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Discourse, 26 May 1844

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Discourse, 26 May 1844

Source Note

JS, Discourse, [, Hancock Co., IL], 26 May 1844. Featured version copied [between 10 Apr. 1854 and 27 Feb. 1856]; handwriting of with insertions in handwriting of , Jonathan Grimshaw, and an unidentified scribe; nine pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes docket, redactions, use marks, and notation.
Nine leaves measuring 8 inches (20 cm) wide, with various lengths: the first measuring 11¾ inches (30 cm); the second and third measuring 11½ inches (29 cm); the fourth, sixth, and eighth measuring 11⅜ inches (29 cm); the fifth measuring 12½ inches (32 cm); the seventh measuring 11⅝ inches (30 cm); and the ninth measuring 10½ inches (27 cm). A faint, illegible embossment is on the upper left corner of the recto of several leaves. An oval embossment containing the word “MASS” as well as additional text that has faded appears on the upper left corner of the verso of the ninth leaf. The rectos and versos of the first eight leaves are each ruled with thirty-five horizontal lines printed in blue ink; the ink on the first five leaves is now faded. The recto and verso of the final leaf are ruled with twenty-nine horizontal lines printed in blue ink. The right edges of pages [2], [4], [6], [7], and 9 and the left edges of pages [1], [3], 5, and [8] are rough, which suggests that the leaves were torn or hand cut from various books or larger sheets.
The 26 May discourse was inscribed on the recto of each leaf. The versos of pages [1]–5 contain a mid-1850s copy of minutes from a of the and held in on 26 and 27 August 1843; the docket for these minutes is located on the recto of the first leaf and is canceled in graphite. The versos of pages [6]–9 are blank. Pages 5 and 9 were paginated contemporaneously in ink. Pages [2]–[4] and [6]–[8] were later paginated in graphite; the pagination is enclosed within graphite parentheses. At some point, the top edges of pages [1]–[4] and [6]–[8] were trimmed, resulting in the loss of a portion of the docket to the discourse on page [1]. The bottom edges of pages [1]–[4], [7], and 9 were also trimmed. The leaves appear to have been gathered and stored in two different ways. At one point they were folded twice horizontally. The fifth leaf, the longest leaf, contains an additional horizontal fold. The upper left corner of each leaf retains holes from staples or pins, which have since been removed.
The document was docketed by Robert L. Campbell, who served as a clerk in the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) from 1854 to 1874. A graphite notation in the middle of page 9 indicates that the document was read to and approved by on 27 February 1856. The document was copied into the manuscript history of the church in 1856 by Jonathan Grimshaw, who served as a clerk in the Church Historian’s Office from 1853 to 1856. By 1973 it had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The document’s early docket, its notation, its inclusion in the manuscript history, and its later inclusion in the JS Collection indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. These minutes were copied from Wilford Woodruff’s journal. (See Woodruff, Journal, 26–27 Aug. 1843.)

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

  2. Historian’s Office, Journal, 20 Nov. 1854 and 11 Apr. 1874.

    Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.

  3. See JS History, vol. F-1, 58–60; Source Note for and Historical Introduction to History, 1838–1856, vol. F-1; Historian’s Office, Journal, 7 June 1853; and Wilford Woodruff, Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to George A. Smith, 30 Aug. 1856, in Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, p. 364.

    Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.

    Historian’s Office. Letterpress Copybooks, 1854–1879, 1885–1886. CHL. CR 100 38.

