History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843]
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Source Note
JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. D-1, created 4 July 1845–4 Feb. 1846 and 1 July 1854–2 May 1855; handwriting of , Robert L. Campbell, and ; 275 pages, plus 6 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the fourth volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This fourth volume covers the period from 1 Aug. 1842 to 1 July 1843; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, C-1, E-1 and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
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Historical Introduction
History, 1838–1856, volume D-1, constitutes the fourth 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 August 1842 to 1 July 1843, and it was compiled after JS’s death.The material recorded in volume D-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , with the assistance of . After Richards’s death in 1854, continued work on the volume as the new church historian with Bullock’s continued help. The process adopted by Richards and Bullock involved Richards creating a set of rough draft notes and Bullock transcribing the notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents (such as letters and meeting minutes). George A. Smith followed a similar pattern, though he dictated the draft notes to Bullock and other scribes.According to the Church Historian’s Office journal, finished the third volume of the series, volume C-1, on Thursday, 3 July 1845, in , Illinois. He began work on the fourth volume, D-1, the next day, beginning on page 1362 with the entry for 1 August 1842. (The pages in volumes A-1–E-1 were numbered consecutively.) Bullock continued work on the record, drawing upon ’s draft notes, until 3 February 1846—the day before D-1 and the other volumes were packed up in preparation for the Latter-day Saints’ exodus from Nauvoo. At that point he had reached page 1485 with the entry for 28 February 1843. Subsequently, apparently after the collection had arrived in Utah, Bullock added a brief comment beneath that entry: “end of W. Richard’s compiling[.] the books packed Feby. 4— 1846 in Nauvoo[.] Miles Romney— present. The records carried by T Bullock from Winter Quarters to G S L [Great Salt Lake] City in 1848.”A notation at the top of page 1486 reports that “the books were unpacked in G. S. L. City by and . June 7. 1853. J[onathan] Grimshaw & Miles Romney present.” Vertically, in the margin, is a poignant epitaph: “Decr. 1 1853 Dr. Willard Richards wrote one line of History—being sick at the time—and was never able to do any more.” With Richards’s death on 11 March 1854, JS’s cousin was called to the office of church historian. The notation on the top of page 1486 acknowledges this change in officers, noting, “commencement of George A. Smith’s compiling as Historian. April 13. 1854[.] [C]ommenced copying July 1. 1854.” From mid-April to the end of June 1854, George A. Smith, in collaboration with Thomas Bullock, worked on the draft notes for the history before a new scribe, , resumed writing in D-1 on 1 July 1854, beginning with the entry for 1 March 1843.continued transcribing intermittently into the late fall of 1854, when he was assigned other duties in the Historian’s Office. He had reached page 1546 with the entry for 5 May 1843. Work resumed in February 1855 in the hand of Robert L. Campbell, recently returned from a mission. He concluded volume D-1 on the morning of 2 May 1855 and began writing in E-1 that afternoon.The 274 pages of volume D-1 contain a record of much that is significant in the life of JS and the development of the church he founded. Among these events are• JS’s 6 August 1842 prophecy that the Saints would become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains.•JS’s 8 August 1842 arrest on a warrant for being “an accessory before the fact” to an attack on former governor .• ’s 17 August 1842 letter to governor , pleading for the humane treatment of her husband and family.•JS’s 1 and 6 September 1842 instructions regarding the proper procedures for performing baptisms for the dead.• JS’s 15 November 1842 “Valedictory” as he stepped down as editor of the Times and Seasons.• The 26 December 1842 arrest of JS on a “proclamation” by former governor , and subsequent hearing in , Illinois.• The 7 February 1843 recovery of a volume of patriarchal blessings given by , which had been stolen in , Missouri.• JS’s 21 February 1843 remarks regarding the and .• JS’s 2 April 1843 instruction at , Illinois, on the nature of God and other subjects.• JS’s 16 May 1843 remarks at , Illinois, on the everlasting covenant and eternal marriage.• The account of JS’s 23 June 1843 arrest and his hearing the following week at .
Footnotes
March 30 At 1½ P.M. I was called to set as Justice of the Peace with Alderman , on the case of Webb V Rigby for forcible entry and detainer— during the trial the court fined Esq twenty dollars for insulting a witness, and would have fined him ten dollars more, for his contempt of court, but let him off on his submissive acknowledgements, the trial closed about one o’clock on Friday morning
31 At 10 A.M. I opened Court for trial of Amos Lower for assaulting John H. Burghardt, after hearing testimony fined Lower $10.
Spent the afternoon at Mr ’s, in company with my brother , , , , and , with our wives, had a good time, and were feasted on a fat turkey [HC 5:317]
April 1 Called at the about 10 A.M. for “The Law of the Lord”; and about noon I heard read Truthiana No 3 from the Boston Bee; at 2 P.M., I started in company with and for , the roads were very muddy, we arrived about 6½ P.M. and were very joyfully received by bro , where we slept for the night.
Elders and went to .
The Times and Seasons contains a well written editorial upon the Signs of the Times See Page 153.
A Conference was held at Augusta, , . Elder President of the Saints in , Presiding; James Brown was appointed the Presiding Elder of the Augusta branch, which numbered 84 members in good standing, including 2 High Priests, 11 Elders 4 priests 2 Teachers and 1 Deacon; 12 persons united with the branch; 7 Elders, 2 Priests, and 1 Deacon were ordained, one of the Elders was a Lamanite of the Delaware tribe. A resolution was unanimously passed to uphold the First Presidency, and follow their councils, and to use their utmost endeavors to build the , as well as the . A number of discourses were preached during the Conference, and several persons requested baptism at the close.
Elder writes [HC 5:318]
“. April 1. 1843
Dear Brother, Brother arrived in last Wednesday, from , with about 250 emigrants. They are now laying on a boat bound for as soon as the opens. They sailed from some time in January, and bring a copy of the Millenial Star, and some private letters, under date of January 1st. From these we learn the painful fact, that our dear brother and fellow labourer, Elder is gone to be with Christ. He lingered some weeks with a fever, and at length died in the triumphs of faith.
He died on the morning of the 20th of December last, at Bradford; the first messenger of this last dispensation, who for Christ’s sake and the gospel’s has laid down his life in a foreign land
In this dispensation of providence an entire people are called to mourn. was everywhere known, and universally beloved, as a meek, humble, and zealous minister of the gospel, who has laboured extensively for many years, with great success. Such was his wisdom and prudence, and such his modesty and kindness, that he won the friendship, not only of the saints, but of thousands of various sects, and of those who made no profession. In short his was the [p. 1506]
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Document Information
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Footnotes
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527
See 31 Mar. 1843 entry in History Draft.
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528
JS, Journal, 31 Mar. 1843.
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529
See 1 Apr. 1843 entry in History Draft.
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530
JS, Journal, 1 Apr. 1843; Clayton, Journal, 1 Apr. 1843.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
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531
Young, Journal, 1 Apr. 1843.
Young, Brigham. Journals, 1832–1877. Brigham Young Office Files, 1832–1878. CHL. CR 1234 1, boxes 71–73.
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Insertion in handwriting of Thomas Bullock.
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532
“Signs of the Times,” Times and Seasons, 1 Apr. 1843, 4:153.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
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533
“Minutes of a Conference,” Times and Seasons, 1 Apr. 1843, 4:159; and 15 Apr. 1843, 4:175–176.
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534
Parley P. Pratt, Alton, [IL], 1 Apr. 1843, Letter to the Editor, Times and Seasons, 1 Apr. 1843, 4:148–149.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
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527
