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 11> enjoin it upon the Municipal Officers and Citizens of said , to use all honorable and lawful means in their power to assist me in maintaining the public peace and common quiet of said . As attempts have already been made to excite the jealousy and prejudice of the people of the surrounding country, by libels and slanderous articles upon the citizens and City Council, for the purpose of destroying the ‘Charter’ of said , and for the purpose of raising suspicion, wrath, and indignation among a certain class of the less honorable portion of mankind, to commit acts of violence upon the innocent and unsuspecting, in a certain newspaper called the ‘Nauvoo Expositor’, recently established for such purposes in said , and which has been destroyed as a nuisance according to the provisions of the Charter, I further call upon every Officer, authority, and citizen, to be vigilant in preventing by wisdom, the promulgation of false statements, libels, slanders, or any other malicious or evil designed concern that may be put in operation to excite and ferment the passions of men to rebel against the rights and privileges of the , Citizens, or laws of the land; to be ready to suppress the gathering of mobs; to repel, by gentle means and noble exertion, every foul scheme of unprincipled men, to disgrace and dishonor the , or , or any of their legally constituted authorities: and finally to keep the peace by being cool, considerate, virtuous, unoffending, manly, and patriotic, as the true sons of liberty ever have been; and honorably maintain the precious boon our illustrious fathers won:
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Corporation at the City of , this 11th day of June, 1844.
L. S.
Joseph Smith, Mayor.”
I had an interview with Elder out of doors, and then returned home to dinner.
At 2 P. M, I went into Court— many people were present; I talked an hour or two on passing events, the mob [HC 6:449] party &c, and told the people I was ready to fight if the Mob compelled me to; for I would not be in bondage. I asked the assembly if they would stand by me, and they cried “yes” from all quarters. I then returned home.
The issued a summons for to attend the City Council on the second Saturday in July at 10 A. M., to answer charges then and there to be preferred against him for slandering the City Council.
came to me at my room as I was talking to my brother , Eaton, Bonney, and others, and read the following letter:—
“, Illinois, June 6th, 1844.
“Gen. Joseph Smith or ,
Gentn.,
I arrived at this place on yesterday safe and sound, in company with Major Smith, who is in good health, and wishes to be remembered to you and all his friends.
“I have just learned that , the individual who figured so large at , is about to present the case, or his case, before the Grand Jury at this place; this is to inform you of the fact, that you may take the necessary precaution, or do what you think advisable in the case. From what I can gather, you are all to be indicted who were present in the case according to the law <of the City> of .
“I remain a friend to humanity, ‘equal rights’, and justices to all Mankind,
.
“P. S. I have just learned that Elder Wright is in this place, and shall put this in his [p. 86]