History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843]
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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.
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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 habeas corpus hearing the following week at .
Footnotes
October 16 be recollected, too, that the Mormon Prophet and his people are the most ardent friends and promoters of literature and science. These are elementary principles in their social system, and this, certainly, is contrary to every thing like despotism. I hope, therefore, and with great deference express that hope, that will withdraw his demand for the Prophet, and let these poor people rest in peace. Both he and will feel much more at peace with themselves by quashing the whole proceeding. Most respectfully, your humble servant.
, counsellor at Law— &c—”
by this I discover a spark of liberty, burning in the bosom of the , may it continue to burn and burn, till it once more fires the whole land with its heavenly influence.
20 Thursday 20 Early this morning I arrived at home on a visit to my family during the day I was visited by several of the brethren, who rejoiced to see me once more. is still getting better, and is able to attend to a little business having this day closed contract, and received pay for a quarter section of land of brother Job. V. Barnum. [HC 5:172]
“ October 20th. 1842 Esqre. Dear Sir. In answer to your favors of the 17th. inst: was correct in the information he gave you of my opinion of the illegality of the requisition made by the of , upon the of this , for the surrender of Joseph Smith, and that the of this should cause him to be arrested, for the purpose of being surrendered; I had no doubt but the Supreme Court of this would discharge him upon Habeas Corpus— subsequent examination has confirmed me in that opinion. I understand from your letter, and from the statement of facts made to me by , that the requisition of the of , is accompanied by an Affidavit of , stating in substance, that on the 6th. day of May last he was shot while sitting in his house, with intent to kill, and as he verily believes, the act was committed by ,—— and that Joseph Smith was accessory to the crime before its commission, and that he has fled from justice; that it can be proved that Joseph Smith was not in the State of at the time the crime was committed, but was in this ; that it is untrue that he was in the State of at the time of the commission of the said crime, or has been there at any time since: he could not, therefore, have fled from that since the commission of said crime. The right on the part of the of to demand Smith, and the duty on the part of the of this to deliver him up: if they exist; are given and imposed by that clause of the Constitution of the , which declares, that [“]a person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other crime who shall flee from justice and be found in another State; shall on demand of the Executive authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up to be removed to the State having jurisdiction of the crime.” It is unnecessary to refer to the act of Congress in relation to the delivery up of fugitives from justice, as Congress has just so much power and no more than is expressly given by the said clause in the Constitution— the Constitution is the best exponent of itself— what persons then can be surrendered up by the Governor of one State to the Governor of another? First, Ye must be a person [p. 1408]
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