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.
<July 25> on demand, with any monies money in the Treasury. , Major General, Joseph Smith, Lieutenant General, , Paymaster General.”
Being sick, I lay on my bed in middle of the room, visited by .
administered to Sister Webster at Farmington, Connecticut, who had been unable to walk for several years past.
<26.—> <Wednesday 26> She arose from her bed this morning and walked.
I copy from the Bee:—
“Sir:— In my last I touched upon the vested rights of the city of the [HC 5:518] Saints, as they appear upon the face of the charter; and it may be proper hereafter, to go into the merits of that document, for I hold the maxim good that the “Union is interested in the Union;” but at the present time I have another subject on the topic, which more immediately concerns the wise and honest portions of the American people. I reason from facts no matter who may cry ‘hush!’ as to Mormonism and the ‘disgrace’ which the State of inherits from her barbarous treatment, and unlawful extermination of the Mormon people. <¶> The great day has already been ushered in, and the voice of a Mormon is not only heard, setting forth his own rights, and preaching the Gospel of the son of God, in power and demonstration incontrovertibly from revelation, in every city and hamlet in our wide-spread American free States, but other realms and kingdoms hear the same tidings; even the Indians, Australia, Pacific Islands, Great Britain, Ireland, [blank], Germany and the Holy Land, where God himself once spoke, have heard a Mormon; and all this in the short space of twelve or fourteen years; yea, and measures have been taken that Russia may hear the ‘watchman cry.’
Now Sir, ‘what has been done, can be done’. I shall not be surprised if the Mormons undertake to cope with the world. Virtue and truth, are twin sisters of such winning charms, that honest men of every nation, kindred and tongue, will fall in love with them; and what hinders the Mormons, with the Bible in one hand and humanity in the other, from Mormonizing all honest men? Nothing. The meaning of “Mormon”, the prophet Joe says, is ‘More Good’, and no matter where it is the Mormons will have it, and if they cannot obtain it by exertion in the world, they will merit it by faith and prayer from the ‘old promise’ of ‘ask and ye shall receive’. <¶> But do not think that I, even I, have been Mormmormonized, by what I write; for I say nay, though I am willing to admit, and all men of sense will do the same; the more light, the more truth; the more truth, the more love; the more love, <the more love>, the more virtue; the more virtue, the more peace; the more peace, the more heaven.— what every body wants. The Mormons believe rather too much for me. I ‘can’t come it.’
Another word on . When her Constitution was framed, they commenced the preamble as follows: ‘We the people of , &c., by our representatives in convention assembled, at on Saturday the 12th. day of June, 1820, do mutually agree to establish a Free and Independent Republic, &c.’ Independent Republic! well some of their subsequent acts prove the truth of it, and as the broad folds of the Constitution often conceals more than meets the eye, notwithstanding it is the Aegis of the people, to keep law-makers and law-[HC 5:519]breakers within and without bounds— let me quote from the 13th. article of the aforesaid constitution, the 3d paragraph:— “That the people have a right peaceably to assemble for their common good, and to apply to [p. 1683]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [105]
TEXT: Text was subsequently moved to follow “Joseph Smith, Lieutenant General”.
- [106]
JS, Journal, 25 July 1843.
- [107]
Rogers, Journal, 25–26 Aug. 1843.
Rogers, Noah. Journal, 1843–1845. CHL. MS 1389.
- [108]
See 26 July 1843 entry in History Draft.
- [109]
Rogers, Journal, 25–26 Aug. 1843.
Rogers, Noah. Journal, 1843–1845. CHL. MS 1389.
- [110]
Viator, Nauvoo, IL, 26 July 1843, Letter to the Editor of the Boston Bee, Times and Seasons, 1 Sept. 1843, 4:305–306.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
- [111]
TEXT: Text erased.
Go to page