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 10> great quantity of their property destroyed by the Mob. Seeing no prospect of relief, the having turned a deaf ear to our entreaties, the militia having mutinied, and the greater part of them ready to join the Mob; the brethren came to the conclusion to leave that place and seek a shelter elsewhere; and gathering up as many waggons as could be got ready, which was about Seventy, with the remnant of the property they had been able to save from their matchless foes left and started for
<11> On the P.M. of Thursday October 11th. 1838 they travelled that day about twelve miles, and encamped in a grove of timber near the Road. That evening a woman, who [HC 3:159] had some short time before given birth to a child, in consequence of the exposure occasioned by the operations of the Mobs, and having to move her before her strength would admit, died, and was buried in the grove without a coffin— During our journey we were continually harassed and threatened by the Mob, who shot at us several times; whilst several of our brethren died from the fatigue and privations which they had to endure, and we had to inter them by the wayside, without a coffin, and under circumstances the most distressing we <12> arrived in on the Twelfth— [HC 3:160] No sooner had the brethren left than called the Mob together and made a speech to them that they must hasten to assist their friends in . The Land sales (he said) were coming on, and if they could get the mormons driven out, they could get all the lands entitled to pre-emptions, and that they must hasten to in order to accomplish their object; that if they would join and drive them out they could get all the Lands back again, as well as all the pay they had received for them, He assured the Mob that they had nothing to fear from the authorities in so doing, for they had now full proof that the authorities would not assist the Mormons and that they might as well take their property from them as not. His request was complied with, and accordingly the whole banditti started, taking with them their Cannon for . In the mean time was busily engaged in raising a mob in Platt and Clinton Counties, to aid in his effort to drive peaceable citizens from their homes and take their property
On my arrival in I was informed by of , that a company of mobbers eight hundred strong, were marching towards a Settlement of our people’s in . He ordered out one of the Officers to raise a force and march immediately to what he called Wight’s [HC 3:161] Town and defend our people from the attacks of the Mob, until he should raise the Militia in his, and the adjoining Counties to put them down. a small company of Militia who were on their route to , and who had passed through , he ordered back again, stating that they were not to be depended upon, as many of them were disposed to join the mob; and to use his own expression, were “damned rotten hearted.”
<14> Sunday 14 I preached to the brethren at from the saying of the Savior greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for the brethren, at the close I called upon all that would stand by me to meet me on the public square the next day—
There were seven cut off from the Church in England, this day, it was a general time of pruning in England. The powers of darkness raged, and it seemed as though Satan was fully determined to make an end of the work in that Kingdom, Elders and had as much as they could do for some time to see to the branches already planted without planting new years— ones
<15> Monday 15. The brethren assembled on the public square and formed a company of about one hundred, who took up a line of march for , and here let it [p. 836]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [650]
See 11 Oct. 1838 and 12 Oct. 1838 entries in History Draft.
- [651]
See 14 Oct. 1838 entry in History Draft.
- [652]
Sarah Head, Statement, ca. 22 Jan. 1845, Historian’s Office, JS History, Documents, ca. 1839–1856, CHL.
- [653]
See 15 Oct. 1838 entry in History Draft.
- [654]
- [655]
Sarah Head, Statement, ca. 22 Jan. 1845, Historian’s Office, JS History, Documents, ca. 1839–1856, CHL.
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