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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
<June 11> I will criticize a little further, there has been much said about the word Hell and the Sectarian world have preached much about it, describing it as a burning lake of fire and brimstone, but who ever revealed it? God never did, but what is hell? it is another modern term, and is taken from Hades. I’ll hunt after Hades as Pat did for the Wood chuck.
Hades the Greek, or Shaole the Hebrew. These two significations mean a world of Spirits. Hades, Shaole, Paradise, Spirits in prison, are all one, it is a world of Spirits.
The righteous and the wicked all go to the same world of Spirits until the resurrection. I do not think so says one. If you will go to my house anytime I will take my Lexicon and prove it to you.
The great misery of departed Spirits in the world of Spirits where they go after death, is to know that they come short of the glory that others enjoy, and that they might have enjoyed themselves. and they are their own accusers, but says one I believe in one universal heaven and hell where all go and are all alike and equally miserable or equally happy. What? where all are huddled together, the honorable, virtuous, and [HC 5:425] murderers and whoremongers, when it is written that they shall be judged according to the deeds done in the body? But saint Paul informs us of three glories and three heavens, he knew a man that was caught up to the third heaven, now if the doctrine of the Sectarian world, <that there is but one heaven> Paul what do you tell that lie for <and say there are three>? and Jesus said unto his disciples there are many mansions in my father’s kingdom (house) if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and I will come and receive you to myself that where I am ye may be also.
Any man may believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and be happy in that belief, and yet not obey his Commandments, and at last be cut down for disobedience to his righteous requirements
A man of God should be endowed with all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in order to teach and lead the people of God.
The <Sectarian Priests are> blind <and they> lead the blind and both <they will all> fall into the ditch together.
They build with Hay wood and stubble on the old Revelations without the true Priesthood or Spirit of Revelation. If I had time I would dig into hell, hades, Shaole and tell what exists there.
There is much said about God and the Godhead. The Scriptures say there are Gods many, and Lords many but to us there is but one living and true God, and the heaven of heavens could not contain him, for he took the liberty to go into other heavens the teachers of the day say that the father is God, the son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, and they are all in one body and one God. Jesus prays that those that the father had given him out of the World might be made one in us as we are one, but if they were to be stuffed into one person, it would make a great big God. If I were to testify that the Christian World were wrong on this point my testimony would be true
Peter and Stephen testify that they saw the son of man standing on the right hand of God, any person that has seen the heavens opened, knows that there are three personages in the heavens who hold the keys of power and one presides over all [p. 1574]
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Footnotes
Footnotes
Insertion in handwriting of Leo Hawkins.
Insertion in handwriting of Leo Hawkins.
Insertion in handwriting of Leo Hawkins.
Insertion in handwriting of Leo Hawkins.
Insertion in handwriting of Leo Hawkins.