History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842]

Source Note

JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. C-1, created 24 Feb. 1845–3 July 1845; handwriting of
Thomas Bullock
23 Dec. 1816–10 Feb. 1885. Farmer, excise officer, secretary, clerk. Born in Leek, Staffordshire, England. Son of Thomas Bullock and Mary Hall. Married Henrietta Rushton, 25 June 1838. Moved to Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland, Nov. 1839; to Isle of Anglesey, Aug...
View Full Bio
,
Franklin D. Richards
2 Apr. 1821–9 Dec. 1899. Carpenter, businessman, newspaper editor. Born at Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Phinehas Richards and Wealthy Dewey. Raised Congregationalist. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Phinehas ...
View Full Bio
, Jonathan Grimshaw, and
Leo Hawkins
19 July 1834–28 May 1859. Clerk, reporter. Born in London. Son of Samuel Harris Hawkins and Charlotte Savage. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by John Banks, 23 Oct. 1848. Immigrated to U.S. with his family; arrived in New Orleans...
View Full Bio
; 512 pages, plus 24 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the third volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This third volume covers the period from 2 Nov. 1838 to 31 July 1842; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, D-1, E-1 and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction

This document, “History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842],” is the third of six volumes of the “Manuscript History of the Church” (in The Joseph Smith Papers the “Manuscript History” bears the editorial title “History, 1838–1856”). The completed six-volume collection covers the period from 23 December 1805 to 8 August 1844. The narrative in this volume commences on 2 November 1838 with JS and other church leaders being held prisoner by the “
Governor
14 Dec. 1796–14 Mar. 1860. Bookkeeper, bank cashier, merchant, Indian agent and trader, lawyer, doctor, postmaster, politician. Born at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of John M. Boggs and Martha Oliver. Served in War of 1812. Moved to St. Louis, ca...
View Full Bio
’s forces” at
Far West
Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...
More Info
, Missouri, and concludes with the death of Bishop
Vinson Knight
14 Mar. 1804–31 July 1842. Farmer, druggist, school warden. Born at Norwich, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Rudolphus Knight and Rispah (Rizpah) Lee. Married Martha McBride, July 1826. Moved to Perrysburg, Cattaraugus Co., New York, by 1830. Owned farm...
View Full Bio
at
Nauvoo
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
More Info
, Illinois, on 31 July 1842. For a more complete discussion of the entire six-volume work, see the general introduction to this history.

Volume C-1 was created beginning on or just after 24 February 1845 and its narrative was completed by 3 May 1845, although some additional work continued on the volume through 3 July of that year (Richards, Journal, 24 and 28 Feb. 1845; Historian’s Office, Journal, 3 May 1845; 3 and 4 July 1845). It is in the handwriting of
Thomas Bullock
23 Dec. 1816–10 Feb. 1885. Farmer, excise officer, secretary, clerk. Born in Leek, Staffordshire, England. Son of Thomas Bullock and Mary Hall. Married Henrietta Rushton, 25 June 1838. Moved to Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland, Nov. 1839; to Isle of Anglesey, Aug...
View Full Bio
and contains 512 pages of primary text, plus 24 pages of addenda. Additional addenda for this volume were created at a later date as a supplementary document and appear in this collection as “History, 1838-1856, volume C-1 Addenda.” Compilers
Willard Richards
24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...
View Full Bio
and Thomas Bullock drew heavily from JS’s letters, discourses, and diary entries; meeting minutes; church and other periodicals and journals; and reminiscences, recollections, and letters of church members and other contacts. At JS’s behest, Richards maintained the first-person, chronological-narrative format established in previous volumes, as if JS were the author.
Brigham Young
1 June 1801–29 Aug. 1877. Carpenter, painter, glazier, colonizer. Born at Whitingham, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of John Young and Abigail (Nabby) Howe. Brought up in Methodist household; later joined Methodist church. Moved to Sherburne, Chenango Co., New...
View Full Bio
,
Heber C. Kimball
14 June 1801–22 June 1868. Blacksmith, potter. Born at Sheldon, Franklin Co., Vermont. Son of Solomon Farnham Kimball and Anna Spaulding. Married Vilate Murray, 22 Nov. 1822, at Mendon, Monroe Co., New York. Member of Baptist church at Mendon, 1831. Baptized...
View Full Bio
,
George A. Smith
26 June 1817–1 Sept. 1875. Born at Potsdam, St. Lawrence Co., New York. Son of John Smith and Clarissa Lyman. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Joseph H. Wakefield, 10 Sept. 1832, at Potsdam. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio,...
View Full Bio
, and others reviewed and modified the manuscript prior to its eventual publication in the Salt Lake City newspaper Deseret News.

