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.”
and there shall be great signs in the heavens above and in the earth beneath and there shall be weeping and wailing among the hosts of men and there shall be a great hail storm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth and it shall come to pass because of the wickedness of the world that I will take vengeance upon the wicked for they will not repent for the cup of mine indignation is full for behold [my blood] shall not cleanse them if they hear me not.
5 Wherefore I the Lord God will send forth flies upon the face of the earth which shall take hold of the inhabitants thereof and shall eat their flesh and shall cause maggots to come in upon them and their tongues shall be stayed that they shall not utter against them me and their flesh shall fall off their bones and their eyes from their sockets and it shall come to pass that the bea[s]ts of the forest and the fouls of the air shall devour them up and that great and abominable church which is the whore of all the earth shall be cast down by devouring fire according as it is spoken by the mouth of Ezekiel the prophet who spoke of these things which have not come to pass but surely must as I live for abomination shall not reigh reign
6 And again verily verily I say unto you that when the thousand years are ended and men again begin to deny their God then will I will I spare the earth but for a little season and the end shall come and the heaven and the earth shall be consumed and pass away and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth for all old things shall pass away and all things shall become new even the heaven and the earth and all the fullness thereof both men and beasts the fowls of the air and the fishes of the sea and not one hair neither [p. 94]