History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842]
History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842]
Source Note
Source Note
JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. C-1, created 24 Feb. 1845–3 July 1845; handwriting of , , Jonathan Grimshaw, and ; 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
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 “’s forces” at , Missouri, and concludes with the death of Bishop at , 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 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 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. , , , 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 Mormon War; subsequent legal trials of church leaders; expulsion of the Saints from Missouri; missionary efforts in by the 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 ; missionary efforts in other nations; the death of church patriarch ; the establishment of the city charter; the commencement of construction of the Nauvoo ; the expedition that facilitated temple construction; the introduction of the doctrine of proxy baptism for deceased persons; the dedicatory prayer by 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.
<March 25> 25. 26 and 27. Elders and were detained at the Post office as witnesses in the case of The Queen vs Joseph Holloway for detaining letters.
<27> <Elders and attended a Council of the Official Members of the Staffordshire Conference at Hanley, and on <28> Sunday 28 attended a general meeting of the Staffordshire Conference <at Hanley> where 13 Branches were represented containing 1 High Priest, 17 Elders, 55 Priests *> <*25 Teachers, 14 Deacons, and 663 members; Thos. J. Filcher, J. Taylor, Osmond Shaw, W. Ridge and H. Ridge were ordained Elders, also 8 Priests, 7 Teachers, & 2 Deacons under the hands of , and . There have been 141 baptized during the past three months.>
<29.> Monday 29 I attended City Council and moved that the City Surveyor, be ordered to survey , and Plot the same, so as to correspond with the City Plot of , and make out a map to be recorded, which was carried by the Council— Much was said in Council about fining the owners of dogs, and I contended that it was right to fine individuals [HC 4:322] who would keep unruly dogs to worry cattle, sheep or the Citizens, and an ordainance was passed to that effect— Elders and were at packing Books of Mormon, to pay off those who had loaned them money, to carry forward the printing and binding—
The following are Extracts from s Letter
“Burslem March 29. 1841 Brother — The following is a brief sketch of my journey from to this place. left on the 19 Feb. I left on the 26th. and arrived at Bristol on the same day, where I found , who was busily engaged in the work of the Lord in that City, and had established a small branch of 14 members, I tarried <t>here a short time, and preached three times in a theatre, had full congregations, good attention, and baptized one, and there appears a good prospect of a work in that city. Population of Bristol 200,000. While there I visited the Suspension Bridge now erecting across the River Avon, at St. Vincents Rocks, Clifton; which bridge is 100 feet in height above the river, and 700 in length. I spent one evening in Monmouth, on the borders of Wales, preached to a full congregation, several <applied> for baptism after meeting. On the 8th. March I attended a Conference in Garway, Elder was chosen President, James Morgan Clerk— heard four branches represented, containing 134 members; three were ordained to the Ministry. I also preached at Lugwardine, Shuchnall hill, Ledbury, Dymock and Turkey Hall, to full Congregations, and find the work of the Lord still progressing throughout that region. The excitement upon the subject in the City of Hereford has been so great, that it has assembled together in the Market Place 3,000 persons at a time, to hear something upon the cause of <the> Latter Day Saints. On the 15th. March, I attended the Gadfield Elm Conference, which met at the Gadfield Elm Chapel. Elder was chosen President, John Hill, Clerk, and 18 branches <were> represented, containing 408 members, 8 Elders, 32 Priests, 11 Teachers, [HC 4:323] 1 Deacon; when such business was transacted, as was deemed necessary. I also met large congregations at Heysend Street, Coldville, Browcut, Dunclose, Frooms Hill, and Stanley Hill, and left many churches on the right and left, which time would not permit me to visit— I also met with the Frooms Hill Conference on the 22nd. March at Stanley Hill Herefordshire, there being present 1 of the Travelling High Council. 2 High Priests, 20 Elders, 30 Priests, 9 Teachers, 2 Deacons. Elder was chosen President and , Clerk. On this occasion I heard represented 30 branches containing 997 members, 24 Elders, 66 Priests, 27 Teachers, 7 Deacons, and 6 were ordained to the ministry. The sum total represented at these [p. 1181]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [957]
See 25–27 Mar. 1841 entry in History Draft.
- [958]
Woodruff, Journal, 27–28 Mar. 1841; George A. Smith, Burslem, England, 29 Mar. 1841, Letter to the Editor, Times and Seasons, 1 June 1841, 2:434.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
- [959]
TEXT: Insertion written vertically in the margin.
- [960]
See 29 Mar. 1841 entry in History Draft.
- [961]
Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 29 Mar. 1841 , 17.
Nauvoo City Council Minute Book / Nauvoo City Council. “A Record of the Proceedings of the City Council of the City of Nauvoo Handcock County, State of Illinois, Commencing A.D. 1841,” ca. 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3435.
- [962]
Young, Journal, 29–30 Mar. 1841, [30].
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.
- [963]
Wilford Woodruff, Burslem, England, 29 Mar. 1841, Letter to the Editor, Times and Seasons, 1 June 1841, 2:435.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
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