History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844]
History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844]
Source Note
Source Note
JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. E-1, created 20 Aug. 1855–5 Apr. 1856; handwriting of Robert L. Campbell, , and Jonathan Grimshaw; 392 pages, plus 11 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the fifth volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This fifth volume covers the period from 1 July 1843 to 30 Apr. 1844; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, C-1, D-1, and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
History, 1838–1856, volume E-1, constitutes the fifth 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 July 1843 to 30 April 1844, and it was compiled in Utah Territory in the mid-1850s.
The material recorded in volume E-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , who was JS’s cousin. Smith collaborated with in collecting material for the history and creating a set of draft notes that Smith dictated to Bullock and other clerks.
Robert L. Campbell, a recently returned missionary and member of the Historian’s Office staff, transcribed ’s notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents (such as letters and meeting minutes). The Church Historian’s Office journal entry for 2 May 1855 pinpoints the beginning of his work: “R. L. C. on Book D forenoon, afternoon began book E.” Campbell’s work on the volume apparently concluded on 5 April 1856; entries in the Historian’s Office journal indicate that he then moved on to other assignments while another clerk, Jonathan Grimshaw, began work on volume F-1, the last manuscript in the series. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 2 May 1855; 5 and 9 Apr. 1856.)
Volume E-1 contains 391 pages of primary text and 11 pages of addenda. The initial entry on page 1637 is a continuation of the 1 July 1843 entry that closed volume D-1. The final entry in volume E-1 is for 30 April 1844.
The 391 pages of volume E-1 document a crucial period of JS’s life and the history of the church. Important events recorded here include
• An account of JS’s 2 July 1843 meeting with several Pottawatamie chiefs.
• JS’s 4 July 1843 address regarding his recent arrest, the Legion, and Mormon voting practices.
• JS’s 12 July 1843 dictation of a revelation regarding eternal marriage, including the plurality of wives, in the presence of and .
• The 13 August 1843 disfellowshipment of and revocation of his priesthood license.
• Dispatch of the first missionaries to the Pacific Islands on 20 September 1843, led by .
• JS’s 1 October 1843 announcement of ’s appointment to a mission to Russia.
• Minutes of a 6–9 October 1843 general conference inserted under the date of 9 October at which pled his case in regard to his 13 August 1843 disfellowshipment and was permitted to continue as counselor in the First Presidency.
• Text of JS’s appeal to the Green Mountain Boys of , inserted under the date of 29 November 1843.
• A 20 January 1844 entry that includes a poem by commemorating the presentation of two copies of the Book of Mormon to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert by .
• JS’s nomination on 29 January 1844 as an independent candidate for the presidency of the .
• An account of JS’s sermon, 7 April 1844.
<January 2> possible manner and got none. they then supplicated the chief men, who held the vineyard at pleasure, and who had the power to sell and defend it, for redress and redemption, and those men loving the fame and favor of the multitude more than the glory of the lord of the vineyard, answered, ‘your cause is just, but we can do nothing for you, because we have no power’. Now, when the Lord of the vineyard saw that virtue and innocence was not regarded, and his vineyard occupied by wicked men, he sent men and [hole in page] <took> the possession of it to himself, and destroyed those unfaithful servants; and appointed them their portion among hypocrites.
And let me say, that all men who say that Congress has no power to restore and defend the rights of her citizens, have not the love of the truth abiding in them. Congress has power to protect the nation against [HC 6:159] foreign invasion and internal broil, and whenever that body passes an act to maintain right with any power; or to restore right to any portion of her citizens, it is the supreme law of the land, and should a state refuse submission, that state is guilty of insurrection or rebellion, and the president has as much power to repel it as Washington had to march against the ‘Whiskey boys of ,’ or General Jackson had to send an armed force to suppress the rebellion of South Carolina!
To close, I would admonish you, before you let your ‘candour compel’ you again to write upon a subject, great as the salvation of man, consequential as the life of the Savior, broad as the principles of eternal truth, and valuable as the jewels of eternity, to read in the 8th. Section and 1st. article of the constitution of the , the first, fourteenth, and seventeenth, ‘specific’ and not very ‘limited powers’ of the federal government, what can be done to protect the lives, property and rights of a virtuous people, when the administrators of the law, and law makers, are unbought by bribes, uncorrupted by patronage, untempted by gold, unawed by fear, and uncontaminated by tangling alliances— even like Caesar’s wife, not only unspotted but unsuspected! and God, who cooled the heat of a Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace, or shut the mouths of lions for the honor of a Daniel, will raise your mind above the narrow notion, that the general goverment has no power— to the sublime idea that Congress, with the President as executor, is as Almighty in its sphere as Jehovah is in his.
With great respect, I have the honor to be your obt. St. Joseph Smith.
Hon. (‘Mr’.)
Fort Hill, S. C.”
Jonathan Pugmire Senr. and Thomas Cartwright discharged by Judge <Whitehead> at Chester, England. <the Judge> would not allow the costs of prosecution, or witnesses to be paid by the crown. It was very evident that the Church of England Ministers were at the bottom of the machinations and were sorely discomfitted at the result. I <insert> the statement of the unfortunate occurrence given by Jonathan Pugmire Junior:—
“Thomas Cartwright was baptized November 6, 1843, unknown to his wife, by elder Jonathan Pugmire Sen. but she had mistrusted he [HC 6:160] had gone to the water, and went to Pugmire’s house the same evening and inquired [p. 1849]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
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“Trial of Brothers Jonathan Pugmire and Thomas Cartwright,” LDS Millennial Star, Jan. 1844, 4:142–143; Reuben Hedlock, Liverpool, England, to JS, Nauvoo, IL, 10 Jan. 1844, JS Collection, CHL.
Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
Smith, Joseph. Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155.
- [622]
Jonathan Pugmire, Statement, between 1854 and 1856, JS History Documents, ca. 1839–1860, CHL.
Historian’s Office. Joseph Smith History Documents, 1839–1860. CHL. CR 100 396.
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