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.
<October 29 Doctor and his Danites> Kingdom in the last days: If any of us should <be> recognized who can harm us? for we will stand by each other and defend one another in all things— If our enemies swear against us, we can swear also -[The Captains were confounded at this, but continued]- Why do you startle at this Brethren? As the Lord liveth I would swear a lie to clear any of you, and if this would not do, I would put them or him under the sand as Moses did the Egyptian: and in this way we will consecrate much unto the Lord, and [HC 3:180] build up his Kingdom; and who can stand against us? And if any of us transgress we will deal with him among<st> ourselves. And if any one of this Danite Society reveals any of these things I will put them where the dogs cannot bite them”—
At this lecture all of the Officers revolted and said it would not do. They should not go into any such measures, and it would not do to name any such things; such proceedings would be in open violation to the Laws of our Country, and would be robbing our fellow Citizens of their rights and is not according to the language and doctrine of Christ, or the Church of Latter Day Saints— The modern , replied, and said
“there was no laws that was executed in justice, and he cared not for them, this being a different dispensation, a dispensation of the fullness of times; in this dispensation I learn from the Scriptures that the Kingdom of God was to put down all other Kingdoms, and He himself was to reign, and his laws alone was the only laws that would exist”—
’s teachings were still manfully rejected by all. then said that they had better drop the subject, altho’ he had received his— authority from the evening before— The meeting then broke up; the eyes of those present were then opened, his craft was no longer in the dark and but very little confidence was placed in him even by the warmest of the Members of his Danite Lodge <scheme>—
When a knowledge of ’s rascality came to the— Presidency of the Church, he was cut off from the Church, and every means proper used to destroy his influence, at which he was highly incensed, and went about whispering his evil insinuations, but finding every effort unavailing, he again turned conspirator and sought to make friends with the Mob—
And here let it be distinctly understood, that <Organization of 10s. & 50s. &c of the Church> these companies of tens and fifties got up by , were alto[HC 3:181]gether separate and distinct from those companies of tens and fifties, organized by the brethren for self defence, in case of an attack from the Mob, and more particularly that in this time of alarm no family or person might not be neglected, therefore, one company would be engaged in drawing wood another in cutting it, another in gathering their Corn, another in grinding, another in butchering, another in distributing meat &c &c so that all should be employed in turn, and no one lack the necessaries of life; Therefore, let no one hereafter, by mistake, or design, confound this organization of the Church for good and righteous purposes; with the organization of the Danites, of the Apostate , which died almost before it had existence—
<x Militia> The Mob began to encamp at on the twenty sixth and by this time amounted to about two thousand five hundred, all ready to fulfil the Exterminating Order, and join the Standard of the — They took up a line of March for — travelling but part way, where they encamped for the night—
<30> Tuesday 30. Their advance guard was patrolling the Country and taking many prisoners, among whom was Brother , and Brother Carey whose skull they laid open by a blow from a Rifle barrel In this mangled condition the Mob laid him in their Waggon and went on their way and denying him every comfort, and thus he remained that P.M. and night
was in Camp at Chariton under a forced march to , with about a thousand men, and the ’s Exterminating order—
For the history of this day at Hawns Mills on I quote the following Affidavit of [p. 844]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [689]
See 30 Oct. 1838 entry in History Draft.
- [690]
John B. Clark, Richmond, MO, to Lilburn W. Boggs, 10 Nov. 1838, in Document Containing the Correspondence, 66.
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.
- [691]
Joseph Young, Affidavit, Quincy, IL, 4 June 1839, BYU; Greene, Facts Relative to the Expulsion, 21–24.
Young, Joseph. Affidavit, Quincy, IL, 4 June 1839. BYU.
Greene, John P. Facts Relative to the Expulsion of the Mormons or Latter Day Saints, from the State of Missouri, under the “Exterminating Order.” By John P. Greene, an Authorized Representative of the Mormons. Cincinnati: R. P. Brooks, 1839.
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