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.
June 27 Thursday 27. 5 A. M. and called at the Jail on their way to .
5½ A. M. Arose. Joseph requested to descend and inquire of the guard the cause of the intrusion in the night. Frank Worrell, the officer of the guard, who is one of the Carthage Greys in a very bitter spirit said, “we have had too much trouble to bring old Joe here to let him ever escape alive, and unless you want to die with him you had better leave before sundown; and you are not a damned bit better than him for taking his part, and you’ll see that I can prophesy better than old Joe; for neither he nor his , nor any one who will remain with them will see the sun set today.” Joseph directed to go to , and inform him what he had been told by the officer of the guard. While was going to ’s quarters, he saw an assemblage of men, and heard one of them who was apparently a leader making a speech saying that “our troops will be discharged this morning in obedience to orders, and for a sham we will leave the town; but when the and the troops have left [HC 6:602] for this forenoon we will return and kill those men if we have to tear the jail down.” This sentiment was applauded by three cheers from the crowd. -[]-
went to the , told him what had occured in the night, what the officer of the guard had said, and what he had heard while coming to see him, and earnestly solicited him to avert the danger. His replied, “you are unnecessarily alarmed for the safety of your friends, sir, the people are not that cruel.” Irritated by such a remark, urged the necessity of placing better men to guard them than professed assassins, and said, “the Messrs Smith are American Citizens and have surrendered themselves to your upon your pledging your honor for their safety; they are also Master Masons, and as such I demand of you the protection of their lives.” ’s face turned pale, and remarked, “if you do not do this I have but one more desire, and that is, if you leave their lives in the hands of those men to be sacrificed—”. “What is that, sir?” he asked in a hurried tone. “It is,” said , “that the Almighty will preserve my life to a proper time and place that I may testify that you have been timely warned of their danger.” then returned to the prison, but the guard would not let him enter. He again returned to the , and found standing in front of the troops, who were in line ready to escort him to . The disbanded mob retired to the rear, shouting loudly that they were only going a short distance out of town, when they would return and kill old Joe and as soon as the was far enough out of town. called the attention of the to the threats [HC 6:603] then made, but he took no notice of them, although it was impossible for him to avoid hearing them. then requested the to give him passports for himself and friends to pass in and out of the prison according to his promise made to the prisoners; he refused to give them; but he told to give one to Dr. , Joseph Smith’s private secretary. While obtaining this, ’ life was threatened, and said to him in the Street, “we are determined to kill Joe and , and you had better go away to save yourself.” -[]-
At 7 a. m. Joseph, , , , and ate breakfast together. Mr Crane ate with them, and wanted to know if [p. 174]
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