History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844]
History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844]
Source Note
Source Note
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
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 .
• An account of JS’s sermon, 7 April 1844.
<March 10> Jesus Christ never did reveal to any man the precise time that he would come, go and read the Scriptures, and you cannot find anything that specifies the exact hour he would come, and all that say so are false teachers. There are some important things concerning the office of the Messiah in the organization of the world, which I will speak of hereafter. May God Almighty bless you, and pour out his spirit upon you, is the prayer of your unworthy servant. Amen.”
4½ p. m. I met with the Twelve, and the Temple Committee in the Nauvoo Mansion. [HC 6:254]
The following letter from and others was read
“ February 15th. 1844
To the first Presidency and the quorum of the Twelve of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints
Dear Brethren,
Through the goodness and mercy of God the eternal Father, and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we are permitted to write and send by a special messenger, a concise account of our lumbering operations, together with the apparent prospects of the introduction and sperd [spread] of the Gospel among the Chippewa and Menomanee Indians, and also the projects of our hearts in regard to future operations in spreading the Gospel south in all the extent of and the consequences growing out of the same. All of which we beg leave to submit to your consideration, that we may have your concurrence or such views as shall be in accordance with the mind and will of the Lord and govern ourselves in accordance thereto.
Since we have been here lumbering we have had many difficulties to encounter, but the main hindrance to our successful operations was the feeding, clothing and transporting a great many lazy idle men, who have not produced any thing by their pretended labor, and thus eating up all that the diligent and honest could produce by their unceasing application to labor and we have not yet got entirely clear of such persons. But under all these mighty clogs and hindrances we have been able to accomplish and have in progress, so that we can deliver in about one million feet of lumber by the last of July next, which will be a great deal more than what is necessary to build the and , besides all this we have made valuable improvements here, all the result of much labor done under trying circumstances.
We have recently ascertained that the land from the to its sources is the property of the Menomanee Indians, and the General government having urged them to move off of the lands in the vicinity of Green Bay <unto> their own lands. The Indians say they will, provided the Government will remove all strange Indians and trespassing white men off of their lands— Consequently the Agent and Superintendant of Indian affairs are taking such steps as will stop all further trespassing on the Indian lands, on the Wisconsin Black and [p. 1923]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [844]
JS, Journal, 10 Mar. 1844.
- [845]
Lyman Wight et al., Black River Falls, Wisconsin Territory, to the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, Nauvoo, IL, 15 Feb. 1844, JS Collection, CHL; Council of Fifty, “Record,” 10 Mar. 1844.
Smith, Joseph. Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155.
Council of Fifty. “Record of the Council of Fifty or Kingdom of God,” Mar. 1844–Jan. 1846. CHL.
- [846]
TEXT: “sperd” corrected to “spread” in a later graphite insertion.
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