  4. See the full bibliographic entry for JS Collection, 1827–1844, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

On Sunday, 26 May 1844, JS delivered a discourse in , Illinois, about persecution he had endured. noted in JS’s journal entry for the day that JS spoke about “and the mobocrats.” While Richards identified only one of JS’s adversaries, JS may also have spoken about his other enemies: and , and , and and . Throughout 1844 tensions had been rising between JS and these individuals. According to a later history, Jackson—who had begun working for JS in May 1843—had turned against the Smith family because would not allow Jackson to marry his daughter Lovina. During a discourse delivered on 24 March 1844, JS declared that Jackson was part of a conspiracy to kill him, his family, and other leaders. Around this time, Jackson also reportedly said that “he should not be surprised if in two weeks there should not be one of the Smith family left alive” in Nauvoo. In his journal, reported that on 5 May, William Law and other dissenters formally organized a church in Nauvoo opposing JS. The next day, JS was arrested on a warrant, originating from the , Illinois, circuit court, that was based on a civil suit filed by Francis M. Higbee, who complained that JS had defamed him. The Nauvoo Municipal Court discharged JS on two days later.
The municipal court’s discharge freed JS—at least temporarily—from custody but failed to free him from ’s litigation. On 20 May, JS learned about a summons that had been issued for him to appear before the Circuit Court regarding a second civil suit that Higbee had initiated. The next day, he went into hiding to avoid arrest. On 24 May, JS was indicted for perjury, adultery, and fornication by a grand jury in , Illinois. According to JS’s journal, , , and , and Francis M. Higbee were involved in these indictments. On 25 May, after hearing that Jackson had arrived in , JS “instuted [instructed] the office[r]s to have him [Jackson] arrested for theateng [threatening] life &c.” JS also decided to come out of hiding and travel to Carthage to answer the allegations.
According to JS’s journal, JS preached the next day at “10 AM.” Both JS’s journal and ’s personal journal note that JS delivered his discourse from “the ”—a portable speaker’s platform or rostrum likely erected in the grove of trees east of the construction site. The featured document indicates that JS began his sermon by reflecting on the persecution he had experienced, stating that he gloried in it. JS reviewed the accusations made against him by , the activities of , and the alleged crimes of . Bullock wrote in his journal that he was in attendance and that he was “recording J. Smith’s sermon.” While Bullock’s notes of the sermon are apparently not extant, it is highly likely that the document featured here, in the handwriting of , was based on Bullock’s notes. Hawkins created the document as a draft of the 26 May discourse with the intention of including a fair copy in the multivolume manuscript history of the church. When the document was copied into volume F-1 of the manuscript history, it included the preface “the following synopsis was reported by Mr. Thos. Bullock.” Bullock and Jonathan Grimshaw reviewed and edited Hawkins’s draft. Hawkins’s account was read to on 27 February 1856 and approved for inclusion in the manuscript history. Given that wrote only the topic of JS’s discourse, the Hawkins account is apparently the earliest version of the discourse that is extant.

Footnotes

  1. JS, Journal, 26 May 1844.

  2. See “Joseph Smith Documents from 16 May through 28 June 1844.”

  3. Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1845, 308; Events of June 1844; compare Jackson, Narrative, 3–31, esp. 27–28, 30.

    Jackson, Joseph H. A Narrative of the Adventures and Experience of Joseph H. Jackson, in Nauvoo. Disclosing the Depths of Mormon Villainy. Warsaw, IL: By the author, 1844.

  4. Discourse, 24 Mar. 1844–A.

  5. Abiathar Williams, Affidavit, Hancock Co., IL, 27 Mar. 1844, in Nauvoo Neighbor, 17 Apr. 1844, [2].

  6. Woodruff, Journal, 6 May 1844; see also “The New Church,” and “We Stated Last Week,” Warsaw (IL) Signal, 15 May 1844, [2]; and Historical Introduction to Discourse, 12 May 1844. Richards’s entry in JS’s journal for 28 April suggests that Law’s church was organized earlier. (JS, Journal, 28 Apr. 1844.)

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

    Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

  7. JS, Journal, 6 and 8 May 1844.

  8. JS, Journal, 20–21 May 1844; Historical Introduction to Pleas, ca. 28 May 1844; see also Clayton, Journal, 21 May 1844.

    Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.

  9. JS, Journal, 24–25 May 1844; “Part 1: 16 May–6 June 1844.”

  10. JS, Journal, 26 May 1844.

  11. JS, Journal, 26 May 1844; Bullock, Journal, 26 May 1844, 14; Berrett, Sacred Places, 3:169–170, 174–175; see also Brigham Young et al., “An Epistle of the Twelve, to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in All the World,” Times and Seasons, 15 Jan. 1845, 6:779.

    Bullock, Thomas. Journal, Feb. 1844–Aug. 1845. In Historian’s Office, Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1, box 1, vol. 1.

    Berrett, LaMar C., ed. Sacred Places: A Comprehensive Guide to Early LDS Historical Sites. 6 vols. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1999–2007.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  12. Bullock, Journal, 26 May 1844, 14.

    Bullock, Thomas. Journal, Feb. 1844–Aug. 1845. In Historian’s Office, Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1, box 1, vol. 1.

  13. Leo Hawkins was born in London. He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1848 and immigrated to the United States in 1849. He joined the Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City in 1852 and began work as a clerk at the Church Historian’s Office the next year. (Obituary for Leo Hawkins, Deseret News [Salt Lake City], 1 June 1859, 104.)

    Deseret News. Salt Lake City. 1850–.

  14. JS History, vol. F-1, 58–60. In April 1854 newly appointed church historian George A. Smith resumed work on the manuscript history, which was initiated in 1838 under the direction of JS. Volume F-1, the final volume of the history, which contained this discourse, was produced through the efforts of George A. Smith, Wilford Woodruff, Thomas Bullock, Jonathan Grimshaw, and Leo Hawkins. (Introduction to History, 1838–1856 [Manuscript History of the Church]; Historical Introduction to History, 1838–1856, vol. F-1.)

