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
<January 6> to an act entitled “An Act concerning fugitives from justice” approved January 6, 1827 do offer a reward of two hundred dollars to any person or persons, for the apprehension and delivery of each or either of the above named fugitives from justice, viz. , and Joseph Smith, to the Custody of and , or to the Sheriff of—— at the City of .
| Seal | In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the great seal of to be affixed the day and date above mentioned | |
| By the Governor | Lyman Trumball— Sec. of State | |
The Fulton Advocate, Quincy Herald, Galena Sentinel, and Rockford Pilot, will copy the above, 2 weeks.
In the matter of Joseph Smith. In the Circuit Court District of the Decr. Term of 1842— Decr. 31st. day. On Petition for .
And now at this day comes the said Joseph Smith by his Attorney and presents to the Court his Petition setting forth that he has been arrested and is detained in custody by Sheriff of upon a warrant issued by the of the State of upon the requisition of the of as a fugitive from Justice; and that he is also arrested by and by him also held and detained in custody (jointly with the said of ) upon a proclamation issued by the of the State of ; that he is arrested and detained as aforesaid under color of a Law of the, and that his arrest and detention is illegal and in violation of law and without the authority of law in this, that the said Petitioner is not a fugitive from Justice, nor has he fled from the State of ; and praying that a writ of Habeas Corpus may be issued by this Court directed to the said and commanding them forthwith and without [HC 5:237] delay to bring the Petitioner before this Court to abide such order and direction as this Court may make in the premises: upon—— reading and filing of which said Petition. It is considered and ordered by the Court that a writ of Habeas Corpus be issued as prayed for in said Petition—— returnable forthwith.
and thereupon a Writ of Habeas Corpus was issued in the words and figures following to wit:—
The
To Sheriff of , State of & Greeting— We command you, that you do forthwith, without excuse or delay, bring or cause to be brought before the Circuit Court of the for the District of ; at the District Court Room in the City of the body of Joseph Smith, by whatever name or addition he is known or called, and who is unlawfully detained in your Custody, as it is said, with the day, and cause of his caption and detention; then and there to perform and abide such order and direction as the said Court shall make in that behalf. And hereof make <due> return, under the penalty of what the law directs.
| Seal | Witness Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the at in the District of Illinois this 31 day of December A.D. 1842 & of our Independence the 67 year. |
Clk. [p. 1447]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [289]
TEXT: “Seal” enclosed in a hand-drawn representation of a seal.
- [290]
Order, 31 Dec. 1842, JS Collection, CHL.
- [291]
Writ of Habeas Corpus, 31 Dec. 1842.
- [292]
TEXT: “Seal” enclosed in a hand-drawn representation of a seal.
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