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.”
1 Harken unto the voice of the Lord your God while I speak unto you my daughter for verily I say unto you all those who receive my gospel are sons and daughters in my Kingdom
A Revelation I give unto you concerning my will and if thou art faithful and walk in the paths of virtue before me I will preserve thy life and thou shalt receive an inheritance in Zion. Behold thy sins are forgiven thee and thou art an elect Lady whom I have called.
Murmur not because of the things which thou hast not seen for they are withheld from thee and from the world which is wisdom in me in a time to come
2 And the office of thy calling shall be for a comfort unto my servant Joseph Smith Jr. thy husband in his afflictions with consoling words in the Spirit of meekness. And thou shalt go with him at the time of his going and be unto him <for> a scribe while there is none to be a scribe for him that I may send my servant whithersoever I will. And thou shalt be ordained under his hand to expound scriptures and to exhort the church according as it shall be given thee by my Spirit for he shall lay his hands upon thee and thou shalt receive the Holy Ghost and thy time shall be given to writing and learning much. And thou needst not fear for thy husband shall support thee in the church: for unto them is his calling that all things might be revealed unto them whatsoever I will according to their faith
3 And verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world and seek for the things of a better. And it shall be given thee also to make a selection of sacred hyms as it shall be given the[e] which is pleasing unto me to [be] had in [p. 84]