John Corrill, “Brief History,” Manuscript, circa 1838–1839
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Source Note
, “Brief History,” Manuscript, ca. 6 April 1838– ca. 26 January 1839; handwriting of and an unidentified scribe; seventy pages numbered 20–90, plus three unnumbered pages; John Fletcher Darby Papers, Missouri History Museum Archives, St. Louis.
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Historical Introduction
Even while the embers of the 1838 Mormon War smoldered in , labored on the manuscript for his 1839 publication, A Brief History of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, (Commonly Called Mormons;) Including an Account of Their Doctrine and Discipline; with the Reasons of the Author for Leaving the Church. Corrill had begun serving the church as a historian after ’s excommunication in March 1838, replacing Whitmer in that role in April. Whatever his initial labors as historian, Corrill completed A Brief History after distancing himself from JS and the Saints, as the full title implies., a careful observer, had enjoyed a close association with Mormon leaders, and consequently his account provides valuable insights into the development and structure of the early church. He summarized many of the doctrines taught by JS and provided a detailed description of the conflict between the Latter-day Saints and other settlers. But his chronicle also related the story of a personal spiritual journey into and then out of the church as came to disapprove of the church’s course in 1838 in Missouri. Yet despite his estrangement from the church and his excommunication in 1839, he retained a degree of sympathy for the Saints and maintained some contact.apparently began compiling portions of his account while serving as an officially appointed church historian in . He probably completed his narrative by 11 February 1839, when he secured a copyright with the district federal copyright office. He arranged for Thomas Watson & Son of to print A Brief History. The entire print run may have included up to twelve hundred copies.The document presented here, ’s circa 1838–1839 rough draft of his history, is incomplete. It includes the title page, copyright notice, and preface but is missing twenty-one pages, including the nineteen pages that constitute chapters 1 through 6. The manuscript is almost entirely in Corrill’s handwriting, though some of the chapter summaries (added after he drafted the narrative) were written in a different hand, possibly that of the printer.’s published version of A Brief History receives comprehensive treatment in volume 2 of the Histories series of The Joseph Smith Papers and is available on this website as part of the history series.
in their behalf to the Legislature setting forth a short history of their difficulties from their first settlement in to the present time and praying the Legislature to recind the s exterminating order under which they were compeled to leave the , and also release them from the deed of trust made in duress, pay them for their arms or return them, and pay them for their arms taken from them as well as othr damages sustained by them in and let them have the privilege of living in the . (When took their arms in he agreed to return them as soon as they left the , but this he refused to do even on the s order for them.) Some two hundred families have left and others are preparing to go, But some are desirous to stay in the , and their object in getting up the petition was to be relieved from their expelling contract so that men should not have the privilege of abusing them under a legal pretence, thinking it was right because they agreed to leave the though that contract was strictly illegal. This petition I presented to the Legislature on the 19 Dec. It produced some excitement, in the house and was laid on the table for the present.
Chap 26
Bible translated. Egyptian mummies. Increase and numbers of the church. Opposition. Laws of consecration. Terms established. Their effect. [p. 82]
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