History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844]
History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844]
Source Note
Source Note
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
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 27> the report was true that Joseph fainted three times on Tuesday, while being exhibited to the troops. He was told it was a false report.
8 a. m. , at Joseph’s request, applied to the , and obtained the following passes:
“Suffer Mr to pass in to visit Genl. Joseph Smith and friends in Jail unmolested.
,
Governor and Commander in Chief.”
“June 27th 1844”
“Protect Mr in passing to and from and .
,
Governor and Commander in Chief”
“June 27th 1844”
While receiving these passes he related to the the numerous threats that he had heard.
went to the to get a pass.
8.20 a. m. Joseph wrote to as follows:— [HC 6:604]
“ Jail, June 27th 1844, 20 min past 8 A. M.
“Dear ,
The continues <his> courtesies and permits us to see our friends. We hear this morning that the will not go down with his troops to day, to , as was anticipated last evening, but if he does come down with his troops you will be protected; and I want you to tell to instruct the people to stay at home and attend to their own business, and let there be no groups, or gathering together unless by permission of the , they are called together to receive communications from the , which would please our people, but let the direct. of course will obey the orders of the Government Officers, and render them the assistance they require. There is no danger of any exterminating order. Should there be a meeting among the troops (which we do not anticipate; excitement is abating) a part will remain loyal and stand for the defence of the and our rights. There is one principle which is Eternal, it is the duty of all men to protect their lives, and the lives of the household, whenever necessity requires, and no power has a right to forbid it,— should the last extreme arrive, but I anticipate no such extreme, but I anticipate no such extreme, but caution is the parent of safety.
Joseph Smith
“P. S. Dear ,
I am very much resigned to my lot, knowing I am justified and have done the best that could be done, give my love to the children and all my friends, , and all who inquire after me; and as for treason, I know that I have not committed any, and they cannot prove an appearance of anything of the kind, so you need not have any fears that any harm can happen to us on that score. May God bless you all. Amen
Joseph Smith”
8.30 returned to Jail.
9.40. A. M. and called; they said another consultation of the officers had taken place, and the former orders of the for marching to with the whole army were countermanded.
Dr Southwick was in the meeting seeing what was going on; he [p. 175]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [407]
Cyrus Wheelock, London, England, to George A. Smith, 29 Dec. 1854, Historian’s Office, JS History Documents, ca. 1839–1860, CHL.
Historian’s Office. Joseph Smith History Documents, 1839–1860. CHL. CR 100 396.
- [408]
Richards, Journal, 27 June 1844.
Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.
- [409]
JS, Carthage, IL, to Emma Smith, [Nauvoo, IL], 27 June 1844, JS Materials, CCLA.
Smith, Joseph. Materials, 1832–1844, 1883. CCLA.
- [410]
Richards, Journal, 27 June 1844.
Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.
- [411]
Stephen Markham, Fort Supply, Utah Territory, to Wilford Woodruff, Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, 20 June 1856, Historian’s Office, JS History Documents, 1839–1860, CHL.
Historian’s Office. Joseph Smith History Documents, 1839–1860. CHL. CR 100 396.
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