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 21> to that end we each pledge to each other our bodily powers, our lives, fortunes and sacred honors.”
To this unconstitutional document were attached the names of nearly every officer in the , together with the names of hundreds of others.
It was by this Band of Murderers that your Memorialists in the year 1833 were plundered of their property and robbed of their peaceable homes. It was by them that their fields were laid waste, their houses burned, and their men, women and children, to the amount of about twelve hundred persons, banished as exiles from the , while others were cruelly murdered by their hands.
Second, After our expulsion from we settled in on the opposite side of the , where we purchased lands both from the old Settlers and from the land office, but soon we were again violently threatened by mobs, and obliged to leave our homes and seek out a new location.
Third, Our next Settlement was in , where we purchased the most of the land in said , besides a part of the lands in and Carroll Counties. These Counties were almost entirely in a wild and uncultivated state but by the persevering industry of our citizens large and extensive farms were opened in every direction well stocked with numerous flocks and herds. We also commenced settlements in several other counties of the , and once more confidently hoped to enjoy the hard earned fruits of our labor unmolested. But our hopes were soon blasted. The cruel and murderous spirit which first began to manifest itself in the constituted authorities and inhabitants of , and afterwards in and the sur[HC 6:126]rounding Counties, receiving no check either from the civil or Military power of the , had in the mean time taken courage and boldly and fearlessly spread its contaminating and treasonable influence into every department of the Government of said , a resident of who acted a conspicuous part in our expulsion from said , instead of being tried for treason and rebellion against the constitution, and suffering the just penalty of his crimes, was actually elected Governor and placed in the executive chair. Thus the inhabitants of the were greatly encouraged to renew with redoubled fury their unlawful attacks upon our defenceless settlements, men women and children were driven in every direction before their merciless persecutors, robbed of their possessions, their property, their provisions and their all; cast forth upon the bleak snowy prairies, houseless and unprotected; many sunk down and expired under their accumulated sufferings, while others after enduring hunger and the severities of the Season, suffering all but death; arrived in , to which place they were driven from all the surrounding Counties only to witness a still more heart rending scene. In vain had we appealed to the constituted authorities of for protection and redress of our former grievances— In vain we now stretched out our hands and appealed as the citizens of this great Republic to the sympathies; to the Justice and magnanimity of those in power. In vain we implored again and again at the feet of our former persecutor, aid and protection against the ravages and murders now inflicted upon our defenceless and unoffending citizens. The cry of American [p. 1813]