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 .
<December 13> We have also fulfilled the law, and more than fulfilled it: and for the sake of peace when we knew that we had violated no law, nor in any wise subjected ourselves to persecutions, we have endured the wrong patiently, without offering violence or in any wise injuring the heartless wretches who could be trusted with such a dishonorable document. [HC 6:111] Those vagabonds have been suffered to prowl at large, and boast of their inglorious deeds, in our midst, and no man has injured them, or said why do you so. The time however is now gone by for this mode of proceeding and those vagabonds must keep within their own borders and let peaceable citizens alone or receive the due demerit of their crimes. We think that this ordinance passed by the city Council is wise judicious and well timed, and is well calculated to protect peaceable citizens in their rights, and to prevent those lawless vagabonds from interfering with the rights of peaceable citizens.
To those <un>acquainted with our relationship to , and the accumulated wrongs, and repeated aggressions that we have received from the hands of that , our language may appear harsh and ill timed; but those who are in possession of those facts know better. Their merciless, unrelenting, inhuman, prosecutions, and persecutions, from the time of our first settlement in that until the present, have been wholly and entirely unprovoked, and without the shadow of law. Joseph Smith has been suffered to be taken, time and again by them: we say suffered, because he could not be legally and constitutionally taken. Joseph Smith never committed the crimes of which he is charged: he is an innocent man. But allowing their false, diabolical accusations to be true, what then?— Does it follow that he is continually to be followed for the same offence? verily no, The Constitution of the expressly says “nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life, or limb.” And yet we find that the state of has put Joseph Smith in jeopardy no less than four, or five times. He was tried once by a Military tribunal in and sentenced to be shot. He was afterwards tried by a pretended civil (Mobocratic) court, and since then he has been several times apprehended, tried and acquited for the same offence, in this , by requisitions. Is he still illegally and unconstitutionally to be held in abeyance by these miscreants, or shall we as free born American citizens assert our rights, put the law in force upon those lawless, prowling vagabonds, and say that he shall be free. Shall we suffer our pockets to be picked through the influence of those scoundrels eternally by defending ourselves against vexatious law suits, or shall we take a more summary way, and by a legal course punish the aggressors, proclaim our freedom and shield ourselves under the broad folds of the Constitution. The latter is the course for us to pursue. The ordinance passed by the city Council will secure this object, [HC 6:112] and we are glad to find that the opinion of Attorney General and J. N. McDougall, correspond so much with our own. “That the Legion is an independent military organization and is by law expressly required to sustain the Municipal laws of .”
What are we to say about those kidnappers who infest our borders, and carry away our citizens? those infernals in human shape.
The whole European world has been engaged in a warfare against those who traffic in human blood. Negociations have been made, treaties entered into, and fleets have been sent out through the combined efforts of the nations to put a stop to this [p. 1802]