See also source note for JS History, circa 1841, draft.
Historical Introduction
was a recent convert to Mormonism when he visited in 1840. There he was immediately engaged by JS as a clerk at his office. Coray later reminisced in his autobiography that after he completed his initial assignment, JS requested that he “undertake, in connection with , the compilation of the Church History.”
At the time received his charge, JS’s and the church’s “history” had been an ongoing project for a decade. Several early attempts had apparently fallen short and been abandoned. However, JS and ’s 1838 effort initiated with , and JS’s ensuing collaboration with , had begun to bear fruit. Unfortunately, Mulholland had died 3 November 1839 after inscribing fifty-nine pages of text in a large record book subsequently designated as volume “A-1” of the manuscript history of the church. was appointed “general church clerk” in October 1840 and succeeded Mulholland as scribe for A-1.
Meanwhile, JS assigned and to draft additional historical material, using sources JS provided. Woolley eventually withdrew from the project and was replaced by a “Dr. Miller,” who remains unidentified. Their work evidently resulted in two different kinds of drafts. According to Coray’s later reminiscences, the first grew out of instructions “not only to combine, and arrange in cronological order, but to spread out or amplify not a little, in as good historical style as may be.” No manuscript matching this description has survived, but their work may have provided the basis for material subsequently copied into the history by other scribes.
did, however, produce an edited version of the narrative inscribed in the large history volume (A-1). According to Coray’s later account, JS was directly involved in this reworking of the history, reading aloud and dictating revisions from the large volume. Two drafts of this work have survived. However, the main history endeavor continued in the large history volume, and there is no indication that either draft was used in subsequent compiling or in publication of the history. Though a short-lived effort, Coray’s manuscript represents the intention to revise the history, suggesting that JS had not yet settled on a final historical product even after he had directed scribes to begin inscribing the history in the large, more permanent volume in 1839.
’s history draft includes departures from the material recorded in A-1 which, though minor, show an intention to refine the story. Coray deleted passages that seemed to be defensive, to plead the cause of the Saints, or to play on the reader’s sympathies—a list of grievances, for example, or complaints against individuals. The draft often softened wording about the persecution of JS and employed more moderate language in describing opposition, avoiding the word “mob” and glossing over accounts of violence.
’s work on JS’s history was not located until 2005, when two manuscripts in Coray’s hand were identified among documents in the possession of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These two manuscripts consisted of a lightly edited draft of the material and had written in the large history volume, and a fair or clean copy of that material that incorporated the revisions Coray made in his earlier draft. The first draft was published in volume 1 of the Histories series of the The Joseph Smith Papers. (See History Drafts, 1838—ca. 1841.) The second or “fair copy” of the two drafts is the document herein featured. An inscription in Coray’s handwriting at the bottom of the first page of this document identifies it as the second copy. In 1869 Coray signed a statement that was later attached to the paper wrapper that enclosed the two drafts: “These hundred pages of History were written by me, under Joseph the Prophet’s dictation. Dr Miller helped me a little in writing the same.”
he might destroy this work for he has put it into their hearts to do this thing that by lying they may say they have caught you in the words which you have pretended to translate 2 2 Verily I say unto you that I will not suffer that satan shall accomplish his design in this thing for behold he has put it into their hearts to get thee to tempt the Lord thy God in asking to translate it over again and then behold they say and think in their hearts we will see if God has given him power to translate if so he will give him power again or if he translate again or in other words if he bringeth forth the same words behold we have altered the words them therefore they will not agree and we will say that he has lied in his words and that he has no gift and that he has no power therefore we will destroy him and also the work and we will do this that we may not be ashamed in the end and that we may get glory of the world 3 Verily verily I say unto you that satan has great hold upon their hearts he stireth them up to iniquity against that which is good and their hearts are corrupt and full of wickedness and abominations and they love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil Therefore they will not ask of me Satan stireth them up that they may lead their souls to distruction and thus he has laid a cunning plan thinking to destroy the work of God But I will require this at their hands and it shall turn to their shame and condemnation in the day of judgement Yea he stireth up their hearts to anger against this work yea he saith unto them decieve and lie in wait and catch that ye may destroy: behold this is no harm and thus he flattereth them and telleth them that it is no sin to lie that they may catch a man in a lie that they may distroy him and thus he flattereth them and leadeth them along until he drageth their souls down to hell and thus he causeth them to catch themselves in their own Snare and thus he goeth up and down to and fro in the earth seeking to destroy the souls of men [p. 18]