JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. B-1, created 1 Oct. 1843–24 Feb. 1845; handwriting of and ; 297 pages, plus 10 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the second volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This second volume covers the period from 1 Sept. 1834 to 2 Nov. 1838; the subsequent four volumes, labeled C-1 through F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction
This document, volume B-1, is the second of the six volumes of the “Manuscript History of the Church.” The collection was compiled over the span of seventeen years, 1838 to 1856. The narrative in volume B-1 begins with the entry for 1 September 1834, just after the conclusion of the Camp of Israel (later called Zion’s Camp), and continues to 2 November 1838, when JS was interned as a prisoner of war at , Missouri. For a fuller discussion of the entire six-volume work, see the general introduction to the history.
, serving as JS’s “private secretary and historian,” completed the account of JS’s history contained in volume A-1 in August 1843. It covered the period from JS’s birth in 1805 through the aftermath of the Camp of Israel in August 1834. When work resumed on the history on 1 October 1843, Richards started a new volume, eventually designated B-1.
At the time of JS’s death in June 1844, the account had been advanced to 5 August 1838, on page 812 of volume B-1. ’s poor health led to the curtailment of work on B-1 for several months, until 11 December 1844. On that date, Richards and , assisted by , resumed gathering the records and reports needed to draft the history. Richards then composed and drafted roughed-out notes while Thomas Bullock compiled the text of the history and inscribed it in B-1. They completed their work on the volume on or about 24 February 1845. Richards, , and Jonathan Grimshaw later added ten pages of “Addenda,” which provided notes, extensive revisions, or additional text to be inserted in the original manuscript where indicated.
Though JS did not dictate or revise any of the text recorded in B-1, and chose to maintain the first-person, chronological narrative format established in A-1 as if JS were the author. They drew from a variety of primary and secondary sources including JS’s diaries and letters, minutes of meetings, the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, church and other periodicals, reports of JS’s discourses, and the reminiscences and recollections of church members. As was the case with A-1, after JS’s death, , , , and others modified and corrected the manuscript as they reviewed material before its eventual publication.
Beginning in March 1842 the church’s Nauvoo periodical, the Times and Seasons, began publishing the narrative as the “History of Joseph Smith.” It was also published in England in the church periodical the Millennial Star beginning in June 1842. Once a press was established in Utah and the Deseret News began publication, the “History of Joseph Smith” once more appeared in print in serialized form. Beginning with the November 1851 issue, the narrative picked up where the Times and Seasons had left off over five years earlier.
The narrative recorded in B-1 continued the story of JS’s life as the prophet and president of the church he labored to establish. The account encompasses significant developments in the church’s two centers at that time—, Ohio, and northwest —during a four-year-span. Critical events included the organization of the Quorums of the Twelve Apostles and the Seventy, the dedication of the House of the Lord in Kirtland, Ohio, the establishment of the Kirtland Safety Society, dissension and apostasy in Kirtland and Missouri, the first mission to England, JS’s flight from Kirtland to Missouri in the winter of 1838, the Saints’ exodus from Kirtland later that year, the disciplining of the Missouri presidency, and the outbreak of the Missouri War and arrest of JS. Thus, B-1 provides substantial detail regarding a significant period of church expansion and transition as well as travail.
That we (the Mormons, so called,) <July 1. Meeting of Elders in .> are grateful for the kindness which has been shown to us by the citizens of , since we have resided with them, and being desirous for peace and wishing the good rather than the ill-will of mankind, will use all honorable means to allay the excitement, and so far as we can, remove any foundation for jealousies against us as a people. We are aware that many rumors [HC 2:452] prejudicial to us as a Society are afloat, and time only <x> andtimeonly can prove their falsity to the world at large. We deny having claim to this or any other county, or country further than we purchase, with money, or more than the constitution and laws allows us as free American Citizens. We have taken no part for or against slavery, but are opposed to the abolitionists, and consider that men have a right to hold slaves or not according to law. We beleive it just to preach the Gospel to the nations of the earth, and warn the righteous to save themselves from the corruptions of the world, but we do not believe it right to interfere with bond servants, nor preach the gospel to, nor meddle with, nor influence them in the least to cause them to be dissatisfied with their situation in this life, thereby jeopardizing the lives of men. Such interference we beleive to be unlawful and unjust, and dangerous to the peace of every government allowing human beings to be held in servitude. We deny holding any communications with the Indians, and mean to hold ourselves as ready to defend our country against their barbarous atttacks ravages, as any other people. We beleive that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent rights an[d] unalienable rights, by the laws of such governments, and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly. It is needless to enter into a further detail of our faith or mention our sufferings: Therefore,
<Resolutions.> 1st Resolved. For the sake of friendship, and to be in a covenant of peace with the citizens of to be in covenant of peace with us, notwithstanding the necessary loss of property, and expence we incur in moving, we comply with the requisitions of their resolutions in leaving the county of , as explained by the preamble accompanying the same; and that we will use our exertions to have the church do the same; and and that we will also exert ourselves to stop the tide of emigration tostopthetideofemigration of our people to this .
2d. Resolved, that we accept of the friendly offer verbally tendered to us, by the committee yesterday, to assist us in selecting a location and removing to it.
3.d Resolved, unanimously, that this meeting accept and adopt the above preamble and resolutions, which are here presented by the committee.
4th. Resolved, that , , and , be a Committee to carry these proceed[HC 2:453]ings to the meeting of the citizens of to be held tomorrow at . The above was unanimously adopted by the meeting.