JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. C-1, created 24 Feb. 1845–3 July 1845; handwriting of , , Jonathan Grimshaw, and ; 512 pages, plus 24 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the third volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This third volume covers the period from 2 Nov. 1838 to 31 July 1842; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, D-1, E-1 and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction
This document, “History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842],” is the third of six volumes of the “Manuscript History of the Church” (in The Joseph Smith Papers the “Manuscript History” bears the editorial title “History, 1838–1856”). The completed six-volume collection covers the period from 23 December 1805 to 8 August 1844. The narrative in this volume commences on 2 November 1838 with JS and other church leaders being held prisoner by the “’s forces” at , Missouri, and concludes with the death of Bishop at , Illinois, on 31 July 1842. For a more complete discussion of the entire six-volume work, see the general introduction to this history.
Volume C-1 was created beginning on or just after 24 February 1845 and its narrative was completed by 3 May 1845, although some additional work continued on the volume through 3 July of that year (Richards, Journal, 24 and 28 Feb. 1845; Historian’s Office, Journal, 3 May 1845; 3 and 4 July 1845). It is in the handwriting of and contains 512 pages of primary text, plus 24 pages of addenda. Additional addenda for this volume were created at a later date as a supplementary document and appear in this collection as “History, 1838-1856, volume C-1 Addenda.” Compilers and Thomas Bullock drew heavily from JS’s letters, discourses, and diary entries; meeting minutes; church and other periodicals and journals; and reminiscences, recollections, and letters of church members and other contacts. At JS’s behest, Richards maintained the first-person, chronological-narrative format established in previous volumes, as if JS were the author. , , , and others reviewed and modified the manuscript prior to its eventual publication in the Salt Lake City newspaper Deseret News.
The historical narrative recorded in volume C-1 continued the account of JS’s life as prophet and president of the church. Critical events occurring within the forty-five-month period covered by this text include the Mormon War; subsequent legal trials of church leaders; expulsion of the Saints from Missouri; missionary efforts in by the and others; attempts by JS to obtain federal redress for the Missouri depredations; publication of the LDS Millennial Star in England; the migration of English converts to ; missionary efforts in other nations; the death of church patriarch ; the establishment of the city charter; the commencement of construction of the Nauvoo ; the expedition that facilitated temple construction; the introduction of the doctrine of proxy baptism for deceased persons; the dedicatory prayer by on the Mount of Olives in Palestine; publication of the “Book of Abraham” in the Nauvoo Times and Seasons; publication of the JS history often referred to as the “Wentworth letter;” the organization of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo; and the inception of Nauvoo-era temple endowment ceremonies.
<October 28> Cathedral was again destroyed by fire, which also involved the greater part of the Metropolis in ruin<s>. It was — — — — — — rebuilt in 1099 — — — — — — — — — — — — — and — — — partly burned 1132 and — — — in 1135–6 it sustained considerable injury. It was fired by lightning in 1444 and repaired in 1462. In June 1561 the spire was again set on fire which destroyed spire and roof. Repairs were commenced by Queen Elizabeth and finished by Laud and King Charles the first, who expended £104,330 — — — — but immediately dissensions arose between the King and Parliament, the revenues of the Church were confiscated, the money and materials seized by the Parliament, and the whole body of the building was converted into stables and barracks for dragoons. It was again repaired in the reign of Charles the second, but it was not finished before it became a prey to the flames in the great fire of 1666. — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — The — — — present — — — — — — — Cathedral was built under the direction of Sir Christopher Wren, the first stone was laid on the 21st. of June, 1674 and the highest stone of the pile was laid at the top of the lantern by Mr. Christopher Wren the son of the Architect in the year 1710, and the last finishing and adorning the Church was — — — — in 1715 by George the first; the whole expense of erecting this magnificent structure, was about £736,000 — — — — — — — — The — — — dimensions of the Cathedral — — — — — — — — — — — — — <are> from east to west 500 feet, the breadth — — — — — — — 285 feet, the height from the pavement in the street to the top of the cross over the dome 404 feet, two — — — — towers at the west end, are each 222 feet in height, the general height of the wall is about 90 feet; it was 40 years in building, and covers about two acres of ground. It contains 47 monuments of fine marble erected over the tombs of certain <Dukes, Earls,> Lords, Bishops, Generals, and others — — — , who had distinguished themselves in the — — — — — service of Great Britain and otherwise, Lord Nelson being the most noted— We walked through this church from the base to the ball, being about 400 feet high, from <the upper gallery we> — — — also had a view of the , we passed through the whispering gallery, — — — — — — and though it was — — — — large yet a whisper could be distinctly heard and understood from the most remote part of it, and when the door shut <the sound> — — — penetrates the ear like peals of thunder. This is one of the largest Cathedral<s> in the world — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — On the 5th. of September we visited Westminster Abbey, which is composed of 11 Chapels, — — — — — — — — — — — — — viz. St. Benedicts, St. Edmund, St. Nicholas, Henry the Seventh, St. Paul, St. Edward the Confessor, St. Erasmus, Abbot Islip, St. John, St. Andrew, and St. Michael. These Chapels contain the bodies tombs and monuments of 13 kings, viz. Edward 1st., 3rd., 5th., 6th., Charles 2nd., Henry 3rd., 5th., 7th., James 1st., George 2nd., Richard 2nd., William 3rd., and Sebert King of the East Saxons, who first built this Church, and died <near> 616. Also 13 Queens, viz, Athelgoda Queen of Sebert who died — — — — — 615 and Phillippa, Matilda, Mary 1. and 2. — — — — — — — — — Mary <Queen of Scots>, Elizabeth, Catherine, — — — — Anne, Editha, Eleanor [p. 1121]