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 10> Patrician, or Self-ConstitutedMonarch— to advocate the pure principles of morality, the pure principles of truth, designed not to destroy, but strengthen the main-spring of God’s moral government— to advocate, and exercise the freedom of speech in , independent of the ordinances abridging the same— to give free toleration to every man’s Religious sentiments, and sustain all in worshipping their God according to the monitions of their consciences, as guaranteed by the Constitution of our , and to oppose, with uncompromising hostility, any ☞ UnionofChurchandState ☜ or any preliminary step tending to the same— to sustainall, however humble, in their equal and Constitutional Rights— and oppose the [HC 6:443] sacrifice of the Liberty, the Property, and the Happiness of the Many, to the Pridecand Ambition of the Few. In a word, to give a full, candid, and succinct statement of Facts as they really exist in the City of — Fearless of whose particular case the facts may apply— being governed by the laws of Editorial courtesy and the inherent dignity which is inseparable from honorable minds, at the same time exercising their own judgment in cases of flagrant abuses, or moral delinquencies— to use such terms and names as they deem proper, when the object is of such high importance that the end will justify the means. In this great and indispensable work, we confidently look to an enlightened public to aid us in our laudable effort.
‘The columns of the Expositor will be open to the discussion of all matters of public interest, the productions of all correspondents subject to the decision of the Editor alone, who shall receive or reject at his option. National questions will be in place— but no preference given to either of the political parties. The Editorial department will contain the political news of the day, proceedings of Congress, election returns &c, &c. Room will be given for articles on Agriculture, the Mechanic Arts, Commercial transactions, &c.
‘The first number of the Expositor will be issued on Friday, the 7th day of June, 1844. The publishers bind themselves to issue the paper weekly for one year, and forward 52 copies to each subscriber during the year. Orders should be forwarded as soon as possible, that the publishers may know what number of copies to issue.
‘The publishers take pleasure in announcing to the public, that they have engaged the services of , Esq., who will have entire charge and supervision of the Editorial department. From an acquaintance with the dignity of character, and literary qualifications of this gentleman, they feel assured that the “Nauvoo Expositor” must and will sustain a high and honorable reputation.
☞ ‘All letters and Communications must be addressed to “, , Ill.”, post paid, in order to insure attention. ☜
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‘, Ill. May 10th, 1844.
“Mayor read the statements of from the ‘Expositor’ [HC 6:444] and asked, ‘is it not treasonable against all chartered rights and privileges, and against the peace and happiness of the ?’
“Councilor was in favor of declaring the ‘Expositor’ a nuisance
“ said no city on earth would bear such slander, and he would not bear it, and was decidedly in favor of active measures. [p. 82]