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 25> had heard no such teaching from Joseph, nor from the , but that it was wicked to commit adultery, &c. said that did not mean single women, but married women; and continued to press his instructions and arguments until after dark, and until I was inclined to believe; for he called God to witness of the truth, and was so solemn and confident, I yielded to his temptations, having received the strongest assurance from him that Joseph approved it, and would uphold me in it. He also told me that many others were following the same course of conduct. As I still had some doubts near the close of our interview, I again suggested my fears that I had done wrong, and should lose the confidence of the brethren; when he assured me that it was right, and he would bring a witness to confirm what he had taught. When he came again I still had doubts; I told him I understood he () had recently been baptized, and that Joseph, when he confirmed him, told him to quit all his iniquitous practices. Chauncey said it was not for such things that he was baptized for; ‘do you think I would be baptized for such a thing, and then go into it so soon again?’ said it would never be known, I told him it might be told in bringing forth; said there was no danger, and that understood it, and would come and take it away, if there was any thing.
Sarah Miller.”
“State of Illinois,)
ss.
City of .)
“May 24th, 1842.
“There appeared Sarah Miller, the signer of the above instrument, and made oath that the above declaration is true before me.
, Alderman.”
“, May 25th, 1842.
“Extract from the testimony of Catherine Warren vs , before the High Council of the Church, &c.
“I have <had> an unlawful connexion with . taught the same docrine as was taught by , and that Joseph Smith, taught and practiced those things; but he stated that he did not have it from Joseph, but he had his information from Dr. . He, , has gained his object about five or six times. also made propositions to keep me with food if I would submit to his desires.”
“We have abundance of like testimony on hand, which may be forthcoming if we are compelled; at present the foregoing may suffice.
‘Why have you not published this before?’ We answer, on account of the humility and entreaties of at the time, and on account of the feelings of his parents, who are highly respectable, we have foreborne until now. The character of is so infamous, and his exertions such, as to destroy every principle of righteousness, that forbearance is no longer a virtue.
“After all that this has done, in wickedly and maliciously using the name of Joseph Smith, to persuade innocent females to submit to gratify his hellish lusts; and then blast the characters of the most chaste, pure, virtuous, and philanthropic man on earth; he, to screen himself from the law of the land, and the just indignation of an insulted people, and save himself from the Penitentiary, or whatever punishment his unparallelled crimes merit, has entered into a conspiracy— with the Laws and others against the life of those who are knowing to his abandoned conduct; thus hoping to save himself from the disgrace which must follow an exposure, [p. 57]