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 4> State and that too by men high in authority and who were sworn to preserve the public peace I quote the following from to the dated
“Boonville Mo. October 4, 1838 Dear Sir— As we passed down the , on Monday last, we saw a large force of Mormons at in Carroll County under arms. Their Commander formerly of , informed me that there were two hundred, and that they were hourly expecting an attack from the Citizens of Carroll County, who, he said were then encamped only six miles from there, waiting for a re-inforcement from Saline County. said they had determined to fight. News had just been received at this place, through Dr. Scott of Fayette, that a fight took place on yesterday, and that several persons were killed. Dr. Scott informed me that he got his information from a gentleman of respectability, who had heard the firing of their guns as he passed down— If a fight has actually taken place, of which I have no doubt, it will create excitement in the whole , and those base and degraded beings will be exterminated from the face of the Earth. If one of the citizens of Carroll should be killed, before five days I believe that there will be from four to five thousand volunteers in the field against the Mormons, and nothing but their blood will satisfy them. It is an unpleasant state of affairs. The remedy I do not pretend to suggest to your Excellency. My troops of the 4th. Division, were only dismissed subject to further orders, and can be called into the field at an hours warning— ” [HC 3:150]
“Base and degraded beings”! who ever heard before of high minded and honorable men condescending to sacrifice their honor by stooping to wage war without a cause or provocation, against “base and degraded beings” But is ready with his whole division, at an “hour’s warning” to enter the field of battle on such degrading terms if his own statement is true. But knew better. He knew the Saints were an innocent unoffending people, and would not fight only in self defence. and why write such a letter to the to influence his mind? Why not keep truth and justice on your side? poor , the Annals of Eternity will unfold to you who are the “base” beings, and what it will take to “satisfy” for the shedding of “Mormon blood”—
<5. Committee Report> Friday 5. Report of the Committee of —
“The undersigned Committee were appointed at a public meeting by the Citizens of , on the third day of October instant, for the purpose of repairing to , in Carroll County to enquire into the nature of the difficulties between the Citizens of Carroll and the Mormons. We arrived at the place of difficulties on the 4th. of October inst., and found a large portion of the Citizens of Carroll and the adjoining counties, assembled near well armed. We inquired into the nature of difficulties. They said that there was a large portion of the people called Mormons, embodied in from different parts of the world. They are unwilling for them to remain there, which is the cause of their waging war against them. To use the gentleman’s language, they are waging a war of extirmination, or to remove them from the said County. We also went into , to see the situation of the Mormons. We found them in the act of defence, begging for peace, and wishing for the civil authorities to repair there as early as possible, to settle the difficulties between the parties. Hostilities have commenced, and will continue until they are stopped by the civil authorities. This we believe to be a correct statement of both parties. This the 5th. day of October 1838 John W. Price Wm. H. Logan Subscribed to and sworn before me, the undersigned, one of the [HC 3:151] justices of the peace, within and for , and State of , this 5th. day of October 1838— John Morse. J.P.”
This day also wrote the from Boonville that “in Carroll County the citizens are in arms for the purpose of driving the Mormons from that County”
<3rd. Quarterly Conference> The third quarterly conference of the Church was held at . President— [p. 832]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [634]
See 5 Oct. 1838 entry in History Draft.
- [635]
Report of the Committee of Chariton County, 5 Oct. 1838, in Document Containing the Correspondence, 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.
- [636]
David R. Atchison, Boonville, MO, to Lilburn W. Boggs, 5 Oct. 1838, in Document Containing the Correspondence, 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.
- [637]
Minute Book 2, 5–6 Oct. 1838.
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