JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. F-1, created 9 Apr.–7 June 1856 and 20 Aug. 1856–6 Nov. 1856; handwriting of and Jonathan Grimshaw; 304 pages, plus 10 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the final volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This sixth volume covers the period from 1 May to 8 Aug. 1844; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1 through E-1, go through 30 Apr. 1844.
Historical Introduction
History, 1838-1856, volume F-1, constitutes the last 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 May 1844 to the events following his 27 June 1844 death, and it was compiled in Utah Territory in 1856.
The material recorded in volume F-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , who was JS’s cousin, and also assistant church historian . Smith collaborated with in collecting material for the volume and creating a set of draft notes, which Smith dictated to Bullock and other clerks. Woodruff gathered additional material concerning the death of Joseph Smith as a supplement to George A. Smith’s work recording that event. Jonathan Grimshaw and , members of the Historian’s Office staff, transcribed the draft notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents.
According to the Historian’s Office journal, Jonathan Grimshaw initiated work on the text of volume F-1 on 9 April 1856, soon after Robert L. Campbell had completed work on volume E-1. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 5 and 9 Apr. 1856.) Grimshaw’s scribal work begins with an entry for 1 May 1844. Unlike previous volumes in which the numbering had run consecutively to page 2028, Grimshaw began anew with page 1. He transcribed 150 pages by June 1856, and his last entry was for 23 June 1844. Though more of his writing does not appear in the volume, he continued to work in the office until 2 August, before leaving for the East that same month. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 2 and 10 Aug. 1856.)
assumed the role of scribe on 20 August 1856. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 20 Aug. 1856.) He incorporated ’s draft notes for the period 24–29 June 1844 on pages 151–189, providing an account of JS’s death and its immediate aftermath. He next transcribed a related extract from ’s 1854 History of Illinois on pages 190–204. Pages 205–227 were left blank.
provided the notes for the final portion of the text. This account begins with an entry for 22 June 1844 and continues the record through 8 August 1844, ending on page 304. (The volume also included ten pages of addenda.) The last specific entry in the Historian’s Office journal that captures at work on the history is for 6 November 1856. A 2 February 1857 Wilford Woodruff letter to indicates that on 30 January 1857, the “presidency sat and heard the history read up to the organization of the church in , 8th. day of August 1844.” (Historian’s Office, Journal, 6 Nov. 1856; Wilford Woodruff, Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to George A. Smith, 2 Feb. 1857, Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, p. 410; see also Wilford Woodruff, Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to Amasa Lyman and Charles C. Rich, 28 Feb. 1857, Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, pp. 430–431.)
The pages of volume F-1 contain a record of the final weeks of JS’s life and the events of the ensuing days. The narrative commences with and arriving at , Illinois, on 1 May 1844 from their lumber-harvesting mission in the “” of Wisconsin Territory. As the late spring and summer of 1844 unfold, events intensify, especially those surrounding the suppression of the Nauvoo Expositor in mid-June. Legal action over the Expositor leads to a charge of riot, and subsequently JS is charged with treason and is incarcerated at the jail in , Illinois. The narrative of volume F-1 concludes with an account of the special church conference convened on 8 August 1844 to consider who should assume the leadership of the church.
“Councilor referred to ’s coming to this , &c. Mayor said that had offered $500,00 to kill him.
“Councilor continued; told him, he, () meant to have his daughter, and threatened him if he made any resistance. related to him a dream; that Joseph and were opposed to him, but that he would execute his purposes; that had laid a plan with four or five persons to kidnap his daughter, and threatened to shoot any one that should come near, after he had got her in the skiff; that was engaged in trying to make Bogus, which was his principal business. Referred to the revelation read to the High Council of the Church, which has caused so much talk about a multiplicity of wives; that said revelation was in answer to a question concerning things which transpired in former days, and had no reference to the present time. That when sick, confessed to him that he had been ‘guilty of adultery’, and ‘was not fit to live’, and had ‘sinned against his own soul,’ &c, and enquired who was ? When he came here he had scarce two shirts to his back, but he had been dandled by the authorities of the , &c, and was now editor of the ‘Nauvoo Expositor’, and his right hand man, , who had confessed to him that he had the Pxx.
“Washington Peck, sworn, said soon after came here, he came to witness to borrow money, which witness loaned him, and took some jewelry as security. Soon after a man from across the came after the jewelry. had stolen the jewelry from him. [HC 6:435] At another time wanted to get money of witness; asked witness if he would do anything dishonorable to get a living. Witness said he would not. said witness was a damned fool, for he could get a living a deal easier than he was then doing by making Bogus, and some men high in the church are engaged in the business. Witness asked if it was Joseph? No, said , I dare not tell it to Joseph. Witness understood him the Laws are engaged in it. said he would be the death of witness if he ever went to Joseph or any one else to tell what he had said.
“Afternoon. Ordered by the Council that be suspended until his case could be investigated, for slandering the City Council; that the notify him of his suspension, and that his case would come up for investigation at the next regular session of the Council. (The order is in the hands of the .)
“Councilor said that helped to make the ordinances of the , and had never lifted his voice against them in the Council, and was now trying to destroy the ordinances and the Charter.
“ sworn; said had told that Bogus making was going on in the ; but it was too damned small business. Wanted to help him to procure money, for the general (Smith) was afraid to go into it, and with $500— he could get an engraving for bills on the bank of , and one on the State of , and could make money; said many times did not know him; believed the General had been telling something. God damn him if he has I will kill him; swore he would kill any man that should prove a traitor to him. said if he could get a company of men to suit him, he would go into the frontiers, and live by highway robbery; had got sick of the world.
“Mayor suggested that the Council pass an ordinance to prevent misrepresentation and libelous publications, and conspiracies against the peace of the ; and referring to the reports that had set afloat, said he never made any proposals to to come back to the church. proposed to come back; came to Mayors house and wanted [p. 76]