History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834]
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Source Note
JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. A-1, created 11 June 1839–24 Aug. 1843; handwriting of , , , and ; 553 pages, plus 16 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the first volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This first volume covers the period from 23 December 1805 to 30 August 1834; the remaining five volumes, labeled B-1 through F-1, continue through 8 August 1844.
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Historical Introduction
This document, “History, 1838–1856, volume A-1, [23 December 1805–30 August 1834],” is the first of the six volumes of the “Manuscript History of the Church” (in The Joseph Smith Papers it bears the editorial title “History, 1838-1856”). The completed six-volume collection covers the period from 23 December 1805–8 August 1844. Volume A-1 encompasses the period from JS’s birth in 1805 to 30 August 1834, just after the return of the Camp of Israel (later known as Zion’s Camp) from to , Ohio. For a fuller discussion of the entire six-volume work, see the general introduction to the history.In April 1838, with the aid of his counselor , JS renewed his efforts to draft a “history”. served as scribe. JS’s journal for late April and early May 1838 notes six days on which JS, Rigdon, and Robinson were engaged in “writing history.” Though not completed and no longer extant, that draft laid the foundation for what became the six-volume manuscript eventually published as the “History of Joseph Smith,” and at least a portion of its contents are assumed to have been included in the manuscript presented here.On 11 June 1839 in , Illinois, JS once again began dictating his “history.” now served as scribe. Apparently the narrative commenced where the earlier 1838 draft left off. When work was interrupted in July 1839, Mulholland inscribed the draft material, including at least some of ’s earlier material, into a large record book already containing the text of an incomplete history previously produced over a span of two years, 1834–1836. For the new history, Mulholland simply turned the ledger over and began at the back of the book. The volume was later labeled A-1 on its spine, identifying it as the first of multiple volumes of the manuscript history.Prior to his untimely death on 3 November 1839, recorded the first fifty-nine pages in the volume. Subsequently, his successor, , contributed about sixteen more pages before his death in August 1841. then added a little over seventy-five pages. However, substantial progress on the history was not made until December 1842 when assumed responsibility for the compilation and was appointed JS’s “private secretary and historian.” Richards would contribute the remainder of the text inscribed in the 553-page first volume. The narrative recorded in A-1 was completed in August 1843. and Charles Wandell subsequently added sixteen pages of “Addenda” material, which provided notes, extensive revisions, or additional text to be inserted in the original manuscript where indicated. For instance, several of the addenda expanded on the account of the Camp of Israel as initially recorded.JS dictated or supplied information for much of A-1, and he personally corrected the first forty-two pages before his death. As planned, his historian-scribes maintained the first-person, chronological narrative format initially established in the volume. When various third-person accounts were drawn upon, they were generally converted to the first person, as if JS were directly relating the account. After JS’s death, , , , and others modified and corrected the manuscript as they reviewed material before its eventual publication.Beginning in March 1842 the church’s Nauvoo periodical, the Times and Seasons, began publishing the narrative as the “History of Joseph Smith.” At the time of JS’s death only the history through December 1831 had been published. When the final issue of the Times and Seasons, dated 15 February 1846 appeared, the account had been carried forward through August 1834—the end of the material recorded in A-1. The “History of Joseph Smith” was also published in in the church periodical the Millennial Star beginning in June 1842. Once a press was established in Utah and the Deseret News began publication, the “History of Joseph Smith” once more appeared in print in serialized form. Beginning with the November 1851 issue, the narrative picked up where the Times and Seasons had left off over five years earlier.Aside from the material dictated or supplied by JS prior to his death, the texts for A-1 and for the history’s subsequent volumes were drawn from a variety of primary and secondary sources including JS’s diaries and letters, minutes of meetings, the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, church and other periodicals, reports of JS’s discourses, and the reminiscences and recollections of church members. The narrative in A-1 provides JS’s personal account of the foundational events of his life as a prophet and the early progress of the church. It also encompasses contentions and disputations that erupted between the Latter-day Saints and their neighbors in , , , and . While it remains difficult to distinguish JS’s own contributions from composition of his historian-scribes, the narrative trenchantly captures the poignancy and intensity of his life while offering an enlightening account of the birth of the church he labored to establish.
they saw the fires of the mob on the South East of us— I instantly arose, and discovered the mistake, but wishing the brethren to enjoy the scene as well as myself, immediately discharged my Gun which was a signal to call all men to arms, when the companies were all paraded and ready for battle— I pointed them to the reflection of the rising moon, resting on points of timber in the East, which gave the appearance of the reflection of the light of a number of Camp Fires, the scenery was most delightful and was well worth the trouble of any man rising from his Couch to witness, who had never seen the like on the broad prairie before this circumstance proved that nearly every man in the Camp was ready for battle except who was not baptized, and captain who was suddenly taken with the Cholic, and did not leave his tent; the whole scenery was very amusing. (see page 481)+
Note 6 and carried some of their baggage on their backs— while we were passing over, discovered a Spring which with a little digging furnished us with an abundant supply of excellent water which afterwards received the name of “the Mormon Spring”— This afternoon an aged brother of the having became exceedingly weary, laid down on the Prairie to rest himself and fell asleep, when he awoke, saw a Rattle Snake which lay between him and his hat, which he had in his hand when he fell asleep, coiled up within one foot of his head, the brethren gathered round him, saying it is a Rattle snake let us kill it, but said “no, Ill protect him, you shant hurt him, for he and I have had a good nap together.”
Wednesday 28 we passed on as usual, except suffering much for want of water and provisions, and arrived at Decatur township, encamped on a small stream of water where one of ’s horses died
Thursday 29 Having to buy a horse we were detained until near noon, there was some murmuring among the brethren, many wishing to go on and not tarry with the rest of the Company for the day, and some had already started. I sent for them to return and collected the whole Camp together, and instructed them not to scatter. I told them if they went ahead of the Camp in a scattered condition, they would become weary, lie down on the ground when their blood was hot, and very likely in the Sun, they would be liable to take diseases, such as Ague and fever which is prevalent in this climate, as they ought never to be on the ground (which is always damp) when their blood is hot, they would also be in danger of being killed by an enemy, and none of us be the wiser for it. I then proposed that for a diversion we divide the Camp into three parts, and have a sham battle, which was agreed to by all— brother led one part, another division, and I remained in the Camp with the third division— they retired to the woods with their divisions and soon attacked the Camp which we defended by various maneuvres for some time, many of our Captains showed considerable tact and more acquaintance with military matters than I had expected every thing passed off with good feelings, altho’ Captain in receiving a charge, grasped Captain Lewis Zabriski’s sword, and in endeavoring to take it from him had the skin cut from the palm of his hand. After the sham battle was over, I called the Camp together, and cautioned them to be careful in future and control their Spirits in such circumstances so as never to injure each other; we travelled across the Prairie and encamped in a strip of Timber— when we stopped to dine I wrote a letter to the brethren in -[dated “Camp of Israel”]- requesting some of them to meet us as soon as possible, and give us information of the state of things in Upper , and sent the letter to Post Office by — at this place I discovered that a part of my company had been served with sour bread, while I had received good sweet bread from the same Cook. I reproved brother , for this partiality, [p. 9 [addenda]]
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