The historical narrative recorded in volume C-1 continued the account of JS’s life as prophet and president of the church. Critical events occurring within the forty-five-month period covered by this text include the
Missouri
Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
More Info
Mormon War; subsequent legal trials of church leaders; expulsion of the Saints from Missouri; missionary efforts in
England
Island nation consisting of southern portion of Great Britain and surrounding smaller islands. Bounded on north by Scotland and on west by Wales. Became province of Roman Empire, first century. Ruled by Romans, through 447. Ruled by Picts, Scots, and Saxons...
More Info
by the
Twelve
Members of a governing body in the church, with special administrative and proselytizing responsibilities. A June 1829 revelation commanded Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer to call twelve disciples, similar to the twelve apostles in the New Testament and ...
View Glossary
and others; attempts by JS to obtain federal redress for the Missouri depredations; publication of the LDS Millennial Star in England; the migration of English converts to
America
North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...
More Info
; missionary efforts in other nations; the death of church patriarch
Joseph Smith Sr.
12 July 1771–14 Sept. 1840. Cooper, farmer, teacher, merchant. Born at Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Asael Smith and Mary Duty. Nominal member of Congregationalist church at Topsfield. Married to Lucy Mack by Seth Austin, 24 Jan. 1796, at Tunbridge...
View Full Bio
; the establishment of the
Nauvoo
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
More Info
city charter; the commencement of construction of the Nauvoo
temple
Located in portion of Nauvoo known as the bluff. JS revelation dated Jan. 1841 commanded Saints to build temple and hotel (Nauvoo House). Cornerstone laid, 6 Apr. 1841. Saints volunteered labor, money, and other resources for temple construction. Construction...
More Info
; the
Wisconsin “pinery”
Also known as the “pinery.” Collective term for regions in Wisconsin where lumbering operations were located, especially along Black, Chippewa, St. Croix, Wisconsin, and Wolf rivers. Latter-day Saints established lumber camps and mills on Black River to provide...
More Info
expedition that facilitated temple construction; the introduction of the doctrine of proxy baptism for deceased persons; the dedicatory prayer by
Orson Hyde
8 Jan. 1805–28 Nov. 1878. Laborer, clerk, storekeeper, teacher, editor, businessman, lawyer, judge. Born at Oxford, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Son of Nathan Hyde and Sally Thorpe. Moved to Derby, New Haven Co., 1812. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, ...
View Full Bio
on the Mount of Olives in Palestine; publication of the “Book of Abraham” in the Nauvoo Times and Seasons; publication of the JS history often referred to as the “Wentworth letter;” the organization of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo; and the inception of Nauvoo-era temple endowment ceremonies.

Hide editing marks

<January 20> Wednesday 20.

“In the month of February or March 1835, Mr. a Minister in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, came into the town of Oxford, New Haven County, and State of Connecticut, to preach the Gospel. He delivered one discourse in the Methodist Chapel, Zoar Bridge. Mr. Ashbee Mead, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, attended ’s meeting, and at the close thereof (having heard some things advanced by contrary and repugnant to his own views) said to some of his friends, that when returned to preach there, two weeks from that day, he (Mr. Mead) would go at the head of a mob to mob . He then said that if was right in his views and doctrine, he hoped that he should be taken away before the two weeks came round; if he was not, he would surely go at the head of a mob to mob So confident did he seem to be that he was right and was wrong, that he repeated his request to be taken out of the way if was right. He emphatically requested the whole company to remember what he said. He indulged in abusing and slandering the Latter Day Saints very much. His conduct ill comported with the character of a Christian. He was taken ill in a day or two, became deranged, and the very day he proposed to head a mob, he headed a funeral procession, and was carried to his grave, a cold and lifeless corpse. Having been eye and ear witnesses to the facts above stated, we cheerfully give our names to the world, in testimony of the same, by the request of .— Burr Tomlinson, Caroline Tomlinson, Oxford, Newhaven County, Conn. Jan 20. 1841.”

21 January 1841 • Thursday

<21> Thursday 21. Elders and completed the Index to the Book of Mormon — — — — — — — — — —, and <it> was immediately put in type, which closed the printing of the First English Edition.

