History, 1838–1856, volume B-1 [1 September 1834–2 November 1838]
History, 1838–1856, volume B-1 [1 September 1834–2 November 1838]
Source Note
Source Note
JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. B-1, created 1 Oct. 1843–24 Feb. 1845; handwriting of and ; 297 pages, plus 10 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the second volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This second volume covers the period from 1 Sept. 1834 to 2 Nov. 1838; the subsequent four volumes, labeled C-1 through F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
This document, volume B-1, is the second of the six volumes of the “Manuscript History of the Church.” The collection was compiled over the span of seventeen years, 1838 to 1856. The narrative in volume B-1 begins with the entry for 1 September 1834, just after the conclusion of the Camp of Israel (later called Zion’s Camp), and continues to 2 November 1838, when JS was interned as a prisoner of war at , Missouri. For a fuller discussion of the entire six-volume work, see the general introduction to the history.
, serving as JS’s “private secretary and historian,” completed the account of JS’s history contained in volume A-1 in August 1843. It covered the period from JS’s birth in 1805 through the aftermath of the Camp of Israel in August 1834. When work resumed on the history on 1 October 1843, Richards started a new volume, eventually designated B-1.
At the time of JS’s death in June 1844, the account had been advanced to 5 August 1838, on page 812 of volume B-1. ’s poor health led to the curtailment of work on B-1 for several months, until 11 December 1844. On that date, Richards and , assisted by , resumed gathering the records and reports needed to draft the history. Richards then composed and drafted roughed-out notes while Thomas Bullock compiled the text of the history and inscribed it in B-1. They completed their work on the volume on or about 24 February 1845. Richards, , and Jonathan Grimshaw later added ten pages of “Addenda,” which provided notes, extensive revisions, or additional text to be inserted in the original manuscript where indicated.
Though JS did not dictate or revise any of the text recorded in B-1, and chose to maintain the first-person, chronological narrative format established in A-1 as if JS were the author. They drew 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. As was the case with A-1, 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.” It was also published in England 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.
The narrative recorded in B-1 continued the story of JS’s life as the prophet and president of the church he labored to establish. The account encompasses significant developments in the church’s two centers at that time—, Ohio, and northwest —during a four-year-span. Critical events included the organization of the Quorums of the Twelve Apostles and the Seventy, the dedication of the House of the Lord in Kirtland, Ohio, the establishment of the Kirtland Safety Society, dissension and apostasy in Kirtland and Missouri, the first mission to England, JS’s flight from Kirtland to Missouri in the winter of 1838, the Saints’ exodus from Kirtland later that year, the disciplining of the Missouri presidency, and the outbreak of the Missouri War and arrest of JS. Thus, B-1 provides substantial detail regarding a significant period of church expansion and transition as well as travail.
<September 20 Camp—> had crossed in the Steam Boat and had quarrelled with some of the Camp before me. The Spokesman asked me, “do you belong to this gang of Mormons?” “yes I do” said I. “are you a Mormon” “Yes I am.” “Well stop,” “I am in too much hurry to be stopped and you have not power to stop me” “Are you such a fool as to let those people lead you right into Danger?” “What Danger.” “Why dont you know the Missourians are raising armies to cut you all to pieces.” “We dont fear armies.” “God dam ye dont you fear me” said he at the same time making an attempt to take his arms from his side, for he was armed with a brace of Pistols and a dirk. “No I dont fear you any more than I do any other man” “Well God dam ye, what do you fear?” “We fear nothing but God Almighty!” “Well stop! stop!! dam ye stop!!! or Ill shoot you down.” “Well shoot if you like said I, and passed along while he kept swearing he would shoot me, and said he, you will all get killed before you get up the bluff—”
I was at home until about ten o’clock, when I rode out on horse back. I returned a little before Sunset and was at home through the evening.
< Letter to > The following extracts from ’s letter to the of this date, from , will give a pretty correct view of the army &c
“Sir— the Troops ordered out for the purpose of putting down the insurrection, supposed to exist in the Counties of and , were discharged on the 20th. inst, with the exception of two companies of the Militia, now stationed in the County of , under the command of ; it was deemed necessary in the state of excitement in that , that those companies should remain there for a short period longer, say some twenty days, until confidence and tranquility should be restored. All the offenders against the law, in that , against whom process was taken out, were arrested and brought before a court of enquiry, and recognized to appear at the Circuit Court. Mr. attended to the prosecuting on the part of the State. The Citizens of other Counties who came in armed to the assistance of the Citizens of , have [HC 3:81] dispersed, and returned to their respective homes, and the Mormons have also returned to their homes; so that I consider the insurrection for the present, at least, to be at an end.
From the best information I can get, there are about two hundred and fifty Mormon families in , nearly one half of the population, and the whole of the Mormon forces, in , and the adjoining counties, is estimated at from thirteen to fifteen hundred men, capable of bearing arms.
The Mormons of , as I stated in a former report, were encamped in a town called , and are headed by , a bold, brave, skilful, and I may add, a desperate man; they appeared to be acting on the defensive, and I must further add, gave up the offenders with a good deal of promptness, the Arms taken by the Mormons, and prisoners were also given up upon demand with seeming cheerfulness.”
<x> The Mob again threatened —
See 21 Sept. 1838 entry in History Draft.
<21.> Friday 21st. I was about home—
<Camp> The Camp travelled seventeen miles. It rained much during the day. The Saints crowded into their tents in their Wet Clothes and fasted till morning. The women and children slept well and there was no complaint of “taking cold” on
See 22 Sept. 1838 entry in History Draft.
<22> Saturday 22 travelled eighteen miles and tented in a grove having to go half a mile after Water, which was often the case.
I went out early in the morning returned to breakfast at half past seven and took an airing on horse back at nine in the morning—
<Saints Petition ret > The following petition is from the Saints at
“ Carroll County State of Missouri, Septr. 22. 1838 To his excellency . Governor of the State of —
Your Petitioners, Citizens of the County of Carroll, do [p. 827]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [588]
JS, Journal, 20 Sept. 1838.
- [589]
David R. Atchison, Liberty, MO, to Lilburn W. Boggs, Jefferson City, MO, 20 Sept. 1838, in Document Containing the Correspondence, 27–28.
Document Containing the Correspondence, Orders, &c., in Relation to the Disturbances with the Mormons; and the Evidence Given before the Hon. Austin A. King, Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of the State of Missouri, at the Court-House in Richmond, in a Criminal Court of Inquiry, Begun November 12, 1838, on the Trial of Joseph Smith, Jr., and Others, for High Treason and Other Crimes against the State. Fayette, MO: Boon’s Lick Democrat, 1841.
- [590]
See 21 Sept. 1838 entry in History Draft.
- [591]
JS, Journal, 21 Sept. 1838.
- [592]
- [593]
See 22 Sept. 1838 entry in History Draft.
- [594]
JS, Journal, 22 Sept. 1838.
- [595]
De Witt Saints, Carroll Co., MO, to Lilburn W. Boggs, 22 Sept. 1838, in Document Containing the Correspondence, 29–30.
Document Containing the Correspondence, Orders, &c., in Relation to the Disturbances with the Mormons; and the Evidence Given before the Hon. Austin A. King, Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of the State of Missouri, at the Court-House in Richmond, in a Criminal Court of Inquiry, Begun November 12, 1838, on the Trial of Joseph Smith, Jr., and Others, for High Treason and Other Crimes against the State. Fayette, MO: Boon’s Lick Democrat, 1841.
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