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History, circa 1841, fair copy

Source Note

JS, History, [ca. 1841], fair copy; handwriting of
Howard Coray

6 May 1817–16 Jan. 1908. Bookkeeper, clerk, teacher, farmer. Born in Dansville, Steuben Co., New York. Son of Silas Coray and Mary Stephens. Moved to Providence, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, ca. 1827; to Williams, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania, by 1830; and...

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; 100 pages; CHL.
See also source note for JS History, circa 1841, draft.

Historical Introduction

Howard Coray

6 May 1817–16 Jan. 1908. Bookkeeper, clerk, teacher, farmer. Born in Dansville, Steuben Co., New York. Son of Silas Coray and Mary Stephens. Moved to Providence, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, ca. 1827; to Williams, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania, by 1830; and...

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was a recent convert to Mormonism when he visited
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

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in 1840. There he was immediately engaged by JS as a clerk at his office. Coray later reminisced in his autobiography that after he completed his initial assignment, JS requested that he “undertake, in connection with
E[dwin] D. Woolley

27 June 1807–14 Oct. 1881. Farmer, coal miner, cattleman, builder, merchant. Born in East Bradford Township, Chester Co., Pennsylvania. Son of John Woolley and Rachel Dilworth. Raised in Quaker faith. Married Mary Wickersham, 24 Mar. 1831, in Columbiana Co...

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, the compilation of the Church History.”
At the time
Coray

6 May 1817–16 Jan. 1908. Bookkeeper, clerk, teacher, farmer. Born in Dansville, Steuben Co., New York. Son of Silas Coray and Mary Stephens. Moved to Providence, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, ca. 1827; to Williams, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania, by 1830; and...

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received his charge, JS’s and the church’s “history” had been an ongoing project for a decade. Several early attempts had apparently fallen short and been abandoned. However, JS and
Sidney Rigdon

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

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’s 1838 effort initiated with
George W. Robinson

14 May 1814–10 Feb. 1878. Clerk, postmaster, merchant, clothier, banker. Born at Pawlet, Rutland Co., Vermont. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, by 1836. Clerk and recorder for Kirtland high...

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, and JS’s ensuing collaboration with
James Mulholland

1804–3 Nov. 1839. Born in Ireland. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Married Sarah Scott, 8 Feb. 1838/1839, at Far West, Caldwell Co., Missouri. Engaged in clerical work for JS, 1838, at Far West. Ordained a seventy, 28 Dec. 1838....

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, had begun to bear fruit. Unfortunately, Mulholland had died 3 November 1839 after inscribing fifty-nine pages of text in a large record book subsequently designated as volume “A-1” of the manuscript history of the church.
Robert B. Thompson

1 Oct. 1811–27 Aug. 1841. Clerk, editor. Born in Great Driffield, Yorkshire, England. Methodist. Immigrated to Upper Canada, 1834. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Parley P. Pratt, May 1836, in Upper Canada. Ordained an elder by...

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was appointed “general church clerk” in October 1840 and succeeded Mulholland as scribe for A-1.
Meanwhile, JS assigned
Woolley

27 June 1807–14 Oct. 1881. Farmer, coal miner, cattleman, builder, merchant. Born in East Bradford Township, Chester Co., Pennsylvania. Son of John Woolley and Rachel Dilworth. Raised in Quaker faith. Married Mary Wickersham, 24 Mar. 1831, in Columbiana Co...

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and
Coray

6 May 1817–16 Jan. 1908. Bookkeeper, clerk, teacher, farmer. Born in Dansville, Steuben Co., New York. Son of Silas Coray and Mary Stephens. Moved to Providence, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, ca. 1827; to Williams, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania, by 1830; and...

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to draft additional historical material, using sources JS provided. Woolley eventually withdrew from the project and was replaced by a “Dr. Miller,” who remains unidentified. Their work evidently resulted in two different kinds of drafts. According to Coray’s later reminiscences, the first grew out of instructions “not only to combine, and arrange in cronological order, but to spread out or amplify not a little, in as good historical style as may be.” No manuscript matching this description has survived, but their work may have provided the basis for material subsequently copied into the history by other scribes.
Coray

6 May 1817–16 Jan. 1908. Bookkeeper, clerk, teacher, farmer. Born in Dansville, Steuben Co., New York. Son of Silas Coray and Mary Stephens. Moved to Providence, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, ca. 1827; to Williams, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania, by 1830; and...

