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 21> which was applauded by the assembly; his politial views as presented on that occasion seemed to please most of the people; at the close of the speech the congregation quietly dispersed. continued his journey ten miles, and held a meeting with the La Salle branch of 46 members, mostly emigrants from Norway. On the 18th. we arrived at Newark, and attended the Conference according to appointment. The following is a copy of the minutes, which we forward for publication:
‘Newark, Kendall Co., Ill., May 18th. 1844.
‘Conference convened pursuant to notice. There were present, two of the quorum of the Twelve, one High Priest, two Seventies, nine Elders, one Priest, and one Teacher.
‘Conference called to order by . Elder called to the chair. Conference opened by singing, and prayer by the .
‘Representation of the several branches was called for, when the following branches were represented as follows:
‘Newark branch, 35 members, 1 elder, 1 teacher; La Salle branch, 46 members, 2 elders; Ottawa branch, 16 members, 2 elders; Burcan branch, 15 members, 3 elders; Pleasant Grove, McHenry Co., 10 members, 2 elders; Indian Creek branch, 5 members; Big Vermillion branch, 4 members; French creek grove branch, 2 members. Total, 133 members, 10 elders, and 1 teacher.
‘Canute Peterson, Severt Olson, Zimri H. Barter, Levi Lightfoot, Simpson D. Huffaker, Mades Madison, Vance Jacobs, and Oder Jacobson, were ordained elders; also Henry Saba, ordained a priest; and Ole Johnson, and Peter Maclin, ordained teachers, under the hands of Elder<s> , and .
‘Appropriate remarks were then made by Elders and , by way of council and instruction to those who had been ordained; followed by Elder David Savage. Adjourned until Sunday morning, 10 o’clock.
‘Sunday 19th. Met according to adjournment. Opened by singing and prayer by Elder A. M. Wilsey: [HC 6:400] A discourse was then delivered by Elder , in which he instructed the elders to be careful to preach the first principles of the gospel and doctrine of Christ, and not spend their time in warring with the opinions of other men; showed the importance of revelation, and the necessity of a prophet of God, as the head of the church on earth, being as necessary in order to exist and advance in knowledge, as for a natural body to possess a head in order to live. He considered we were enjoying the society of as good a prophet in this day, as any people ever enjoyed in any age of the world, and believed all good men would think so, if they were fully acquainted with him and his principles. He was followed by Elder , who bore testimony to the truth of the fulness of the gospel, counseled the elders to be humble, and not get head and shoulders above their brethren, lest they fall, like the tallest trees of the forest, that are first swept down by the raging storm.
‘Two o’clock, met according to adjournment, when the sacrament was administered, and many testimonies given from the elders and members present, concerning the truth of the work they had received. Conference was dismissed amid the best of feelings, which was manifested, not only by all the saints, but by the whole congregation of citizens that attended. Good order prevailed through the whole conference; attention, kindness, and civility was manifest<ed> by all.
, President.’
Asa Manchester, Clerk.’
“At the close of the Conference, Elders , , [p. 51]