History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843]
History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843]
Source Note
Source Note
JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. D-1, created 4 July 1845–4 Feb. 1846 and 1 July 1854–2 May 1855; handwriting of , Robert L. Campbell, and ; 275 pages, plus 6 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the fourth volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This fourth volume covers the period from 1 Aug. 1842 to 1 July 1843; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, C-1, E-1 and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
History, 1838–1856, volume D-1, constitutes the fourth of six volumes documenting the life of Joseph Smith and the early years of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The series is also known as the Manuscript History of the Church and was originally published serially from 1842 to 1846 and 1851 to 1858 as the “History of Joseph Smith” in the Times and Seasons and Deseret News. This volume contains JS’s history from 1 August 1842 to 1 July 1843, and it was compiled after JS’s death.
The material recorded in volume D-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , with the assistance of . After Richards’s death in 1854, continued work on the volume as the new church historian with Bullock’s continued help. The process adopted by Richards and Bullock involved Richards creating a set of rough draft notes and Bullock transcribing the notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents (such as letters and meeting minutes). George A. Smith followed a similar pattern, though he dictated the draft notes to Bullock and other scribes.
According to the Church Historian’s Office journal, finished the third volume of the series, volume C-1, on Thursday, 3 July 1845, in , Illinois. He began work on the fourth volume, D-1, the next day, beginning on page 1362 with the entry for 1 August 1842. (The pages in volumes A-1–E-1 were numbered consecutively.) Bullock continued work on the record, drawing upon ’s draft notes, until 3 February 1846—the day before D-1 and the other volumes were packed up in preparation for the Latter-day Saints’ exodus from Nauvoo. At that point he had reached page 1485 with the entry for 28 February 1843. Subsequently, apparently after the collection had arrived in Utah, Bullock added a brief comment beneath that entry: “end of W. Richard’s compiling[.] the books packed Feby. 4— 1846 in Nauvoo[.] Miles Romney— present. The records carried by T Bullock from Winter Quarters to G S L [Great Salt Lake] City in 1848.”
A notation at the top of page 1486 reports that “the books were unpacked in G. S. L. City by and . June 7. 1853. J[onathan] Grimshaw & Miles Romney present.” Vertically, in the margin, is a poignant epitaph: “Decr. 1 1853 Dr. Willard Richards wrote one line of History—being sick at the time—and was never able to do any more.” With Richards’s death on 11 March 1854, JS’s cousin was called to the office of church historian. The notation on the top of page 1486 acknowledges this change in officers, noting, “commencement of George A. Smith’s compiling as Historian. April 13. 1854[.] [C]ommenced copying July 1. 1854.” From mid-April to the end of June 1854, George A. Smith, in collaboration with Thomas Bullock, worked on the draft notes for the history before a new scribe, , resumed writing in D-1 on 1 July 1854, beginning with the entry for 1 March 1843.
continued transcribing intermittently into the late fall of 1854, when he was assigned other duties in the Historian’s Office. He had reached page 1546 with the entry for 5 May 1843. Work resumed in February 1855 in the hand of Robert L. Campbell, recently returned from a mission. He concluded volume D-1 on the morning of 2 May 1855 and began writing in E-1 that afternoon.
The 274 pages of volume D-1 contain a record of much that is significant in the life of JS and the development of the church he founded. Among these events are
• JS’s 6 August 1842 prophecy that the Saints would become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains.
•JS’s 8 August 1842 arrest on a warrant for being “an accessory before the fact” to an attack on former governor .
• ’s 17 August 1842 letter to governor , pleading for the humane treatment of her husband and family.
•JS’s 1 and 6 September 1842 instructions regarding the proper procedures for performing baptisms for the dead.
• JS’s 15 November 1842 “Valedictory” as he stepped down as editor of the Times and Seasons.
• The 26 December 1842 arrest of JS on a “proclamation” by former governor , and subsequent hearing in , Illinois.
• The 7 February 1843 recovery of a volume of patriarchal blessings given by , which had been stolen in , Missouri.
• JS’s 21 February 1843 remarks regarding the and .
• JS’s 2 April 1843 instruction at , Illinois, on the nature of God and other subjects.
• JS’s 16 May 1843 remarks at , Illinois, on the everlasting covenant and eternal marriage.
• The account of JS’s 23 June 1843 arrest and his hearing the following week at .
