, “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.
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<were used and especially by to persuade all to join.>
<Healing the sick. Blessing children. Age of accountability. Patriarchs. Words of wisdom. Sacrament. Resurrection and future state. Matter eternal. War law. Cause of difficulty. Remarks to the church.>
<X 27> The Mormons believe in and constantly practice the laying on of hands <and praying> for the healing of the sick; sometimes they are <have been> healed, sometimes partly healed and sometimes not benefited at all: if they are healed they say it was because of their faith as the Saveour promised, “according to thy faith be it unto thee; thy faith hath made the whole” &c Math. 8.13 and 9.22. If partly healed it is still according to their faith as it was said of some in old times “and he began to mend from that very hour;” but if they are not healed or benefitted at all then it is for the want of faith as when the Lunatic was brought to the disciples and they could not heal him because of their unbelief Math 17.20 & 13.58. But they think in this as in many other cases, practice makes perfect, and <it> is necessary to an increase in Faith confidence and the powr of God.
They <members of the church> are also required
The members of the church are required to bring their children under eight years old into meeting and have the elders lay hands -[on and bless them <47— sig 7.> in the name of the Lord. This they say was according to the custom of the ancients, also of the Saviour who commanded little children to be brought to him for that purpose. They also believe that a child begins to be accountable at eight years old and not sooner, and it is the duty of the [p. 86]