JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. D-1, created 4 July 1845–4 Feb. 1846 and 1 July 1854–2 May 1855; handwriting of , Robert L. Campbell, and ; 275 pages, plus 6 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the fourth volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This fourth volume covers the period from 1 Aug. 1842 to 1 July 1843; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, C-1, E-1 and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction
History, 1838–1856, volume D-1, constitutes the fourth of six volumes documenting the life of Joseph Smith and the early years of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The series is also known as the Manuscript History of the Church and was originally published serially from 1842 to 1846 and 1851 to 1858 as the “History of Joseph Smith” in the Times and Seasons and Deseret News. This volume contains JS’s history from 1 August 1842 to 1 July 1843, and it was compiled after JS’s death.
The material recorded in volume D-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , with the assistance of . After Richards’s death in 1854, continued work on the volume as the new church historian with Bullock’s continued help. The process adopted by Richards and Bullock involved Richards creating a set of rough draft notes and Bullock transcribing the notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents (such as letters and meeting minutes). George A. Smith followed a similar pattern, though he dictated the draft notes to Bullock and other scribes.
According to the Church Historian’s Office journal, finished the third volume of the series, volume C-1, on Thursday, 3 July 1845, in , Illinois. He began work on the fourth volume, D-1, the next day, beginning on page 1362 with the entry for 1 August 1842. (The pages in volumes A-1–E-1 were numbered consecutively.) Bullock continued work on the record, drawing upon ’s draft notes, until 3 February 1846—the day before D-1 and the other volumes were packed up in preparation for the Latter-day Saints’ exodus from Nauvoo. At that point he had reached page 1485 with the entry for 28 February 1843. Subsequently, apparently after the collection had arrived in Utah, Bullock added a brief comment beneath that entry: “end of W. Richard’s compiling[.] the books packed Feby. 4— 1846 in Nauvoo[.] Miles Romney— present. The records carried by T Bullock from Winter Quarters to G S L [Great Salt Lake] City in 1848.”
A notation at the top of page 1486 reports that “the books were unpacked in G. S. L. City by and . June 7. 1853. J[onathan] Grimshaw & Miles Romney present.” Vertically, in the margin, is a poignant epitaph: “Decr. 1 1853 Dr. Willard Richards wrote one line of History—being sick at the time—and was never able to do any more.” With Richards’s death on 11 March 1854, JS’s cousin was called to the office of church historian. The notation on the top of page 1486 acknowledges this change in officers, noting, “commencement of George A. Smith’s compiling as Historian. April 13. 1854[.] [C]ommenced copying July 1. 1854.” From mid-April to the end of June 1854, George A. Smith, in collaboration with Thomas Bullock, worked on the draft notes for the history before a new scribe, , resumed writing in D-1 on 1 July 1854, beginning with the entry for 1 March 1843.
continued transcribing intermittently into the late fall of 1854, when he was assigned other duties in the Historian’s Office. He had reached page 1546 with the entry for 5 May 1843. Work resumed in February 1855 in the hand of Robert L. Campbell, recently returned from a mission. He concluded volume D-1 on the morning of 2 May 1855 and began writing in E-1 that afternoon.
The 274 pages of volume D-1 contain a record of much that is significant in the life of JS and the development of the church he founded. Among these events are
• JS’s 6 August 1842 prophecy that the Saints would become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains.
•JS’s 8 August 1842 arrest on a warrant for being “an accessory before the fact” to an attack on former governor .
• ’s 17 August 1842 letter to governor , pleading for the humane treatment of her husband and family.
•JS’s 1 and 6 September 1842 instructions regarding the proper procedures for performing baptisms for the dead.
• JS’s 15 November 1842 “Valedictory” as he stepped down as editor of the Times and Seasons.
• The 26 December 1842 arrest of JS on a “proclamation” by former governor , and subsequent hearing in , Illinois.
• The 7 February 1843 recovery of a volume of patriarchal blessings given by , which had been stolen in , Missouri.
• JS’s 21 February 1843 remarks regarding the and .
• JS’s 2 April 1843 instruction at , Illinois, on the nature of God and other subjects.
• JS’s 16 May 1843 remarks at , Illinois, on the everlasting covenant and eternal marriage.
• The account of JS’s 23 June 1843 arrest and his hearing the following week at .
<April 1> favoured portion, which falls to the lot of but few men, even among the great and good. He was loved and esteemed by many, and hated by few, in all the wide circle of his acquaintance. But, in the midst of a useful career on earth, he is suddenly, and to us unexpectedly, called away to a higher and more glorious field of action; with the spirits of the just, in the high council of the king of kings. His spirit now justly claims an honored seat; his voice is now heard in the deliberations of the high and mighty ones, who are the principal movers in the great events of the dispensation of the fulness of times, whilst his body lies sleeping far away from his native shore, on a distant island of the sea.
No father, or mother, or kindred were near,
To receive his last blessing, or drop a kind tear.
With heart-broken anguish to weep o’er his tomb
Or adorn it with roses of richest perfume.
Yet he was la—mented with many a tear,
By hearts full of sorrow, by souls as sincere;
Who in solemn procession repaired to the grave,
To mourn for the stranger no kindness could save [HC 5:319]
‘Twas a tribute from souls he had won for his Lord.
Yea, brothers and sisters, made nigh by his word,
Whose love was as strong, and whose friendship as pure;
Whose grief was as heartfelt as heart can endure.
His name and memory will be dear to thousands, and will be handed down to all generations, as one who has devoted his time from early youth in the service of his God, <and of his fellow creatures, and> and has laid down his life for Christ’s sake, and the gospel’s, to find it again, even life eternal.
The Saints in , seem to be still rejoicing in the truth, and increasing in numbers.
The emigration to , is gathering as a cloud, yea, they are flocking as doves to their windows, from all parts of and the States. The ice remaining so late in the has congregated them in in great numbers, some from and the east, and from various places. I think that thousands will land in in the course of the spring. Yes, as soon as the ice is out they will throng <to> in swarms. The people in are beginning to be more and more astonished, and are expressing great fears that “Joe Smith” will yet prevail, so as to restore the supremacy of the laws in that dark corner of the earth, where a gang of robbers and murderers have so long controled a State.
I long to be with you on the 6th of April, but fear that the ice will prevent.