Footnotes
<March 20> I rode out to see with Mrs [Margaret Lawrence] Butterfield, about a deed for the Estate, settled with and gave him a note to balance all demands, and afterwards acknowledged about 20 deeds as Trustee in Trust to different individuals which occupied my time until about 3 P.M.
A letter appears in the Millenial Star giving particulars of the passage of the ship “Swanton” from , and arrival at , loaded with Saints in which [HC 5:308] the power of the Holy Priesthood is manifested in the healing of the sick: “the steward of this vessel was so injured by a blow from one of the crew, that his life was despaired of, and I stood over him for some time, and thought that life was gone. The captain had administered to him all that he could think of in the way of medicine, but to no effect; and after they gave up all hopes of his recovery at twelve o’clock at night; he sent for , and by anointing with oil, and the laying on of hands, in the name of the Lord, he was there and then raised up and perfectly healed. For this token of the divine favour we will praise the God of Israel.”
<21> Was in the about 9, writing orders; about noon started with for Shokoquon, dined at bro Russell’s, and then resumed our journey to Libeus T. Coon’s [Libbeus Coons’s] 16 miles when I returned
Wonderful signs have been seen in the heavens, during the week. “This night about 12 o’clock, the Pilot and officers of the Steamer William Penn, on the Ohio River between Aurora and the Rising Sun, Indiana, observed a great light in the sky, in the form of a serpent; it turned to a livid bright red, deep and awful, and remained stationary among the stars, for two or three minutes, and then in a gradual manner formed a distinct roman G, in about 1 ½ minutes, it turned into a distinct O, and afterwards changed to a plain D, when it turned into an oblong shape, and gradually disappeared.” See Times and Seasons. 150
<22> Was spent in visiting my friends.
Elder writes from Westfield, Massachusetts, that he has twenty, and organized a in Little River village.
Elder died in , Massachu[HC 5:309]setts <aged 46> he had been on a mission to and Wales about 2 years, and was then on a mission in the Eastern States, and thro’ excessive labor and exposure, brought on quick consumption; he left a wife and several children to lament his loss.
<23> Spent the day in visiting my friends.
At 7½ A.M. the heavens exhibited a splendid appearance of circles, accompanied by mock suns. For further particulars see Times and Seasons page 151
The sword has been seen for several nights; past, also on the opposite side of the horizon, a black streak about the size of the light one; while the one is as black as darkness, the other has considerable of the appearance of the blaze of a comet, but it is not a comet, for it appears about 7 o’clock and disappears about 9.
<24> I took a ride to Camp creek, met , returned to Libeus T. Coon’s where we warmed for an hour and then returned home.
In the evening two loaded teams arrived from , loaded with provisions also 1 load from . [p. 1501]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [494]
See 20 Mar. 1843 entry in History Draft.
- [495]
JS, Journal, 20 Mar. 1843.
- [496]
Robert Reid, New Orleans, LA, to Thomas Ward, Liverpool, England, 15 Mar. 1843, Letter to the Editor, LDS Millennial Star, May 1843, 4:14–15.
Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
- [497]
See 21 Mar. 1843 entry in History Draft.
- [498]
JS, Journal, 21 Mar. 1843; Clayton, Journal, 21 Mar. 1843.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
- [499]
“Full Particulars of the Wonderful Sights Seen in the Heavens,” Times and Seasons, 1 Apr. 1843, 4:149–150.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
- [500]
See 22 Mar. 1843 entry in History Draft.
- [501]
Edwin Woolley, Westfield, MA, 22 Mar. 1843, Letter to the Editor, Times and Seasons, 15 June 1843, 4:225–227.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
- [502]
Benjamin Andrews, Macedonia, [OH], 23 Apr. 1843, Letter to the Editor, Times and Seasons, 1 May 1843, 4:187–188.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
- [503]
See 23 Mar. 1843 entry in History Draft.
- [504]
JS, Journal, 23 Mar. 1843; “Full Particulars of the Wonderful Sights Seen in the Heavens,” Times and Seasons, 1 Apr. 1843, 4:149–152.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
- [505]
Woodruff, Journal, 20–25 Mar. 1843.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
- [506]
See 24 Mar. 1843 entry in History Draft.
- [507]
JS, Journal, 24 Mar. 1843; Clayton, Journal, 24 Mar. 1843.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
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