24 January 1841 • Sunday

<24> Sunday 24 Elder preached <twice> at on Election and Reprobation.

who — — — — — — — — — received the office — — — — of Patriarch in the Church, in place of deceased, has — — — — — by revelation, been appointed a Prophet and Revelator. has — — — — — — by revelation, been appointed one of the First Presidency, in place of , appointed <Patriarch> has been appointed, by revelation, Bishop, in place of , deceased.

26 January 1841 • Tuesday

<26> <see Addenda Book page 12.>

<At a Special Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints held at , pursuant to public notice I was unanimously elected Sole Trustee in Trust for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.> [HC 4:286]

30–31 January 1841 • Saturday–Sunday

<30> Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 was a Conference at Walnut Grove, Knox County Illinois. Elder presiding, 113 members — — — — — — — — — — 14 Elders, <and> several branches were respresented, and several <persons> baptized.

[1 line blank]

1 February 1841 • Monday

<February 1.> Monday 1st. The first Election for members of the City Council, took place — — — — : and the following <persons were> elected by majorities varying from 330 to 337 votes; to wit For Mayor, . Aldermen, , , , . Counsellors, Joseph Smith, , , , , , , , .

3 February 1841 • Wednesday

<see Addenda, page 21.> [HC 4:287]

<3> Wednesday 3. reports 160 baptized at , Ireland about 25, <in> Isle of Man 70,— Howarden 30. Elder is <laboring> in . [p. 1159]

20 January 1841 • Wednesday

January 20

21 January 1841 • Thursday

21 Thursday 21. Elders and completed the Index to the Book of Mormon — — — — — — — — — —, and it was immediately put in type, which closed the printing of the First English Edition.

24 January 1841 • Sunday

24 Sunday 24 Elder preached twice at on Election and Reprobation.

who — — — — — — — — — received the office — — — — of Patriarch in the Church, in place of deceased, has — — — — — by revelation, been appointed a Prophet and Revelator. has — — — — — — by revelation, been appointed one of the First Presidency, in place of , appointed Patriarch has been appointed, by revelation, Bishop, in place of , deceased.

26 January 1841 • Tuesday

26 see Addenda Book page 12.

At a Special Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints held at , pursuant to public notice I was unanimously elected Sole Trustee in Trust for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. [HC 4:286]

30–31 January 1841 • Saturday–Sunday

30 Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 was a Conference at Walnut Grove, Knox County Illinois. Elder presiding, 113 members — — — — — — — — — — 14 Elders, and several branches were respresented, and several persons baptized.

[1 line blank]

1 February 1841 • Monday

February 1. Monday 1st. The first Election for members of the City Council, took place — — — — : and the following persons were elected by majorities varying from 330 to 337 votes; to wit For Mayor, . Aldermen, , , , . Counsellors, Joseph Smith, , , , , , , , .

3 February 1841 • Wednesday

see Addenda, page 21. [HC 4:287]

3 Wednesday 3. reports 160 baptized at , Ireland about 25, in Isle of Man 70,— Howarden 30. Elder is laboring in . [p. 1159]

View entire transcript |

Cite this page

Document Information
Editorial Title
History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842]
ID #
7513
Total Pages
562
Handwriting on This Page
- Thomas Bullock
Footnotes
1. 868
  See 20 Jan. 1841 entry in History Draft.
2. 869
  TEXT: Text cancelled by large “x” and the word “Out” written on the diagonal.
3. 870
  See 21 Jan. 1841 entry in History Draft.
4. 871
  See 24 Jan. 1841 entry in History Draft.
5. 872
  Young, Journal, 24 Jan. 1841, p. [22].
  
  Historian’s Office. “History of Brigham Young.” In Manuscript History of Brigham Young, ca. 1856–1860, vol. 1, pp. 1–104. CHL. CR 100 150, box 1, fd. 1.
6. 873
  Notice, Times and Seasons, 1 Feb. 1841, 2:310.
  
  Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
7. 874
  Appointment as Trustee, 2 Feb. 1841.
8. 875
  See 30 Jan. 1841 entry in History Draft.
9. 876
  “Conference Minutes,” Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1841, 2:338.
  
  Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
10. 877
  See 1 Feb. 1841 entry in History Draft.
11. 878
  “Municipal Election,” Times and Seasons, 1 Feb. 1841, 2:309.
  
  Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
12. 879
  See 3 Feb. 1841 entry in History Draft.