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
<June 5> , George Hewitt, Thomas Jennings.
Elder Barradale was appointed to preside over Chelten[HC 5:419]ham ; Elder Rudd over the Nottingham Circuit. Elder Pritchard to labor in Derbyshire; Elder Speakman with Elder Parker in the Bradford . Osmond Shaw, Addingham, Yorkshire; George Eyres in Lincolnshire and Hull in connexion with Elder Henry Cuerdon; and Elder Samuel Downs in Derbyshire, with Elder Hibbert.
<6> I rode out to the Prairie
Earthquake in Java destroying Nias, and burying its inhabitants in the ruins.
The Total national debt of Europe is <estimated at> $10,499,710,000. A century ago the European Treasury was comparatively unincumbered.
<7> Concluded a settlement with gave him a deed for lot
Visited who was very sick
and a Company of 30 Saints, mostly his own family arrived from Tennessee.
<8> This morning about day break died, at his residence near the . he was son of Isaac and Sophia Higbee, born 23rd. October 1795 in Galloway, Glocester County N Jersey. In 1803 removed with his parents to Ohio. At the age of 22 he married and removed to , he received the Gospel in the Spring of 1832 and in the summer of the same year went to Missouri, where he was , and returned to , and was an Elder under the hands of his brother 20 February 1833: arrived in with his family in March, and was driven by the mob to in the fall of 1833, ordained a under the hands of by order of the in ; 26 March 1835 started on a Mission, preaching the Gospel thro the States of , , and , arriving at <he> labored on the until it was finished, and received his therein. In the Spring of 1836 returned to his family in , removed them to , where he was appointed County Judge.
We copy the following from page 315 of the Law of the Lord. [HC 5:420]
“He has been sick only five days of Cholera Morbus and inflamation which produced mortification, and his death was unexpected by all. His loss will be universally lamented, not only by his family but by a large circle of Brethren, who have long witnessed his integrity and uprightness as well as a life of devotedness to the cause of truth. He has endured a great share of persecution and tribulation for the cause of Christ, both during the troubles and at other times. On the 6th. day of October 1840 he was appointed one of the Committee to build the in , which office he maintained during his life. In that station he has shown a Disposition to do right at all times, and always manifested a great anxiety for the prosperity of the , as well as the work at large. He has left a large family to mourn his departure; but he is gone to his rest for a little season, even until the morning of the Resurrection, when he will again come forth, and strike hands with the faithful, and share the glory of the kingdom of God for ever and ever.” [p. 1570]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [726]
See 6 June 1843 entry in History Draft.
- [727]
Clayton, Journal, 6 June 1843.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
- [728]
“The National Debts of Europe,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 7 June 1843, [2].
Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.
- [729]
See 7 June 1843 entry in History Draft.
- [730]
JS, Journal, 7 June 1843, in JSP, J3:30; Clayton, Journal, 7 June 1843.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
- [731]
In his journal for 7 June 1843, William Clayton recorded that he gave Coolidge a deed for lot 3 block 24 in Nauvoo. The deed for that lot is dated 30 March 1843, not 7 June.
- [732]
- [733]
JS, Journal, 8 June 1843, in JSP, J3:30.
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