  15. JS History, vol. F-1, 58.

  16. See Smith, “Joseph Smith’s Sermons,” 227–229.

    Smith, William V. “Joseph Smith’s Sermons and the Early Mormon Documentary Record.” In Foundational Texts of Mormonism: Examining Major Early Sources, edited by Mark Ashurst-McGee, Robin Scott Jensen, and Sharalyn D. Howcroft, 190–230. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018.

  17. JS, Discourse, 26 May 1844, 9, draft, JS Collection, CHL; see also Historian’s Office, Journal, 27 Feb. 1856.

    Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Discourse, 26 May 1844 History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”
burned both. This is a fair sample of the swearing that is going on against me. The last discharge was the 40th. now the 41st 42nd 43rd all through falsehood. Matters of fact are as unprofitable as the gospel, and which I can prove: you will then know who are liars, and who speak <​the​> truth. I want to retain your friendship on holy grounds— An <​another​> indictment <​has been got up against me.​>— it appears an holy prophet has arisen up <​and he has testified against me​>— the reason is, he is so holy— the Lord knows I do not care how many churches are in the world— as many as believe me,— may— if the doctrine that I preach is true, the tree must be good— I have prophesied things that have come to pass, and can still. Inasmuch as there is a new church, this must be the old<​, and of course​>— we ought to be set down as orthodox— from orthodox henceforth let all the churches now no longer persecute orthodoxy— I never built out of <​upon​> any <​other​> man’s ground. I never told the old Catholic that he was a fallen true prophet God knows then the charges against me are false— I had not been married <​scarcely​> 5 min. and made one proclamation <​of the gospel​> before it was reported that I had 7 wives.— I mean to live <​and proclaim the truth​> as long as I can.— This new holy prophet <​()​> has gone to and swore that I had told him that I was guilty [p. 5]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Discourse, 26 May 1844
ID #
1371
Total Pages
18
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Leo Hawkins
  • Jonathan Grimshaw
  • Thomas Bullock

Footnotes

  1. In his journal entry for 8 May 1844, Thomas Bullock reported that he was the secretary during JS’s habeas corpus hearing held that day before the Nauvoo Municipal Court. He wrote: “Joseph acquitted for the 40th. time—on false accusations.” (Bullock, Journal, 8 May 1844, 12; JS, Journal, 8 May 1844; see also Historical Introduction to Petition to Nauvoo Municipal Court, 6 May 1844; and Historical Introduction to City of Nauvoo v. F. M. Higbee, F. M. Higbee v. JS–A, F. M. Higbee v. JS–A on Habeas Corpus, and F. M. Higbee v. JS–B.)

    Bullock, Thomas. Journal, Feb. 1844–Aug. 1845. In Historian’s Office, Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1, box 1, vol. 1.

  2. This and the following eight insertions are in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.

  3. William and Wilson Law testified before the grand jury in support of an indictment, filed with the Hancock County Circuit Court on 24 May 1844, that accused JS of living in an “open state of adultery and fornication” with Maria Lawrence and other women, who were unnamed. (Indictment, Carthage, IL, 24 May 1844, State of Illinois v. JS for Adultery and Fornication [Hancock Co. Cir. Ct. 1844], pp. [2]–[4], People vs. JS, Indictments and Arrest Warrant, CHL; see also “Part 1: 16 May–6 June 1844”; and Historical Introduction to State of Illinois v. JS for Adultery and Fornication.)

  4. This refers to William Law, who was taking the lead of a new church formed by JS’s opponents. However, according to the Warsaw Signal, Law eschewed the title of prophet: “We stated last week, that William Law was the Prophet of the new Church at Nauvoo. This is denied we hear, by Mr Law, who says that no man can assume the spirit of Prophecy.” (“The New Church,” and “We Stated Last Week,” Warsaw [IL] Signal, 15 May 1844, [2].)

    Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

  5. See Matthew 7:17–20; 12:33; and Luke 6:43–44.

  6. See Deuteronomy 18:22.

  7. See Romans 15:20; 1 Corinthians 3:10–11; and Revelation, 6 June 1831 [D&C 52:33].

  8. JS made a similar statement about orthodoxy during his morning discourse on 16 June 1844. (Discourse, 16 June 1844–A.)

  9. JS appears to have been sealed to his first plural wife in the mid-1830s, but he did not resume the practice until April 1841. (See “Joseph Smith Documents from May through August 1842.”)

  10. Insertion in the handwriting of Thomas Bullock.

  11. This and the following two insertions are in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.

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