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did, however, produce an edited version of the narrative inscribed in the large history volume (A-1). According to Coray’s later account, JS was directly involved in this reworking of the history, reading aloud and dictating revisions from the large volume. Two drafts of this work have survived. However, the main history endeavor continued in the large history volume, and there is no indication that either draft was used in subsequent compiling or in publication of the history. Though a short-lived effort, Coray’s manuscript represents the intention to revise the history, suggesting that JS had not yet settled on a final historical product even after he had directed scribes to begin inscribing the history in the large, more permanent volume in 1839.
Coray

6 May 1817–16 Jan. 1908. Bookkeeper, clerk, teacher, farmer. Born in Dansville, Steuben Co., New York. Son of Silas Coray and Mary Stephens. Moved to Providence, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, ca. 1827; to Williams, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania, by 1830; and...

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’s history draft includes departures from the material recorded in A-1 which, though minor, show an intention to refine the story. Coray deleted passages that seemed to be defensive, to plead the cause of the Saints, or to play on the reader’s sympathies—a list of grievances, for example, or complaints against individuals. The draft often softened wording about the persecution of JS and employed more moderate language in describing opposition, avoiding the word “mob” and glossing over accounts of violence.
Coray

6 May 1817–16 Jan. 1908. Bookkeeper, clerk, teacher, farmer. Born in Dansville, Steuben Co., New York. Son of Silas Coray and Mary Stephens. Moved to Providence, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, ca. 1827; to Williams, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania, by 1830; and...

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’s work on JS’s history was not located until 2005, when two manuscripts in Coray’s hand were identified among documents in the possession of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These two manuscripts consisted of a lightly edited draft of the material
Mulholland

1804–3 Nov. 1839. Born in Ireland. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Married Sarah Scott, 8 Feb. 1838/1839, at Far West, Caldwell Co., Missouri. Engaged in clerical work for JS, 1838, at Far West. Ordained a seventy, 28 Dec. 1838....

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and
Thompson

1 Oct. 1811–27 Aug. 1841. Clerk, editor. Born in Great Driffield, Yorkshire, England. Methodist. Immigrated to Upper Canada, 1834. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Parley P. Pratt, May 1836, in Upper Canada. Ordained an elder by...

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had written in the large history volume, and a fair or clean copy of that material that incorporated the revisions Coray made in his earlier draft. The first draft was published in volume 1 of the Histories series of the The Joseph Smith Papers. (See History Drafts, 1838—ca. 1841.) The second or “fair copy” of the two drafts is the document herein featured. An inscription in Coray’s handwriting at the bottom of the first page of this document identifies it as the second copy. In 1869 Coray signed a statement that was later attached to the paper wrapper that enclosed the two drafts: “These hundred pages of History were written by me, under Joseph the Prophet’s dictation. Dr Miller helped me a little in writing the same.”
For more information about the relationship between the history drafts, see Introduction to Early Drafts of History, 1838–1856.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Revelation, April 1830–C [D&C 23:4] *Appendix 5: Testimony of Eight Witnesses, Late June 1829 *Appendix 4: Testimony of Three Witnesses, Late June 1829 *Revelation, April 1829–A [D&C 6] *Revelation, February 1829 [D&C 4] *Revelation, April 1830–A [D&C 23:1–2] *Revelation, June 1829–C [D&C 15] *Revelation, June 1829–E [D&C 17] *Revelation, April 1830–E [D&C 23:6–7] *Revelation, July 1830–C [D&C 25] *Revelation, June 1829–D [D&C 16] *Revelation, July 1830–B [D&C 26] *Revelation, March 1829 [D&C 5] *Revelation, May 1829–B [D&C 12] *Revelation, 6 April 1830 [D&C 21] *Revelation, September 1830–C [D&C 30:1–4] *Revelation, September 1830–D [D&C 30:5–8] *Revelation, September 1830–F [D&C 31] *Account of John, April 1829–C [D&C 7] *Revelation, April 1829–D [D&C 9] *Revelation, April 1830–B [D&C 23:3] *Revelation, 16 April 1830 [D&C 22] *Revelation, April 1830–D [D&C 23:5] *Revelation, July 1830–A [D&C 24] *Revelation, June 1829–B [D&C 18] *Revelation, May 1829–A [D&C 11] *Revelation, Spring 1829 [D&C 10] *Revelation, July 1828 [D&C 3] *Revelation, circa Summer 1829 [D&C 19] *Revelation, September 1830–A [D&C 29] *Revelation, September 1830–E [D&C 30:9–11] *Revelation, April 1829–B [D&C 8] *Title Page of Book of Mormon, circa Early June 1829 *Revelation, circa August 1835 [D&C 27] *Revelation, June 1829–A [D&C 14] *Revelation, September 1830–B [D&C 28] *Revelation, circa August 1830 [D&C 27] *Articles and Covenants, circa April 1830 [D&C 20]

