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 .
<June 11> If any man attempts to refute what I am about to say, after I have made it plain, let him be accursed.
As the Father hath power in himself, so hath the son power in himself, to lay down his life and take it again, so he has a body of his own, the Son doeth what he hath seen the Father do, then the father hath some day laid down his life and taken it again, so he has a body of his own, each one will be in his own body and yet the Sectarian world believe the body of the son, is stuffed into his Father’s.
Gods have an ascendancy over the Angels who are ministering Ser[HC 5:426]vants, in the resurrection some are raised to be angels, others are raised to become Gods.
These things are revealed in the most holy place in a temple prepared for that purpose. Many of the Sects cry out O I have the testimony of Jesus. I have the Spirit of God, but away with Joe Smith, he says he is a Prophet, but there are to be no Prophets or Revelators in the last days. Stop Sir. The Revelator says that the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy, so by your own mouth you are condemned. But to the text, why gather the people together in this place? for the same purpose that Jesus worked to gather the Jews; to receive the ordinances, the blessings and glories that God has in store for his Saints. I will now ask this Assembly and all the Saints if you will now build this and receive the ordinances and blessings which God has in store for you, or will you not build unto the Lord this , and let him pass by and bestow these blessings upon another people. I pause for a reply.
At 2½ P.M. I introduced to the congregation Mr. De Wolf a Clergyman of the Episcopal church; and requested the attention of the congregation in his behalf. He read the 6 chap of Hebrews, and then kneeled and prayed, dressed in his black clerical gown, which excited some curiosity among some of the Saints; after the choir sung a hymn, he preached from Hebrews 6 ch 1 & 2 v touching on such principles only, that are acknowledged and received by the church; in his closing remarks he observed, “I may never meet you all again this side of the Eternal world, but I will appoint a meeting: i.e. when the Lord Jesus shall descend with his Angels, to call the dead from their graves, and sit in judgment on all the world.”
A was held at , and the recognized under the direction of , Prest. Walter Cox and Edwin Whiting Councillors. ; Clark Hallet, and Henry Dean Counsellors: William Woodland, , James C Snow, James Israel, , , Moses Clawson, [HC 5:427] Joseph S Allen, Phillip Garner, Henry Ettleman, Reuben Daniels and , . James C Snow, Clerk of the branch, during the appointing of the High Council. made some general remarks upon the Word of Wisdom. He commenced by saying that he always despised a penurious principle in any man, and that God despised it also, for he was liberal, and did not look at every little thing as we do; he looked at the integrity of the heart of man, he said some would strain, nip and tuck at the Word of Wisdom, and at the same time they would turn away a poor brother from their door when he would ask for a little meal for his breakfast. He compared it to the man that was stretched upon the [p. 1575]