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.
<October 2 —> and I went in company with , , and and met them some miles out and escorted them into the City, where they encamped on the [HC 3:85] Public Square, directly South and close by the cellar for the . Here friends greeted Friends in the name of the Lord. Patriarch at — furnished a Beef for the camp. provided a supper for the Sick, and the Brethren provided for them like men of God, for they were hungry having eat but little for several days, and had travelled eleven miles this day. 866 miles from the way the Camp travelled.
The Mob pressed harder upon and fired upon the Saints— [HC 3:86]
<Camp 3> Wednesday 3. The Camp continued their journey to Ambrosial Creek, where they pitched their tents. I went with them, a mile or two, to a beautiful Spring on the Prairie accompanied by , and , with whom I returned from thence to the , where I spent the remainder of the day.
Sister Alice Hodgin died at on the 2nd. of September 1838, and it was such < trial for murder> a wonderful thing for a Latter Day Saint to die in England, that Elder was arraigned before the Mayor’s Court at , on the third of October, charged with “killing and slaying” the said Alice with a “black stick”, &c but was discharged without being permitted to make his defence, as soon as it was discovered that the iniquity of his accusers was about to be made manifest—
The Mob continued to fire upon the Brethren at
< to > The following is an extract from Express to
“Dear Sir:— I received this morning an affidavit from Carroll County. The following is a copy. on his Oath states, that on the night of the first of October, there was collected in the vicinity of an armed force, consisting of from thirty to fifty persons, and on the morning of the second of October, came into the Town of and fired on the civil inhabitants of that place. Thirteen of said individuals were seen by me in that place, and I believe there is actually an insurrecton in that place. — Subscribed and sworn to this 3rd. day of October 1838 William B. Morton J.P. In consequence of which information, and belief of an attack being made on said place, I have ordered out the two companies raised by your order, to be held in readiness under the commands of Captains and Houston, to march for , in Carroll County, by eight o clock tomorrow morning, armed and equipped as the Law directs, with [HC 3:149] six days provisions and fifty rounds of Powder and Ball. I will proceed with these troops in person, leaving Colonel Thompson in command on . As soon as I reach I will advise you of the state of affairs more fully. I will use all due precaution in the affair, and deeply regret the necessity of this recourse— — Brig. Gen. 2nd. Brig. 3 Div.”
<Camp 4> Thursday 4. This is a day long to be remembered by that part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints— called the <the camp, or> Camp No. 1. [HC 3:147] for they arrived at their destination and began to pitch their tents about Sun Set, when one of the Brethren living in the place proclaimed with a loud voice
“Brethren, your long and tedious journey is now ended. you are now in the public square of , this is the place where Adam blessed his posterity, when they rose up and called him Michael the Prince, the Arch Angel and he being full of the Holy Ghost predicted what should befal his posterity to the latest generation”
see Doctrine and Covenants. [HC 3:148]
I spent most of this day with my family.
<> The Mob again fired upon the Saints at who were compelled to return the fire in self-defence. To shew how fire brands, arrows, and death were scattered through the [p. 831]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [626]
- [627]
See 3 Oct. 1838 entry in History Draft.
- [628]
Tyler, “Daily Journal,” 3 Oct. 1838.
Tyler, Samuel D. Journal, July–Oct. 1838. CHL. MS 1761.
- [629]
Richards, Journal, 3 Oct. 1838.
Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.
- [630]
Hiram Parks, Richmond, MO, to David R. Atchison, 3 Oct. 1838, in Document Containing the Correspondence, 35–36.
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.
- [631]
See 4 Oct. 1838 entry in History Draft.
- [632]
Tyler, “Daily Journal,” 4 Oct. 1838.
Tyler, Samuel D. Journal, July–Oct. 1838. CHL. MS 1761.
- [633]
JS, Journal, 4 Oct. 1838.
- [634]
Samuel D. Lucas, Boonville, MO, to Lilburn W. Boggs, 4 Oct. 1838, in Document Containing the Correspondence, 34–35.
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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