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.”
4 Verily verily I say unto you wo be unto him that lieth to decieve because he supposeth that another lieth to decieve for such are not exempt from the Justice of God.
5 Now behold they altered those words because Satan saith unto them. He hath decieved you and thus he flattereth them away to do iniquity to get thee to tempt the Lord thy God
6 Behold I say unto you that you shall not translate again those words for behold if you should bring forth the same words they will say you have lied that you have pretended to translate but that you have pretended contradicted yourself And behold they will publish <this> and Satan will harden their hearts of the people to stir them up to anger against you that they will not believe my words Thus Satan thinketh to overpower your testimony in this generation that the work may not come forth in this generation: but behold here is wisdom and because I show unto you wisdom and give you commandments concerning these things what you shall do Show it not unto the world until you have accomplished the work of translation 7 Marvel not that I said unto you here is wisdom show it not unto the world that you may be preserved. Behold I do not say that you shall not show it unto the righteous but as you cannot all all always judge the righteous or as you cannot always tell the wicked from the righteous Therefore I say unto you hold your peace until I shall see fit to make all things known unto the world concerning this matter
8 “And now verily I say unto you that an account of those things that you have written which have gone out of your hands are engraven upon the plates of Nephi Yea and you remember it was said in those writings that a more particular account was given of these things upon the plates of Nephi 9 And now because the account which is engraven upon the plates of nephi is more particular concerning the things which in my wisdom I would bring to the knowledge of the people in this account Therefore you shall translate the engravings which are on the plates of Nephi down even till you come to the reign of King Benjamin or until you come to that which you [p. 19]