History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843]
History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843]
Source Note
Source Note
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
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 .
Footnotes
<April 16> ready to burst upon you like peals of thunder; lay hold of these things, and let not your knees or joints tremble, nor your hearts faint, and then what can Earthquakes, wars and tornadoes do? Nothing. All your losses will be made up to you in the resurrection, provided you continue faithful. By the vision of the Almighty, I have seen it.
“More painful to me the thoughts of annihilation, than death; if I had no expectation of seeing my Father, Mother, Brothers, Sisters and friends again, my heart would burst in a moment, and I should go down to my grave. The expectation of seeing my friends in the morning of the resurrection, cheers my soul, and makes me bear up against the evils of life; it is like their taking a long journey, and on their return we meet them with increased joy.
“God has revealed his Son from the heavens and the doctrine of the resurrection also, and we have a knowledge that those we bring here, God will bring them up again, clothed upon, and quickened by the Spirit of the Great God, and what mattereth it, whether we lay them down, or we lay down with them, when we can keep them no longer then let them sink down, like a ship in the storm, the mighty anchor holds her safe, so let these truths sink down in our hearts, that we may even here begin to enjoy that which shall be in full hereafter. Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna to Almighty God, that rays of light begin to burst forth upon us, even now. I cannot find words to express myself; I am not learned, but I have as good feelings as any man. Oh that I had the language of the Archangel to express my feelings once to my friends, but I never expect to in this life. When others rejoice I rejoice, when they mourn, I mourn. [HC 5:362]
“To let me administer comfort, you shall soon have the company of your companion in a world of glory; and the friends of , and all the Saints who are mourning; this has been a warning voice to us all to be sober and diligent and lay aside mirth, vanity and folly, and be prepared to die tomorrow” (preached about 2 hours)
said he was a boarder with President Joseph Smith the first week he was in , he helped to carry the chain for the Surveyor, and helped to lay out the first city lots.
President Joseph Smith said as President of this house, I forbid any man leaving, just as we are going to close the meeting, he is no gentleman who will do it, I don’t care who it comes from, even if it were the King of . I forbid it.
Dismissed with singing, and prayer by .
I received a letter from the Post Office, of which the following is a copy:
“ March 31. 1843.
“Sir:— You stand accused of High Treason. You will deliver yourself up to <the at Illinois in order to> be tried before the Supreme court of the next term. The of will be directed to take you in custody if you will not deliver yourself up. The will issue a proclamation against you if you obey not this order by May 1. 1843.
Respectfully Yours “Joseph Smith Esq.” Hugh L. Legare. Attorney General”
This letter was superscribed “By order of . President of the ”
I insert this letter in <my> history to shew a specimen of the many despicable falsehoods resorted to by the enemies of truth to annoy me and my friends. [p. 1535]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [578]
JS, Journal, 17 Apr. 1843; “Hugh Legare,” Washington DC, to JS, Nauvoo, IL, 31 Mar. 1843, JS Collection, CHL.
Smith, Joseph. Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155.
- [579]
Clayton, Journal, 17, 23 Apr. 1843.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
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