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.
<June 10> mentioned before; nothing said about . Was within hearing of the parties at the time conversation was going on.
“, sworn. Some day last week, saw ride up to the and go in; witness went in and found the Mayor and in conversation. Gen. Smith was naming the men he would have present, among whom was , , , and ; and had leave to call an equal number of his friends, as understood, for the purpose of having an interview on some matters in contention.
“The ’s was proposed. General said he had no objections; wanted him present. started, saying he would be back shortly. Before left, the men whom Gen. Smith had named to be present at the conversation were sent for. [HC 6:439]
“Cross-examined; went into the house, as Mayor and were coming out of the Bar Room into the hall; nothing said by the Mayor to about his coming back; made no offer to about a settlement.
“Mayor said the first thing that occurred to his mind when he stepped into the hall with was that he wanted to assassinate him; he saw something shining below his vest; Mayor put his finger on it and said, what is that? replied, it is my pistol, and immediately took out the pistol, and showed it openly, and wanted the Mayor to go with him alone. Mayor said he would not go alone; Mayor never saw the pistol before; had a hook on its side to hang on his waist band.
“Andrew L. Lamoreaux sworn; said that in 1839 or ’40, while President Joseph Smith, , , , and Dr , while on their way to , called at ’ <house in> Dayton, Ohio; that the evening was spent very agreeably, except some dissatisfaction on the part of certain females with regard to the conduct of . On their return from witness informed President Smith of ’s conduct. President Smith said he had frequently reproved for such conduct, and he had promised to do better; and told witness to reprove if he saw any thing out of the way. That evening refused to join the company, and walked through the town ’till about 8 o’clock, when he came in and interrupted Prest. Smith, who was expounding some passages of scripture; and changed the conversation. Soon after the company were invited to Mr Brown’s at the next door, whither they all repaired. While at Mr. Brown’s, conversation was going on, and the room much crowded; and one of the ladies he had paid so much attention to before, took their seats in one corner of the room; witness heard her state to that she supposed she had been enciente for some time back, but had been disappointed, and supposed it was on account of her weakness, and wanted to prescribe something for her; said he could do it for her, and dropped his hand to her feet, and began to raise it; she gave him a slight push, and threw herself close to the wall. He laid his hand on her knee, and whispered so low that witness could not hear; next morning witness went in while and others were at breakfast, and related what he had seen; denied it; Prest. Smith told him not to deny it, for he saw it himself, and was ashamed of it. confessed it was true, and promised to reform.
“ sworn; said that he came to before the Laws, and brought considerable property; it was a short time after the church had been driven out of , and had arrived in this place. The families having been robbed of all in were in a starving condition. By the council of the Presidency, converted his funds to feeding the poor, bringing in meat and flour &c, and while thus engaged drew upon the Laws, who were at that time engaged in [HC 6:440] merchandise to the amount of some six hundred [p. 79]