, “Brief History,” Manuscript, ca. 6 April 1838– ca. 26 January 1839; handwriting of and an unidentified scribe; seventy pages numbered 20–90, plus three unnumbered pages; John Fletcher Darby Papers, Missouri History Museum Archives, St. Louis.
, a careful observer, had enjoyed a close association with Mormon leaders, and consequently his account provides valuable insights into the development and structure of the early church. He summarized many of the doctrines taught by JS and provided a detailed description of the conflict between the Latter-day Saints and other settlers. But his chronicle also related the story of a personal spiritual journey into and then out of the church as came to disapprove of the church’s course in 1838 in Missouri. Yet despite his estrangement from the church and his excommunication in 1839, he retained a degree of sympathy for the Saints and maintained some contact.
apparently began compiling portions of his account while serving as an officially appointed church historian in . He probably completed his narrative by 11 February 1839, when he secured a copyright with the district federal copyright office. He arranged for Thomas Watson & Son of to print A Brief History. The entire print run may have included up to twelve hundred copies.
The document presented here, ’s circa 1838–1839 rough draft of his history, is incomplete. It includes the title page, copyright notice, and preface but is missing twenty-one pages, including the nineteen pages that constitute chapters 1 through 6. The manuscript is almost entirely in Corrill’s handwriting, though some of the chapter summaries (added after he drafted the narrative) were written in a different hand, possibly that of the printer.
’s published version of A Brief History receives comprehensive treatment in volume 2 of the Histories series of The Joseph Smith Papers and is available on this website as part of the history series.
Page 85
exertions used at times to inspire the members of the church with a spirit of consecration and voluntary offering. Some have thus been led to give up all, while others have been very backward which has caused the leaders at times to resort to other meanes of obtaining money to carry on their operations. From some they would borrow promising to pay again, others they would stimulate to liberality by promising them blessings <and prosperity> in the name of the Lord, in their business and futuere prospects: thus many from time to time have lost their property and become dissatisfied untill a great many have lost confidence in their leaders. Shortly after the Danites became organized they set out to enforce the law of consecration; but this did not amount to much. Then they undertook another plan in which <was> very officious and forward: viz, to constitute large Firms so that every <male> member of the church could become a member of the Firm. Every man was to put in all his property by leasing it the to the firm for a term of years, overseers or managers were to be chosen from time to time by the members of the firm to manage the concerns of the same, and the rest were to labor under their direction. In the division of the profits more regard was to be paid towards the needs and wants of the members than to the amount of stock put in. Many joined these firms, while many others were much dissatisfied with them, which caused considerable feeling and excitement in the church.
Smith said <every man> must act his own feelings whether to join or not, yet great exertions [p. 85]