JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. F-1, created 9 Apr.–7 June 1856 and 20 Aug. 1856–6 Nov. 1856; handwriting of and Jonathan Grimshaw; 304 pages, plus 10 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the final volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This sixth volume covers the period from 1 May to 8 Aug. 1844; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1 through E-1, go through 30 Apr. 1844.
Historical Introduction
History, 1838-1856, volume F-1, constitutes the last 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 May 1844 to the events following his 27 June 1844 death, and it was compiled in Utah Territory in 1856.
The material recorded in volume F-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , who was JS’s cousin, and also assistant church historian . Smith collaborated with in collecting material for the volume and creating a set of draft notes, which Smith dictated to Bullock and other clerks. Woodruff gathered additional material concerning the death of Joseph Smith as a supplement to George A. Smith’s work recording that event. Jonathan Grimshaw and , members of the Historian’s Office staff, transcribed the draft notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents.
According to the Historian’s Office journal, Jonathan Grimshaw initiated work on the text of volume F-1 on 9 April 1856, soon after Robert L. Campbell had completed work on volume E-1. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 5 and 9 Apr. 1856.) Grimshaw’s scribal work begins with an entry for 1 May 1844. Unlike previous volumes in which the numbering had run consecutively to page 2028, Grimshaw began anew with page 1. He transcribed 150 pages by June 1856, and his last entry was for 23 June 1844. Though more of his writing does not appear in the volume, he continued to work in the office until 2 August, before leaving for the East that same month. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 2 and 10 Aug. 1856.)
assumed the role of scribe on 20 August 1856. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 20 Aug. 1856.) He incorporated ’s draft notes for the period 24–29 June 1844 on pages 151–189, providing an account of JS’s death and its immediate aftermath. He next transcribed a related extract from ’s 1854 History of Illinois on pages 190–204. Pages 205–227 were left blank.
provided the notes for the final portion of the text. This account begins with an entry for 22 June 1844 and continues the record through 8 August 1844, ending on page 304. (The volume also included ten pages of addenda.) The last specific entry in the Historian’s Office journal that captures at work on the history is for 6 November 1856. A 2 February 1857 Wilford Woodruff letter to indicates that on 30 January 1857, the “presidency sat and heard the history read up to the organization of the church in , 8th. day of August 1844.” (Historian’s Office, Journal, 6 Nov. 1856; Wilford Woodruff, Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to George A. Smith, 2 Feb. 1857, Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, p. 410; see also Wilford Woodruff, Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to Amasa Lyman and Charles C. Rich, 28 Feb. 1857, Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, pp. 430–431.)
The pages of volume F-1 contain a record of the final weeks of JS’s life and the events of the ensuing days. The narrative commences with and arriving at , Illinois, on 1 May 1844 from their lumber-harvesting mission in the “” of Wisconsin Territory. As the late spring and summer of 1844 unfold, events intensify, especially those surrounding the suppression of the Nauvoo Expositor in mid-June. Legal action over the Expositor leads to a charge of riot, and subsequently JS is charged with treason and is incarcerated at the jail in , Illinois. The narrative of volume F-1 concludes with an account of the special church conference convened on 8 August 1844 to consider who should assume the leadership of the church.
<June 16> “The information referred to above is before me by affidavit.
“I remain, sir, the friend of peace, and your ’s humble servt.
Joseph Smith.”
“His Excellency,
.”
I enclosed a copy of the following affidavit:—
“State of Illinois,)
Hancock County,)
City of )
June 16th, 1844. Personally appeared before me, , Clerk of the Municipal Court of the City of , Thomas G. Wilson, and after being duly sworn according to law deposeth and saith, that during the last evening, Robert Johnson of the aforesaid told [HC 6:480] deponent that fifteen hundred Missourians would assemble at in said on the morning of the 17th inst; that the arms of the Quincy Greys had been sent up to <that they had five cannon at ,> that said Missourians and others who should join them would proceed to , and the Quincy Greys and other companies from were to meet the Missourians in at the time before stated; that from they were going round to the branches of the Church of ‘Latter Day Saints’ in said and inform them that they must deny Joseph’s being a prophet, and if they did not deny Joseph, they must leave immediately; and on Thursday next the whole mob were to proceed to and demand Joseph and , and the city council of said , and if Joseph and and city council were not given up, they would blow up the and kill and exterminate all the inhabitants of said .
Thomas G. Wilson.
“Subscribed and sworn to before me, , Clerk. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of the Municipal Court of said at the time and place above written.
Seal of Municipal Court
Clerk M. C. C. N.
“I have compared the within affidavit with the original and find it a true copy.
“In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Court at the City of this 16th day of June, 1844.
Seal.
Clerk of the Municipal Court, City of .”
Bror. Butler from came in and made affidavit before the that fifteen hundred Missourians were to cross the to the next morning on their way to .
I received a letter from :—
“President Joseph Smith,
Sir;— Believing it to be my duty to inform you of the proceedings of a wicked clan against the saints in this place, I improve this opportunity. On yesterday in company with , a , Luther Perry, and one more— his name I have not got, came to my house. came to my door and said he had [HC 6:481] some business, and wished to speak with me. I went out into my door yard with him, and came in company with a and others; they informed me they were a committee appointed to inform me and our people, that they had three propositions to make to us; in the first place yourself and about seventeen others had broken the law and good order of society; that we the Mormon people must take up arms and proceed with them for your arrest, or take our effects and proceed immediately to , otherwise give up our [p. 106]