History, 1838–1856, volume B-1 [1 September 1834–2 November 1838]
History, 1838–1856, volume B-1 [1 September 1834–2 November 1838]
Source Note
Source Note
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
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.
<September> as they had not had the privilege for some days, while some had died and others were sick The Camp was instructed that they could not all go up to Zion in a body, but that it was wisdom that some should look out places and stop through the Winter and work and get means to help themselves with when they arrived, as the money received at Bath was growing short; but the Seventies ought to go up and locate their families, and go forth and preach the gospel—
<10> Monday 10th. There was a child born this morning in camp— son of Reuben Daniels. nine or ten families concluded to look for a place and stop over winter— The camp passed Independence and across fifteen mile prairie in all twenty two miles and encamped by a small stream.
<Trial of &c> This day the Prisoners , William L. Mc. Haney and were brought before , Justice of the Peace for examination— The Prisoners asked for bail to allow time to get Council— The law allowed no bail, but the court adjourned till Wednesday to give time to prisoners to get Council— After the arrest the facts were communicated to by letter, asking his advice how to dispose of the <’s letter> guns and prisoners— Under date of September Tenth advised by letter to
“turn the prisoners loose, and let them receive kind treatment, that the Guns were Government property in the care of Captain Pollard of his vicinity but whether they went by his authority or permission he could not say,”
he was at a loss to give any advice about them
“they shall not through any agency of mine be taken from you to be converted and used for illegal purposes ”
(directed to Messrs. Smith and ) Under the same date advised
“to send two hundred or more men and dispel the forces in and all the assembled armed forces in , and cause those Mormons who refuse to give up, to surrender and be recognized, for it will not do to compromise the law with them.”—
What compromise need there be, , for no Mormons had refused to surrender to the requisitions of the law. It is mob violence alone that the Mormons are contending against— [HC 3:75] A Petition was this day made out by Citizens of , directed to to
“call out the Militia to suppress this insurrection in and and save the effusion of blood which must speedily take place unless prevented”
signed by Jesse Coates and twenty eight others—
<Camp 11> Tuesday 11th. The camp travelled sixteen miles across the Prairie and pitched tents in Macon County—
<12> Wednesday 12. Camp travelled twenty nine miles 534 from
<Trial of > this day the Prisoners and his comrades were put upon trial. It was proven to the Court that the guns were taken by one of the prisoners, and that they were taking them to to arm the Mob. It was also proved that the Mob was collecting for the purpose of driving the Saints from their homes. The Prisoners were held to bail for their appearance at the Circuit Court, as principal, the others were hired into his service—
<Petition to the > This day also a communication was made to , dated “” containing all the falsehoods and lies, that the evil geniuses of Mobocrats Villains and Murderers could invent, charging the Mormons with every crime they themselves had been guilty of, and calling the Mormons “imposters rebels, Canadian refugees, Emissaries of the Prince of Darkness” &c signed “the Citizens of and Counties”—
< to > Under this date , informed the by letter from Head Quarters at , that on the solicitation of the Citizens and advice of the Judge of the Circuit he had ordered out four companies of fifty men each from the Militia of and a like number from : also four hundred men to hold— [p. 823]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [558]
See 10 Sept. 1838 entry in History Draft.
- [559]
JS, Journal, 10 Sept. 1838.
- [560]
- [561]
See 11 Sept. 1838 entry in History Draft.
- [562]
- [563]
See 12 Sept. 1838 entry in History Draft.
- [564]
Citizens of Daviess and Livingston Counties, MO, to Lilburn W. Boggs, 12 Sept. 1838, in Document Containing the Correspondence, 18–19.
Document Containing the Correspondence, Orders, &c., in Relation to the Disturbances with the Mormons; and the Evidence Given before the Hon. Austin A. King, Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of the State of Missouri, at the Court-House in Richmond, in a Criminal Court of Inquiry, Begun November 12, 1838, on the Trial of Joseph Smith, Jr., and Others, for High Treason and Other Crimes against the State. Fayette, MO: Boon’s Lick Democrat, 1841.
- [565]
David R. Atchison, Richmond, MO, to Lilburn W. Boggs, 12 Sept. 1838, in Document Containing the Correspondence, 19–20.
Document Containing the Correspondence, Orders, &c., in Relation to the Disturbances with the Mormons; and the Evidence Given before the Hon. Austin A. King, Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of the State of Missouri, at the Court-House in Richmond, in a Criminal Court of Inquiry, Begun November 12, 1838, on the Trial of Joseph Smith, Jr., and Others, for High Treason and Other Crimes against the State. Fayette, MO: Boon’s Lick Democrat, 1841.
Go to page