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.”
mote shall be lost for it is the workmanship of mine hands
7 But behold verily I say unto you before the earth shall pass away Michael mine Archangle shall sound his trump and then shall all the dead awake for their graves shall be opened and they shall come forth yea even all and the righteous shall be gathered on my right hand unto eternal life and the wicked on my left hand will I be ashamed to own before the Father Wherefore I will say unto them depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels
8 And now behold I say unto you never at any time have I declared at any time from mine own mouth that they should return for where I am they cannot come for they have no power. But remember that all my judgements are not given unto men and as the words have gone forth out of my mouth even so shall they be fulfilled that the first shall be last and the last shall be first in all things whatsoever I have created by the word of my power which is the power of my spirit for by the power of my spirit created I them yea all things both temporal spiritual and temporal firstly spiritual secondly temporal which is the beginning of my work. And again firstly temporal and secondly spiritual which is the last of my work speaking unto you that you may naturally understand but unto myself my works have no end neither beginning but it is given unto you that ye may understand because ye have asked it of me and are agreed
9 Wherefore verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual and not at any time have I given a law which was temporal neither any man nor the children of men neither Adam your father whom I created. Behold I gave unto him that he should be an agent unto himself and I gave unto him a commandment but as [no] temp [p. 95]