History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844]
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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.
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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.
The following compilation of History, from June 22 to August 8. 1844, inclusive, was compiled from the Journals of Elders , and others; and from the documents on file,
By the Church Historians
June 22 Saturday 22. In the evening issued orders to all the guards and sentries on the road to , to let persons pass and repass, until further orders, except they discover companies of men, when they must report the same to Head Quarters immediately.
A Conference was held at Eagle, Benton Co., Tennessee, Elder Abraham O. Smoot presiding, during which a branch was organized of 17 members. One elder, one priest and one teacher were ordained.
23 Sunday 23. At 5 a. m. and asked advice what to do with the Cannon, &c.
got the public records together and buried them.
5 p. m. , of the Steamer Osprey, conversed with Joseph, saying the mob at threatened firing into his vessel.
Prest attended meeting at Lowell, Mass.
Delaware Elder preached at Wilmington Del. in the forenoon, to an attentive congregation: he had a chill after he got through. Elder spoke in the afternoon.
A conference was held at , and was addressed by Elder and others; 12 persons were baptised and confirmed, and 8 ordained elders. [HC 7:129]
24 Monday 24
| “Territory of Iowa,) | Sct |
| Henry County.) |
Dr being duly sworn deposeth and sayeth, that on the 10th of June he, in company with two others, went on the hill in the city of and in the neighborhood of the printing press of the ‘Nauvoo Expositor,’ when a company of men approached, headed by the of the , , some armed, but not many. After marching in front of the printing office, the demanded the keys of the office, in behalf of the Mayor and Municipal Court of , to destroy the press, type and appurtenances of said press, and burn them in the street. replied, in behalf of the whole of the editors of said newspaper, that he would not give up the key— that he set the Court and at defiance, and should hold them and the responsible for their acts in this affair. Accordingly orders were given to an officer of the company to forcibly take from the building the press, and destroy it according to order. It was done without any noise, or confusion, shouting or riotous proceedings; and further saith not.
Sworn to and subscribed befoe me this 24th day of June 1844
A. McKinney J. P.”
25 Tuesday 25. returned from for some papers, which were sent out by . [p. 228]
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