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 18> and the other of , as reported, conversing together concerning incidents on the upper , when one said to the other— ‘if could have succeeded in getting an introduction for us to Jo Smith, Damn him, we would have gagged him and nabbed him, and damn him all hell could not have rescued him from our hands’. The next morning, got in conversation with the man before mentioned from who stated that he had been on the upper on business, that he stopped at on his way down with some twelve or fourteen other men, who laid a plan to kidnap Jo Smith, that some of the company queried about getting access to him, but one of them said he knew they could if he could find ; they called on in the evening to get an introduction to their great prophet, and went with them to the gate where they were stopped by the police, ‘and it was well for him that we did not succeed in getting an introduction to him’. said ‘did know your business?’ and he replied, “yes!” asked ‘what have you against Joseph Smith? did he ever injure you?’ the man replied, ‘no, but he has others’. Did you ever see him? ‘Yes, I was one who helped to run the Mormons from ’, and related many circumstances concerning the mob. said to the man he was acquainted with — considered he was an honorable man, and was led to doubt his being engaged with them in a conspiracy against Joseph Smith, he replied, ‘God damn you it is true whether you believe it or not’, and repeatedly affirmed it. did not believe the statements of the man from as mentioned above, until after hearing the recent developments before the City Council.
“Sworn and subscribed at the time and place above written before me.
L. S
, Recorder C. N.”
At 8 P. M, Wrote the following:—
“, June 18th, 1844.
“, Esq.
Sir;— I received your communication from per . Also ’s from , and I feel grateful for your favors, and congratulate you and also.
“The enemy, or mob, is prowling in the southern and eastern part of [HC 6:501] the , and threatening us with extermination; and we ask the friends of peace and good government every where, to use their influence in suppressing the spirit of mobocracy, and sustain us in our righteous course.
“So far as you can conscientously speak in our behalf, and lend your influence in our favor for the public good, your favors will be highly appreciated.
“Please show this to and such confidential friends as you think proper. Also request Mr. Dunlap to direct his letter to me.
“The bearer, , will give you all particulars
In haste I remain, your friend respectfully,
Joseph Smith.”
I sent the letter by to .
Nine messengers arrived from , and report that the mob had received intelligence from the , who would take no notice of them; and the mob damned the as being as bad as ‘Jo Smith’. They did not care for him, and they were just as willing he would not help them, as if he would.
There was a body of armed me in , and a mob meeting at which attracted considerable attention.
, a policeman, reported at 10 P. M, after I had retired, that [p. 120]