Page 81

After a few days I again returned to
colesville

Area settled, beginning 1785. Formed from Windsor Township, Apr. 1821. Population in 1830 about 2,400. Villages within township included Harpursville, Nineveh, and Colesville. Susquehanna River ran through eastern portion of township. JS worked for Joseph...

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in company with
Oliver Cowd[e]ry

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

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for the purpose of confirming those whom we had been compelled to abandon for a time
We had sca[r]cely arrived at
Mr. Knights [Joseph Knight Sr.’s]

3 Nov. 1772–2 Feb. 1847. Farmer, miller. Born at Oakham, Worcester Co., Massachusetts. Son of Benjamin Knight and Sarah Crouch. Lived at Marlboro, Windham Co., Vermont, by 1780. Married first Polly Peck, 1795, in Windham Co. Moved to Jericho (later Bainbridge...

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when the mob commenced gathering together to oppose us and we thought it wisdom to leave the place which we did without even taking refreshment of any kind. Our enemies pursued us and it was with much difficulty that we eluded them and arrived at home after travelling almost all night
How long shall men be persecuted on account of their religious faith in a country the constitution of which guarantees to every man the right [to] worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience and by men too who profess to be servants of the most High who are not backward to assert their own rights yet with avidity and eagerness deprive others of the rights of conscience. For instance
Cyrus Mc.Master

Ca. 1801–2 Jan. 1879. Dairyman, farmer. Likely born at Sidney, Delaware Co., New York. Son of David McMaster and Abigail Smith. Married Electa Bridgeman. Member of Presbyterian church. Moved to Bainbridge, Chenango Co., New York, by 1830. Resided in Afton...

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a Presbyterian of high standing was one of the principal instigators of this persecution who told me he considered me guilty without Judge or jury. The celebrated
Doct. Boyington [Nathan Boynton]

30 June 1788–ca. 1860. Lumber dealer, miller, postmaster, physician, merchant. Born in Wendell, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Caleb Boynton and Sarah Flagg. Moved to Worcester, Otsego Co., New York, 1795. Moved to Madrid, St. Lawrence Co., New York...

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also a Presbyterian was another instigator of these deeds of violence. And a young man by the name of
[Abram] Benton

16 July 1805–9 Mar. 1867. Physician, merchant. Born in New York. Studied medicine with physician Nathan Boynton, before 1830, in Bettsburg, Chenango Co., New York. Member of Presbyterian church. Moved to South Bainbridge (later Afton), Chenango Co., by Oct...

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of the same denomination impiously swore out the first warrant against me.
But during all this persecution and rage of our enemies we had much to console and strengthen us in our faith The church at
Colesville

Area settled, beginning 1785. Formed from Windsor Township, Apr. 1821. Population in 1830 about 2,400. Villages within township included Harpursville, Nineveh, and Colesville. Susquehanna River ran through eastern portion of township. JS worked for Joseph...

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were very anxious that we should again visit them and
sister night [Sarah (Sally) Coburn Knight]

1804–15 Sept. 1834. Born in Oxford (later in Guilford), Chenango Co., New York. Daughter of Amariah Coburn and Rose Linda Lyon. Resided in Oxford, Chenango Co., by 1810. Moved to Greene, Chenango Co., by 1820. Moved to Colesville, Broome Co., New York, by...

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(wife of
Newel Knight

13 Sept. 1800–11 Jan. 1847. Miller, merchant. Born at Marlborough, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Knight Sr. and Polly Peck. Moved to Jericho (later Bainbridge), Chenango Co., New York, ca. 1809. Moved to Windsor (later in Colesville), Broome Co., New...

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) had a dream which enabled her to say that we would visit them that day which actually came to pass for, <​in​> a few hours <​afterwards​> after, we arrived. This circumstance served to confirm us in our faith concerning dreams and visions in the last days as foretold by the Prophet Joel. And although we were compelld to fly from our enemies yet we felt confident that we should come off victorious [p. 81]
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Page 81

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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
History, circa 1841, fair copy
ID #
7091
Total Pages
100
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Howard Coray

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