History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842]

Source Note

JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. C-1, created 24 Feb. 1845–3 July 1845; handwriting of
Thomas Bullock
23 Dec. 1816–10 Feb. 1885. Farmer, excise officer, secretary, clerk. Born in Leek, Staffordshire, England. Son of Thomas Bullock and Mary Hall. Married Henrietta Rushton, 25 June 1838. Moved to Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland, Nov. 1839; to Isle of Anglesey, Aug...
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,
Franklin D. Richards
2 Apr. 1821–9 Dec. 1899. Carpenter, businessman, newspaper editor. Born at Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Phinehas Richards and Wealthy Dewey. Raised Congregationalist. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Phinehas ...
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, Jonathan Grimshaw, and
Leo Hawkins
19 July 1834–28 May 1859. Clerk, reporter. Born in London. Son of Samuel Harris Hawkins and Charlotte Savage. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by John Banks, 23 Oct. 1848. Immigrated to U.S. with his family; arrived in New Orleans...
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; 512 pages, plus 24 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the third volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This third volume covers the period from 2 Nov. 1838 to 31 July 1842; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, D-1, E-1 and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction

This document, “History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842],” is the third of six volumes of the “Manuscript History of the Church” (in The Joseph Smith Papers the “Manuscript History” bears the editorial title “History, 1838–1856”). The completed six-volume collection covers the period from 23 December 1805 to 8 August 1844. The narrative in this volume commences on 2 November 1838 with JS and other church leaders being held prisoner by the “
Governor
14 Dec. 1796–14 Mar. 1860. Bookkeeper, bank cashier, merchant, Indian agent and trader, lawyer, doctor, postmaster, politician. Born at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of John M. Boggs and Martha Oliver. Served in War of 1812. Moved to St. Louis, ca...
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’s forces” at
Far West
Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...
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, Missouri, and concludes with the death of Bishop
Vinson Knight
14 Mar. 1804–31 July 1842. Farmer, druggist, school warden. Born at Norwich, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Rudolphus Knight and Rispah (Rizpah) Lee. Married Martha McBride, July 1826. Moved to Perrysburg, Cattaraugus Co., New York, by 1830. Owned farm...
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at
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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, Illinois, on 31 July 1842. For a more complete discussion of the entire six-volume work, see the general introduction to this history.

Volume C-1 was created beginning on or just after 24 February 1845 and its narrative was completed by 3 May 1845, although some additional work continued on the volume through 3 July of that year (Richards, Journal, 24 and 28 Feb. 1845; Historian’s Office, Journal, 3 May 1845; 3 and 4 July 1845). It is in the handwriting of
Thomas Bullock
23 Dec. 1816–10 Feb. 1885. Farmer, excise officer, secretary, clerk. Born in Leek, Staffordshire, England. Son of Thomas Bullock and Mary Hall. Married Henrietta Rushton, 25 June 1838. Moved to Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland, Nov. 1839; to Isle of Anglesey, Aug...
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and contains 512 pages of primary text, plus 24 pages of addenda. Additional addenda for this volume were created at a later date as a supplementary document and appear in this collection as “History, 1838-1856, volume C-1 Addenda.” Compilers
Willard Richards
24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...
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and Thomas Bullock drew heavily from JS’s letters, discourses, and diary entries; meeting minutes; church and other periodicals and journals; and reminiscences, recollections, and letters of church members and other contacts. At JS’s behest, Richards maintained the first-person, chronological-narrative format established in previous volumes, as if JS were the author.
Brigham Young
1 June 1801–29 Aug. 1877. Carpenter, painter, glazier, colonizer. Born at Whitingham, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of John Young and Abigail (Nabby) Howe. Brought up in Methodist household; later joined Methodist church. Moved to Sherburne, Chenango Co., New...
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,
Heber C. Kimball
14 June 1801–22 June 1868. Blacksmith, potter. Born at Sheldon, Franklin Co., Vermont. Son of Solomon Farnham Kimball and Anna Spaulding. Married Vilate Murray, 22 Nov. 1822, at Mendon, Monroe Co., New York. Member of Baptist church at Mendon, 1831. Baptized...
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,
George A. Smith
26 June 1817–1 Sept. 1875. Born at Potsdam, St. Lawrence Co., New York. Son of John Smith and Clarissa Lyman. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Joseph H. Wakefield, 10 Sept. 1832, at Potsdam. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio,...
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, and others reviewed and modified the manuscript prior to its eventual publication in the Salt Lake City newspaper Deseret News.

