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 .
<January 21> here to day, and throughout this , and from various parts of the world who say that they have received to a certainty a portion of knowledge from God by revelation in the way that he has ordained and pointed out. I shall take the broad ground then that if we have, or can receive a portion of knowledge from God by immediate revelation, by the same source we can receive all knowledge. What shall I talk about to day— I know what wants me to speak about; he wants me to speak about the coming of Elijah in the last days I can see it in his eye, I will speak upon that subject then. The Bible says, ‘I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers lest I come and smite the earth with a curse’ [HC 6:183] Now, the word turn, here should be translated bind, or seal. But what is the object of this important mission, or how is it to be fulfilled? The keys are to be delivered, the Spirit of Elijah is to come, the Gospel to be established, the Saints of God gathered, Zion built up, and the saints to come up as Saviors on Mount Zion, But how are they to become Saviors on Mount Zion? By building their temples, erecting their baptismal fonts, and going forth, and receiving all the ordinances, baptisms, confirmations, washings, anointings, ordinations and sealing powers upon their heads, in behalf of all their progenitors who are dead, and redeem them, that they may come forth in the first resurrection and be exalted to thrones of glory with them, and herein is the chain that binds the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, which fulfils the mission of Elijah; and I would to God that this was now done that we might go into it, and go to work and improve our time, and make use of the seals while they are on earth. The Saints have not too much time to save and redeem their dead, and gather together their living relatives that they may be saved also, before the earth will be smitten, and the consumption decreed falls upon the world. I would advise all the Saints to go to with their might and gather together all their living relatives to this place that they may be sealed and saved, that they may be prepared against the day that the destroying angel goes forth, and if the whole church should go to with all their might to save their dead, seal their posterity, and gather their living friends and spend none of their time in behalf of the world, they would hardly get through before night would come, when no man can work, and my only trouble at the present time is concerning ourselves that the Saints willbe divided, broken upand scattered before we get our salvation secure; for there are so many fools in the world for the devil to operate upon, it gives him the advantage oftentimes. The question is frequently asked, can we not be saved without going through with all those ordinances &c.? I would answer, No, not the fulness of Salvation. Jesus said “there are many mansions in my father’s house, and I will go and prepare a place for you.’ House here named should have been translated kingdom; and any person who is exalted to the highest mansion, has to abide a celestial law, and the whole law too. But there has been a great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of [p. 1866]