JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. F-1, created 9 Apr.–7 June 1856 and 20 Aug. 1856–6 Nov. 1856; handwriting of and Jonathan Grimshaw; 304 pages, plus 10 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the final volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This sixth volume covers the period from 1 May to 8 Aug. 1844; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1 through E-1, go through 30 Apr. 1844.
Historical Introduction
History, 1838-1856, volume F-1, constitutes the last 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 May 1844 to the events following his 27 June 1844 death, and it was compiled in Utah Territory in 1856.
The material recorded in volume F-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , who was JS’s cousin, and also assistant church historian . Smith collaborated with in collecting material for the volume and creating a set of draft notes, which Smith dictated to Bullock and other clerks. Woodruff gathered additional material concerning the death of Joseph Smith as a supplement to George A. Smith’s work recording that event. Jonathan Grimshaw and , members of the Historian’s Office staff, transcribed the draft notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents.
According to the Historian’s Office journal, Jonathan Grimshaw initiated work on the text of volume F-1 on 9 April 1856, soon after Robert L. Campbell had completed work on volume E-1. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 5 and 9 Apr. 1856.) Grimshaw’s scribal work begins with an entry for 1 May 1844. Unlike previous volumes in which the numbering had run consecutively to page 2028, Grimshaw began anew with page 1. He transcribed 150 pages by June 1856, and his last entry was for 23 June 1844. Though more of his writing does not appear in the volume, he continued to work in the office until 2 August, before leaving for the East that same month. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 2 and 10 Aug. 1856.)
assumed the role of scribe on 20 August 1856. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 20 Aug. 1856.) He incorporated ’s draft notes for the period 24–29 June 1844 on pages 151–189, providing an account of JS’s death and its immediate aftermath. He next transcribed a related extract from ’s 1854 History of Illinois on pages 190–204. Pages 205–227 were left blank.
provided the notes for the final portion of the text. This account begins with an entry for 22 June 1844 and continues the record through 8 August 1844, ending on page 304. (The volume also included ten pages of addenda.) The last specific entry in the Historian’s Office journal that captures at work on the history is for 6 November 1856. A 2 February 1857 Wilford Woodruff letter to indicates that on 30 January 1857, the “presidency sat and heard the history read up to the organization of the church in , 8th. day of August 1844.” (Historian’s Office, Journal, 6 Nov. 1856; Wilford Woodruff, Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to George A. Smith, 2 Feb. 1857, Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, p. 410; see also Wilford Woodruff, Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to Amasa Lyman and Charles C. Rich, 28 Feb. 1857, Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, pp. 430–431.)
The pages of volume F-1 contain a record of the final weeks of JS’s life and the events of the ensuing days. The narrative commences with and arriving at , Illinois, on 1 May 1844 from their lumber-harvesting mission in the “” of Wisconsin Territory. As the late spring and summer of 1844 unfold, events intensify, especially those surrounding the suppression of the Nauvoo Expositor in mid-June. Legal action over the Expositor leads to a charge of riot, and subsequently JS is charged with treason and is incarcerated at the jail in , Illinois. The narrative of volume F-1 concludes with an account of the special church conference convened on 8 August 1844 to consider who should assume the leadership of the church.
<June 16> which is after the order of the Son of God. It is in the order of Heavenly things that God should always send a [HC 6:478] new dispensation into the world, when men have apostatized from the truth and lost the Priesthood; but when men come out and build upon other men’s foundations, they do it on their own responsibility without authority from God; and when the floods come, and the winds blow, their foundations will be found to be sand, and their whole fabric will crumble to dust. Did I build on any other man’s foundation? I have got all the truth which the christian world possessed, and an independent revelation in the bargain, and God will bear me off triumphant. Iwill drop this subject; I wish I could speak for three or four hours, but it is not expedient on account of the rain. I will still go on, and shew you proof upon proofs; all the bible is as equal one part as another.”
-[On account of the rain it was impossible for to report any more.]-
Judge came to and advised me to go before some justice of the peace of the , and have an examination of the charges specified in the writ from of , and if acquitted or bound over it would allay all excitement, answer the law, and cut off all legal pretext for a mob, and he would be bound to order them to keep the peace.
Some forty gentlemen from Madison came down on a steamer to enquire into our difficulties; I met them at the at 2 P. M, and gave them the desired information. , the City Recorder, read the minutes of the Council, declaring the Nauvoo Expositor a nuisance. They expressed themselves satisfied. I then went to the , and met some thousands of the brethren. I instructed them to keep cool, and prepare their arms for defence of the ; as it was reported that a mob was collecting in and other places. I exhorted them to be quiet and make no disturbance, and instructed the brethren to organize into the capacity of a public meeting, and send delegates to all the surrounding towns and villages to explain the cause of the disturbance, and shew [HC 6:479] them that all was peace at and that there was no cause for any mobs.
A messenger arrived, stating that the clerk of the County Court expected to be driven out of tomorrow, and the only way to prevent the shedding of blood was to get the in person to come down with his staff.
I wrote to stating the facts as follows:—
“, Ill: June 16th, 1844.
“His Exellency ,
Sir; I am informed from credible sources, as well as from the proceedings of a public meeting at &c, as published in the ‘Warsaw Signal’ extra, that an energetic attempt is being made by some of the citizens of this and the surrounding Counties to drive and exterminate ‘the Saints’ by force of arms; and I send this information to your by a Special Messenger, , Adjutant General, Nauvoo Legion, who will give all particulars; and I ask at your hands immediate counsel and protection.
“ has been here and given his advice in the case, which I shall strictly follow until I hear from your , and in all cases shall adhere to the Constitution and Laws
“The Nauvoo Legion is at your service to quell all insurrections, and support the dignity of the common weal.
“I wish— urgently wish your to come down in person with your staff, and investigate the whole matter without delay, and cause peace to be restored to the country; and I know not but this will be the only means of stopping an effusion of blood. [p. 105]