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.
<May 8> to forgive them. I got vexed— my feelings had been hurt; has been guilty of adulterous communication, perjury &c; which I am able to prove by men who heard them confess it. I also preferred charges against — the same charges which I am now telling; and he got up and told them it was the truth, when he pleaded for his life, and begged to be forgiven. This was his own statement before sixty or seventy men; he said the charges were true against him and . I have been endeavoring to throw out shafts to defend myself, because they were corrupt, and I knew they were determined to ruin me; he has told the public that he has <was> determined to prosecute me because I slandered him, although I tell nothing but the truth. Since the settlement of our difficulties I have not mentioned his name disrespectfully; he wants to bind up my hands in the circuit court, and make me pay heavy damages for telling the truth. In relation to the conspiracy I have not heard say he would take away my life; but , , and , said they would shoot me; and the only offence against me is telling the truth. I did say that stole a raw hide; these are the things that they now want to ruin me for— for telling the truth. When riding in the stage, I have seen him put his hand in a woman’s bosom, and he also lifted up her clothes. I know that they are wicked, malicious, adulterous, bad characters; I say it under oath; I can tell all the particulars from first to last.’
“ sworn:
‘With regard to , at the time that is spoken of I stopped opposite Mr. Law’s store; we had been conversing with ; when I came into the room rather recoiled and wished to withdraw; he went out and sat upon a pile of wood. He said it is all true; I am sorry for it; I wish it had never happened. I understood who related some of the circumstances, he cried and begged of us to forgive him, and said if he could be permitted to stay in the as a private individual he should be happy; that was about what he said; “it is true, I am sorry for it, and I wish it had never been so”, as we came up. , , and Mr. Smith had been talking about it. I have not mentioned it before. I knew of the whole affair; it was on the 4th of July, or a few days after; it was shortly after I came from . I was in the City Council when said all was settled.’
“Cross-examined:—
‘I have heard say all these things were facts; he acknowledged that had the [blank], and that he had doctored him; he acknowledged that, and a great deal more.
“I will make one statement: in our conversation with , I told him that one charge was seducing young women, and leading young men into difficulty, and he admitted it; he said if he had let young men and women alone it would have been better for him.’
“ sworn:
‘In relation to the matters before the court which I am unacquainted with, I was sick at the time, but I have heard them talked of back and fro.’
“Cross-examined:—
‘I recollect Joseph Smith came to me with a complaint against and , and made affidavit that it was true; I have the affidavit in my house. I went to see on last Saturday, and found him at Mr. Morrison’s, where he was waiting for a steam boat. I endeavored to prevail on him to relinquish his undertaking; he said he had no character in , and therefore he had none to lose. I tried to convince him that he had a character, and might be looked upon with respect; but he flatly contradicted me and said he had none, and that was the reason why he persecuted [p. 12]