History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834]
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Source Note
JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. A-1, created 11 June 1839–24 Aug. 1843; handwriting of , , , and ; 553 pages, plus 16 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the first volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This first volume covers the period from 23 December 1805 to 30 August 1834; the remaining five volumes, labeled B-1 through F-1, continue through 8 August 1844.
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Historical Introduction
This document, “History, 1838–1856, volume A-1, [23 December 1805–30 August 1834],” is the first of the six volumes of the “Manuscript History of the Church” (in The Joseph Smith Papers it bears the editorial title “History, 1838-1856”). The completed six-volume collection covers the period from 23 December 1805–8 August 1844. Volume A-1 encompasses the period from JS’s birth in 1805 to 30 August 1834, just after the return of the Camp of Israel (later known as Zion’s Camp) from to , Ohio. For a fuller discussion of the entire six-volume work, see the general introduction to the history.In April 1838, with the aid of his counselor , JS renewed his efforts to draft a “history”. served as scribe. JS’s journal for late April and early May 1838 notes six days on which JS, Rigdon, and Robinson were engaged in “writing history.” Though not completed and no longer extant, that draft laid the foundation for what became the six-volume manuscript eventually published as the “History of Joseph Smith,” and at least a portion of its contents are assumed to have been included in the manuscript presented here.On 11 June 1839 in , Illinois, JS once again began dictating his “history.” now served as scribe. Apparently the narrative commenced where the earlier 1838 draft left off. When work was interrupted in July 1839, Mulholland inscribed the draft material, including at least some of ’s earlier material, into a large record book already containing the text of an incomplete history previously produced over a span of two years, 1834–1836. For the new history, Mulholland simply turned the ledger over and began at the back of the book. The volume was later labeled A-1 on its spine, identifying it as the first of multiple volumes of the manuscript history.Prior to his untimely death on 3 November 1839, recorded the first fifty-nine pages in the volume. Subsequently, his successor, , contributed about sixteen more pages before his death in August 1841. then added a little over seventy-five pages. However, substantial progress on the history was not made until December 1842 when assumed responsibility for the compilation and was appointed JS’s “private secretary and historian.” Richards would contribute the remainder of the text inscribed in the 553-page first volume. The narrative recorded in A-1 was completed in August 1843. and Charles Wandell subsequently added sixteen pages of “Addenda” material, which provided notes, extensive revisions, or additional text to be inserted in the original manuscript where indicated. For instance, several of the addenda expanded on the account of the Camp of Israel as initially recorded.JS dictated or supplied information for much of A-1, and he personally corrected the first forty-two pages before his death. As planned, his historian-scribes maintained the first-person, chronological narrative format initially established in the volume. When various third-person accounts were drawn upon, they were generally converted to the first person, as if JS were directly relating the account. After JS’s death, , , , and others modified and corrected the manuscript as they reviewed material before its eventual publication.Beginning in March 1842 the church’s Nauvoo periodical, the Times and Seasons, began publishing the narrative as the “History of Joseph Smith.” At the time of JS’s death only the history through December 1831 had been published. When the final issue of the Times and Seasons, dated 15 February 1846 appeared, the account had been carried forward through August 1834—the end of the material recorded in A-1. The “History of Joseph Smith” was also published in in the church periodical the Millennial Star beginning in June 1842. Once a press was established in Utah and the Deseret News began publication, the “History of Joseph Smith” once more appeared in print in serialized form. Beginning with the November 1851 issue, the narrative picked up where the Times and Seasons had left off over five years earlier.Aside from the material dictated or supplied by JS prior to his death, the texts for A-1 and for the history’s subsequent volumes were drawn from a variety of primary and secondary sources including JS’s diaries and letters, minutes of meetings, the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, church and other periodicals, reports of JS’s discourses, and the reminiscences and recollections of church members. The narrative in A-1 provides JS’s personal account of the foundational events of his life as a prophet and the early progress of the church. It also encompasses contentions and disputations that erupted between the Latter-day Saints and their neighbors in , , , and . While it remains difficult to distinguish JS’s own contributions from composition of his historian-scribes, the narrative trenchantly captures the poignancy and intensity of his life while offering an enlightening account of the birth of the church he labored to establish.
with the Mormons on their part, The people here enmasse, I find out will do nothing like acceeding to their last proposition. We will have a meeting if possible on monday next, at which time the proposals of the Mormons will be answered. In the mean time I would be glad, that they, the mormons would cast an eye back of clinton, and see if that is not a country calculated for them.
“Yours Respectfully, Samuel C. Owens.”
The cholera continued its ravages about four days, when remedy for purging vomiting, and cramping was discovered; namely dipping the person afflicted in cold water or pouring it upon them. and giving them Whiskey, thickened with flour to the consistence of Starch, Whiskey was the only kind of Spirit that could be procured at this place About [HC 2:119] sixty eight of the Saints suffered from this disease, of which number fourteen died. viz. , Eber Wilcox, Seth Hitchcock, Erastus Rudd, , Alfred Fisk, Edward Ives, Noah Johnson, Jesse B. Lawson, Robert Mc Cord, , , Warren Ingalls, and Betsey Parish. (Note 18 page 16)
# The last days of June I spent with my old friends in the western part of .
Juy 1 On the first of July died. I crossed the , in company with a few friends, into , to set my feet once more on the “Goodly land:” and on the 2nd. I went down near and visited the brethren. * * a considerable number of the met me at s, I told them if they would humble themselves before the Lord and covenant to keep His , and obey my counsel, the plague should be stayed from that hour, and there should not be another case of the Cholera among them. The brethren covenanted to that effect with uplifted hands, and the plague was stayed. [HC 2:120] This day the “Enquir” published the correspondence between the and the camp, of the 22nd of June as follows;
’s communication “Being a citizen of , and knowing that there is considerable excitement amongst the people thereof; and also knowing that different reports are arriving almost hourly: and being requested by the Hon. , to meet the mormons under arms, and obtain from the leaders thereof the correctness of the various reports in circulation; the true intent and meaning of their present movements, and their views generally regarding the difficulties existing between them and ; I did in company with other gentlemen, call upon the said leaders of the Mormons, at their camp in ; and now give to the people of their written statement, containing the substance of what passed between us.” (signed) “.” [p. 509]
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