The historical narrative recorded in volume C-1 continued the account of JS’s life as prophet and president of the church. Critical events occurring within the forty-five-month period covered by this text include the
Missouri
Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
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Mormon War; subsequent legal trials of church leaders; expulsion of the Saints from Missouri; missionary efforts in
England
Island nation consisting of southern portion of Great Britain and surrounding smaller islands. Bounded on north by Scotland and on west by Wales. Became province of Roman Empire, first century. Ruled by Romans, through 447. Ruled by Picts, Scots, and Saxons...
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by the
Twelve
Members of a governing body in the church, with special administrative and proselytizing responsibilities. A June 1829 revelation commanded Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer to call twelve disciples, similar to the twelve apostles in the New Testament and ...
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and others; attempts by JS to obtain federal redress for the Missouri depredations; publication of the LDS Millennial Star in England; the migration of English converts to
America
North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...
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; missionary efforts in other nations; the death of church patriarch
Joseph Smith Sr.
12 July 1771–14 Sept. 1840. Cooper, farmer, teacher, merchant. Born at Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Asael Smith and Mary Duty. Nominal member of Congregationalist church at Topsfield. Married to Lucy Mack by Seth Austin, 24 Jan. 1796, at Tunbridge...
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; the establishment of the
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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city charter; the commencement of construction of the Nauvoo
temple
Located in portion of Nauvoo known as the bluff. JS revelation dated Jan. 1841 commanded Saints to build temple and hotel (Nauvoo House). Cornerstone laid, 6 Apr. 1841. Saints volunteered labor, money, and other resources for temple construction. Construction...
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; the
Wisconsin “pinery”
Also known as the “pinery.” Collective term for regions in Wisconsin where lumbering operations were located, especially along Black, Chippewa, St. Croix, Wisconsin, and Wolf rivers. Latter-day Saints established lumber camps and mills on Black River to provide...
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expedition that facilitated temple construction; the introduction of the doctrine of proxy baptism for deceased persons; the dedicatory prayer by
Orson Hyde
8 Jan. 1805–28 Nov. 1878. Laborer, clerk, storekeeper, teacher, editor, businessman, lawyer, judge. Born at Oxford, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Son of Nathan Hyde and Sally Thorpe. Moved to Derby, New Haven Co., 1812. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, ...
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on the Mount of Olives in Palestine; publication of the “Book of Abraham” in the Nauvoo Times and Seasons; publication of the JS history often referred to as the “Wentworth letter;” the organization of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo; and the inception of Nauvoo-era temple endowment ceremonies.

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<November 30> Saturday 30 Elders <and > went to brother Isaac Hate [Haight]’s at Moravia

<December 1 No. 17 Vol 4 Deseret News> Sunday December 1. 1839. The High Council of met at s and voted that , , and be a Committee to send a petition to the legislature to discontinue certain parts of the City of , and also of ; and <do> all other needful acts relative to those Cities, that furnish the maps and plats, for the alteration, and that circulate the Petition for signatures. Voted that Bishop publish a piece in the “Times and Seasons”, informing the brethren in the West, that it is improper to remove from the West, for the purpose of locating in , Ohio, and that those who do thus remove will be disfellowshiped by the Council

5 December 1839 • Thursday

<5> Thursday 5.

“, Corner of Missouri and Third Streets Decr. 5. 1839 Dear President and to the Honorable High Council of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints— To whom be fellowship, love and the peace of Almighty God extended and the prayer of faith for ever and ever Amen— Your fellow Laborers Joseph Smith Jr., and Agents, as well as the Servants that are sent by you, to perform one of the most [HC 4:39] arduous and responsible duties, and also to labor in the most honorable cause that ever graced the pages of human existence; — — — respectfully show by these lines, that we have taken up our cross thus far, and that we arrived in this on the morning of the 28th. of November, and spent the most of that day in looking up a boarding house which we succeeded in finding. We found as cheap boarding as can be had in this . On Friday Morning 29th. we proceeded to the house of the — We found a very large and splendid palace, surrounded with a splendid enclosure decorated with all the fineries and elegancies of this world— we went to the door and requested to see the ; when we were immediately introduced into an Upper Apartment where we met the and were introduced into his parlor, where we presented him with our Letters of introduction— As soon as he had read one of them, he looked upon us with a kind of half frown and said What can I do? I can do nothing for you!— if I do any thing I shall come in contact with the whole State of — But we were not to be intimidated, and demanded a hearing, and constitutional rights— Before we left him, he promised to reconsider what he had said, and observed that he felt to sympathise with us on account of our sufferings— Now we shall endeavor to express our feelings and views concerning the , as we have been eye witnesses of his Majesty— He is a small man, sandy complexion, and ordinary features; with frowning brow, and considerable body but not well proportioned, to his arms and legs— and to use his own words “is quite fat”— On the whole we think he is without body or parts, as no one part seems to be proportioned to another— therefore instead of saying body and parts, we say body and part, or partyism if you please to call it, and in fine to come directly to the point, he is so much a fop or a fool, (for he judged our cause before he knew it,) we could find no place to put truth into him— We do not say the Saints shall not vote for him, but we do say boldly (though it need not be published in the Streets of — neither among the daughters [p. 988]

30 November 1839 • Saturday

November 30 Saturday 30 Elders and went to brother Isaac Hate [Haight]’s at Moravia

1 December 1839 • Sunday

December 1 No. 17 Vol 4 Deseret News Sunday December 1. 1839. The High Council of met at s and voted that , , and be a Committee to send a petition to the legislature to discontinue certain parts of the City of , and also of ; and do all other needful acts relative to those Cities, that furnish the maps and plats, for the alteration, and that circulate the Petition for signatures. Voted that Bishop publish a piece in the “Times and Seasons”, informing the brethren in the West, that it is improper to remove from the West, for the purpose of locating in , Ohio, and that those who do thus remove will be disfellowshiped by the Council

5 December 1839 • Thursday

5 Thursday 5.

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Cite this page

Document Information
Editorial Title
History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842]
ID #
7513
Total Pages
562
Handwriting on This Page
- Thomas Bullock
Footnotes
1. 447
  See 30 Nov. 1839 entry in History Draft.
2. 448
  Young, Journal, 30 Nov. 1839, p. [20].
  
  Young, Brigham. Journals, 1832–1877. Brigham Young Office Files, 1832–1878. CHL. CR 1234 1, boxes 71–73.
3. 449
  See 1 Dec. 1839 entry in History Draft.
4. 450
  Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1 Dec. 1839.
  
  Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.
5. 451
  See 5 Dec. 1839 entry in History Draft.
6. 452
  Letter to Hyrum Smith and High Council, 5 Dec. 1839.