, “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 26
The meeting was conducted by Smith. Some <curious> things curious took place. The same visionary and marvelous spirits spoken of before, got hold of some of the elders; it threw one of from his seat on to the floor; it bound another, so that for some time he could not use his limbs nor speak, and some other curious effects were experienced, but by a mightiy exertion, in the name of the Lord, it was exposed and shewn to be from and evil source. The Melchesideck priesthood was then for the first time introduced and confered on several of the elders. In this chiefly consisted the endowment,— it being a new order and authority bestowed <authority>. However, some doubting took place among the elders, and considerable conversation <was held> on the subject. The elders not fairly understanding the nature of the endowment, it took some time to reconcile all their feelings. In a few days, however, a commandment was received for the elders to go to , two by two. and No two went were to travel in the track of <the> others, and they were to preach the gospel by the way. After a little delay, we started. Smith, and six or eight others came into in company. They continued their journey until they arrived in , where they found and his companions. Smith’s pointed out the spot for the temple, read <received> some revelation concerning the purchasing of land and settling the church in that place,— [p. 26]