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
Historian’s Office, Journal, 3 and 4 July 1845.
Historian’s Office, Journal, 1 July 1854.
Historian’s Office, Journal, 2 May 1855.
<December 24> is none good but one. The better a man is, the more his prayer will avail, like the—— Publican and the Pharisee; one was justified rather than the other, showing that both were justified in a degree. The prayer of a wicked man may do a righteous man good when it does the one who prays no good.
See 25 Dec. 1842 entry in History Draft.
<25> Sunday 25 I wrote to Orrin Wright Junr.
The () Conference met, numbering 1506 Members, including 33 Elders, 87 Priests, 53 Teachers, and 19 Deacons, under the presidency of Elder . [HC 5:208]
See 26 Dec. 1842 entry in History Draft.
<26> Monday 26 In the morning held Court, and I was afterwards arrested by General , on the proclamation of , and Elders and went to to obtain a writ of to take me before the Court at . gave me in Custody of —— with whom I visited Sister Morey, who was severely afflicted, we prescribed Lobelia for her, among other things, which is excellent in its place. I have learned the value of it by my own experience, It is one of the works of God, but like the power of God, or any other good, it becomes an evil when improperly used. gave me a walking stick, the body of which was from the tooth of the sperm whale, and the top of whale ivory with an interstice of Mahogany. On my return home I found my Wife sick, she was delivered of a Son, which did not survive its birth—
The Herefordshire Conference () under the presidency of Elder William Kay met at Colwall numbering 844 members including 20 Elders, 53 Priests, 22 Teachers, and 10 Deacons.
See 27 Dec. 1842 entry in History Draft.
<27> Tuesday 27. At 9 in the morning started in Custody of for , in company with [HC 5:209] , , , , Levi Moffit, and . On our way to we met and , who had obtained an order for a writ of from the Master in , as no writ could issue, the Clerk of Court having been elected to the Senate. There was considerable snow and the travelling heavy but we arrived at my brother ’s in Plymouth a little after Sunset and were soon joined by , , Dr. Tate, and. I supped with brother ’s family, who lived under the same roof, slept with on a Buffalo Skin spread upon the floor, and dreamed that I was by a beautiful stream of Water, and saw a noble fish which I threw out, soon after I saw a number more and threw them out. I afterwards saw a multitude of fish, and threw out a great—— abundance, and sent for salt and salted them.
See 28 Dec. 1842 entry in History Draft.
<28> Wednesday 28 The morning was wet, we started about eight o’clock, and arrived at Mrs. Stevenson’s tavern, in at 3 in afternoon about 20 miles. ’s Wife who was sick went with us, accompanied by Sister Durphy who went with us from to take care of her. I spent a part of the evening with Mr. , and family and a part of my company. In conversation respecting the repeal of charters, I told them that to touch the Charter was no better than Highway Robbery, that since the creation there never had been a repeal of a perpetual charter by God, Angels or Men; and that I never would submit to lowering our Charter, but they might bring other Charters up to it. On my return to the tavern the brethren took my height which was six feet, and my brother the same.
See 29 Dec. 1842 entry in History Draft.
<29> Thursday 29. Started early, crossed the at 11. and arrived at Captain [p. 1430]
Source Note
Source Note
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Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
See 25 Dec. 1842 entry in History Draft.
Richards, Journal, 25 Dec. 1842.
Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.
“Manchester Conference,” LDS Millennial Star, Feb. 1843, 3:174–175.
Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
See 26 Dec. 1842 entry in History Draft.
JS, Journal, 26 Dec. 1842.
“Manchester Conference,” LDS Millennial Star, Feb. 1843, 3:175.
Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
See 27 Dec. 1842 entry in History Draft.
JS, Journal, 27 Dec. 1842.
See 28 Dec. 1842 entry in History Draft.
JS, Journal, 28 Dec. 1842.
See 29 Dec. 1842 entry in History Draft.
JS, Journal, 29 Dec. 1842.
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