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 22 Saints Petition at —> hereby Petition your Excellency, praying for relief: That whereas, your petitioners have, on the 20th. inst, been sorely aggrieved, by being beset by a lawless mob, certain inhabitants of this and other Counties, to the injury of the good Citizens of this and the adjacent places: that on the— aforesaid day, came from one hundred to one hundred and fifty armed men, and threatened, with force and violence, to drive certain peaceable citizens from their homes, in defiance of all Law, and threatened then to drive said Citizens out of the County, but on deliberation, concluded to give them, said Citizens, till the first of October next to leave said County, and threatened, if not gone by that time, to exterminate them, without regard to age or sex, and destroy their chattles, by throwing them in the River. We therefore pray you to take such steps, as shall put a stop to all lawless proceedings; and we, your Petitioners, will ever pray &c &c [HC 3:82]
| Benj. Hendrick | James Vallance | John Dougherty | Benj. Hensley | D. H. Barnes |
| Dudley Thomas | Jabez Lake | Moses Harris | Franklin N. Thayer | Wm. S.Smith |
| Wm. P. Lundow | Albert Sorce | Perry Thayer | H. M. Wallace | James Hampton |
| Jno. Hendrick | Samuel Lake | B. B. Bartley | D. Thomas (no Mormon) | Robt. Hampton |
| Thos. Dehart | Asa Manchester | Jonathan Harris | Nathan Harrison | Jonathan Hampton |
| Francis Brown | Wm. Winston | Wm. J. Hatfield. | Elizabeth Smith | Geo. Peacock |
| John Tilford | John Clark | Danl. Clark | ||
| Thos. Hollingshead | John Thorp | A. L. Caldwell | John Proctor | |
| Asa W. Barnes | H. T. Chipman | Rufus Allen | James Mc. Guin | |
| Elijah T. Rogers | David Dixon | ” |
See 23 Sept. 1838 entry in History Draft.
<23> Sunday 23. I attended meeting both A.M. and P.M. and was at home in the evening.
<Camp> The funds of the Camp were nearly exhausted, and the Counsel was to proceed on with the journey and encamped two miles west of , twenty two miles— Some disorder in the movement of the teams, and some murmurings; Satan is trying to divide and destroy Elder Carter had to return nine miles after his horses, with great difficulty the herd was kept together. Brother Gaylord broke a waggon wheel and was badly hurt. They were hailed in and asked where they were driving the Cattle to? “Towards the Rocky Mountains” “Well, you are going into trouble”— Elder Tyler replied “We have been in that place before and know how to take it.” The people growled and grumbled like Wolves.
See 24 Sept. 1838 entry in History Draft.
<24> Monday 24. The Camp was called together and the Council informed them of their scanty means, and that there had been a delinquency in consecrating their monies and goods according to the Pattern; that the Council had hired large sums of money for which they were bound and were liable to imprisonment in case of failure and must wait on the brethren for their pay, and these sums had been expended for the benefit of the Camp. They were required to bring forward their goods, which they did and Elders B. Wilber and D. Carter went forward with the Commissaries Waggon to sell them. The Camp went on and passing through Madisonville (where they were assailed with all kinds of Bugbear Stories about the Mormons, War. &c) tented on the West side of the North Branch of , on the encampment that Elder had left on Saturday with his Camp. The brethren were told that the was just a head with a military force to stop them, to which they gave no heed—
I was at home until half past eight oclock A.M. when I rode out on horseback, and returned about five in the evening
<Troops disbanded> The having heard that peace had been restored in and ordered Generals , Crowther, Lewis and Bolton to discharge their troops— The order was dated at Jonesborough.
See 25 Sept. 1838 entry in History Draft.
<September 25. Letter> Tuesday 25th. wrote the from Mill Port That he had been in the upper part of to assist the Constable in bringing offenders to justice, and that the Major General, with the troops from and on the 18th. instant, except two companies from [HC 3:83] under his command were disbanded. Says in this letter— [p. 828]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [596]
See 23 Sept. 1838 entry in History Draft.
- [597]
JS, Journal, 23 Sept. 1838.
- [598]
- [599]
See 24 Sept. 1838 entry in History Draft.
- [600]
B. M. Lisle, to John B. Clark, Jonesborough, MO, 24 Sept. 1838, in Document Containing the Correspondence, 31.
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.
- [601]
See 25 Sept. 1838 entry in History Draft.
- [602]
Hiram Parks, Millport, MO, to Lilburn W. Boggs, Jefferson City, MO, 25 Sept. 1838, in Document Containing the Correspondence, 32–22.
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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