpe, <and> Elder to , to procure signers.
The appointed Committees [illegible] to visit other places.
Joseph Smith the Mayor made some remarks— and his appeal to the green Mountain boys was read by . as follows.
“I was born in , Vermont, in 1805.— where the first quarter of my life, grew with the growth, and strengthened with the strength of that “first born” State of the “United Thirteen”. From the old “French War” to the final consummation of American Independence, my father’s, heart to heart, and shoulder to shoulder, with the noble fathers of our liberty, fought and bled; and, with the most of that venerable band of patriots, they have gone to rest,— bequeathing a glorious country with all her inherent rights to millions of posterity. Like other honest citizens, I not only, (when manhood came,) sought my own peace, prosperity, and happiness, but also the peace, prosperity, and happiness of my friends; and, with all the rights and realm before me, [HC 6:88] and the revelations of Jesus Christ, to guide me into all truth. I had good reason to enter into the blessings and privileges of an American citizen; the rights of a Green Mountain Boy, unmolested, and enjoy life and religion according to the most virtuous and enlightened, customs, rules and etiquette of the nineteenth century. But to the disgrace of the , it is not so. These rights and privileges, together with a large amount of property, have been wrested from me, and thousands of my friends, by lawless mobs in , supported by executive authority; and the crime of plundering our property; and the unconstitutional and barbarous act of our expulsion; and even the inhumanity of murdering men, women, and children, have received the pass-word of “justifiable” by legislative enactments, and the horrid deeds, doleful and disgraceful as they are, have been paid for by government.
In vain have we sought for redress of grievances and a restoration to our rights in the courts and legislature of . In vain have we sought for our rights and the remuneration for our property in the halls of Congress, and at the hands of the . The only consolation yet experienced from these highest tribunals, and mercyseats of our bleeding country, is, [“]that, our cause is just but the government has no power to redress us.”
Our arm<s> were forcibly taken from us by those marauders; and in spite of every effort to have them returned, the State of still retains them; and the ’ militia law, with this fact before the government, still compels us to do military duty, and for a lack of said arms the law forces us to pay our fines. As Shakespeare would say; “thereby hangs a tale.”
Several hundred thousand dollars worth of land in , was purchased at the ’ Land offices in that district of country; and the [p. 1785]