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
<May 19> I returned to , and in a few days I was appointed by the special Conference, in August <to labor in >. I travelled through eighteen different counties, baptized 6 in ; and returned home in December. In January I left again, and went into St. Clair County, where I was joined by brother Henry B. Jacobs, who baptized twelve, and I baptized a German after he left. I preached in Sparta and Bellville; from thence returned home, and again visited Ottowa, La Salle County; spent two weeks, and baptized seven. I found the church there, in good Spirits, and in the enjoyment of the Spiritual gifts. The La Salle branch now numbers fifty eight, in good standing. Elder Oley Hayer, was chosen to preside over them; he is well worthy of the office. Elder Goodman Hongus and brother J R Anderson, visited the Norwegian settlement in , Iowa, in January last spent three weeks, baptized ten, ordained one Priest, and left them and went home to La Salle county. From thence Brothers Hongus and Hayer visited a large body from Norway, in , and have laid the foundation of a great work, to all appearance. There are now fifty seven members of the church from Norway, and the time is not far distant when the saying of Micah 4:2, will be fulfilled” [HC 5:395]
<20> Received of a certificate of deposit in the Fulton bank, value $500, and gave a receipt payable in lands or money ten days from date.
At court room and adjourned the case of .
Corrected and sent to <the Times and Seasons> the following.
Editor of the Times and Seasons, Sir, Through the Medium of your paper I wish to correct an error among men that profess to be learned, liberal and wise; and I do it the more cheerfully because I hope sober thinking and sound reasoning people will sooner listen to the voice of truth, than be led astray by the vain pretensions of the self wise. The error I speak of, is the definition of the word “Mormon”. It has been stated that this word was derived from the Greek word mormo. This is not the case. There was no Greek or Latin upon the plates from which I, through the grace of God translated the Book of Mormon, Let the language of that book speak for itself. On the 523 page. of the fourth edition it reads “And now behold we have written this record, according to our knowledge in the characters which are called among us the Reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech, and if our [HC 5:399] plates had been sufficiently large; we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us, also: and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold ye would have had no imperfection in our record, but the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also, that none other people knoweth our language; therefore he hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof.”
Here then the subject is put to silence, for none other people knoweth our language” therefore the Lord, and not man, had to interpret, after the people were all dead. And, as Paul said “the world by wisdom know not God” so the world by speculation are destitute of revelation, and as God in his superior wisdom, has always [p. 1554]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [668]
See 20 May 1843 entry in History Draft.
- [669]
Clayton, Journal, 20 May 1843.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
- [670]
JS, Journal, 20 May 1843, in JSP, J3:19.
- [671]
JS, “Correspondence,” Times and Seasons, 15 May 1843, 4:194.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
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