JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. E-1, created 20 Aug. 1855–5 Apr. 1856; handwriting of Robert L. Campbell, , and Jonathan Grimshaw; 392 pages, plus 11 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the fifth volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This fifth volume covers the period from 1 July 1843 to 30 Apr. 1844; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, C-1, D-1, and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction
History, 1838–1856, volume E-1, constitutes the fifth 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 July 1843 to 30 April 1844, and it was compiled in Utah Territory in the mid-1850s.
The material recorded in volume E-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , who was JS’s cousin. Smith collaborated with in collecting material for the history and creating a set of draft notes that Smith dictated to Bullock and other clerks.
Robert L. Campbell, a recently returned missionary and member of the Historian’s Office staff, transcribed ’s notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents (such as letters and meeting minutes). The Church Historian’s Office journal entry for 2 May 1855 pinpoints the beginning of his work: “R. L. C. on Book D forenoon, afternoon began book E.” Campbell’s work on the volume apparently concluded on 5 April 1856; entries in the Historian’s Office journal indicate that he then moved on to other assignments while another clerk, Jonathan Grimshaw, began work on volume F-1, the last manuscript in the series. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 2 May 1855; 5 and 9 Apr. 1856.)
Volume E-1 contains 391 pages of primary text and 11 pages of addenda. The initial entry on page 1637 is a continuation of the 1 July 1843 entry that closed volume D-1. The final entry in volume E-1 is for 30 April 1844.
The 391 pages of volume E-1 document a crucial period of JS’s life and the history of the church. Important events recorded here include
• An account of JS’s 2 July 1843 meeting with several Pottawatamie chiefs.
• JS’s 4 July 1843 address regarding his recent arrest, the Legion, and Mormon voting practices.
• JS’s 12 July 1843 dictation of a revelation regarding eternal marriage, including the plurality of wives, in the presence of and .
• The 13 August 1843 disfellowshipment of and revocation of his priesthood license.
• Dispatch of the first missionaries to the Pacific Islands on 20 September 1843, led by .
• JS’s 1 October 1843 announcement of ’s appointment to a mission to Russia.
• Minutes of a 6–9 October 1843 general conference inserted under the date of 9 October at which pled his case in regard to his 13 August 1843 disfellowshipment and was permitted to continue as counselor in the First Presidency.
• Text of JS’s appeal to the Green Mountain Boys of , inserted under the date of 29 November 1843.
• A 20 January 1844 entry that includes a poem by commemorating the presentation of two copies of the Book of Mormon to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert by .
• JS’s nomination on 29 January 1844 as an independent candidate for the presidency of the .
“This was one of the awful, fearful, dangerous, exciting, affecting,— grand, sublime and interesting day’s journey I ever took in my life— Our boat was drawn out of the canal on cars prepared to run on the railroad, to convey us over the Alleghany mountains, which is a novel scene indeed, to see a canal boat taken apart into 4 sections while loaded with freight and passengers, and hoisted on a rail road by inclined planes into the air 1500 feet over high mountains, and then descend into the valley below, in the same way, and every rod is attended with the greatest danger, and what adds dread to it, is having careless men in attendance, who seem indifferent both to their business and the lives of men, which was apparent during this day’s scene at least. But to the detail. Horses were hitched to our cars and drew us four miles and a half, then we came to the first inclined plane which we had to rise; two cars were fastened at the top of the plane to the same rope that ours were fastened to at the bottom, the engine was stationed in a building at the top of the plane that drew the cars up and down, when all was ready, the sign was given by raising a red flag, the engine was put in operation and the cars started; this plane was half a mile long, and raised 180 feet. We went up in two minutes, and I was truly thankful to reach the top, for had the rope broke, or the fastening untied, we should have rolled back to the bottom with a tremendous crash. we were then carried on to plane No. 2, which raised 125 feet in half a mile; our boat rocked badly while going up, but no accident happened. We then continued on a level until we came to the inclined plane No. 3, this was one mile and a quarter long, and raised 320 feet, which we went up in 4 minutes. Before we reached the top, the safety car that was attached to our boat was flung from the track, which <&> dragged many rods, and flung the rope off the wheels for 10 or 12 rods. I made a signal to the engineer who stopped, and it was replaced, here again we were in danger of breaking the rope, which would have sent us back down the mountain more than a mile, or turned us over into the yawning gulf below. In either case we would have been dashed to atoms. My hair rose on my head, but having got all things ready we proceeded on to plane No. 4 ¾ of a mile long, and ascended 265 feet. We rose this in 3 minutes, but it looked awful to be thus suspended almost in the air, with such a weight of lives and freight depending upon a knot, a twine, a rope, a pin, an engine, and care of a man; should either of which give way, all would be dashed to atoms, unless saved by a miracle. We next continued on to plane No. 5 ¾ of a mile long 280 feet rise. We were carried up this also in 3 minutes, which brought us to the summit of the Alleghany mountains. The whole 5 inclined planes on our ascending the mountain are 4 miles in length, which raises us perpendicularly 1,170 feet, and I felt thankful to God that I was on the top of the mountain alive, but we had— to descend in the same way that we ascended. We ran on the top of the mountain <about three miles, and then began to descend. We found snow on the top of the mountain,> and the weather was exceedingly cold. We had 6 inclined planes to descend to get to the bottom of the mountain, the whole of which was attended with equal danger and carelessness. As we came [p. 1757]