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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<20> Wednesday 20. Extract of a letter from , Dated “Jaffa, October 20 1841 on his way to

“On my passage from Beyroote to this place (Jaffa) night before last, at one o’clock, as I was meditating on the deck of the vessel as she was beating down against a sultry wind, a very bright glittering sword appeared in the heavens, about six feet in length, with a beautiful hilt, as plain and complete as any art you ever saw. And what is still more remarkable, an arm with a perfect hand stretched itself out, and took hold of the hilt of the sword— The appearance really made my hair rise, and the flesh, as it were, crawl on my bones. The Arabs made a wonderful outcry at the sight. Allah! Allah! Allah! -[O Lord, <O> Lord, <O> Lord]- was their exclamation all over the vessel, I mention this because you know there is a commandment of God for me, which says, “Unto you it shall be given to know the signs of the Times, and the sign of the coming of the Son of Man”— Yours in Christ— .”

23 October 1841 • Saturday

<23> Saturday 23. <I attended the City Council.>

Conference convened pursuant to previous appointment Elders , , and [HC 4:439] , of the — — — Twelve <Apostles>, were in attendance. Elder was unanimously chosen President, and J<as.> C. Snow Clerk of the conference. then made some preliminary remarks, setting forth and explaining the object of the meeting, followed by President . Elder J. C. Snow then represented the Branch of the Church at , consisting of 424 members including 9 High Priests, 32 Elders, 4 Priests, 5 Teachers, and 4 Deacons, mostly in good standing. , Elders and , then made some very appropriate remarks, showing and proving the absolute necessity of finishing and completing the , now building in ; in preference to any thing else that can be done, either by mental, or physical exertion, in spreading light, knowledge, and intelligence, among the nations of the Earth. Conference adjourned till tomorrow, 10 oclock. In the evening met with his counsel, together with , Elders and , and brethren of the branch, for the purpose of— entering into certain resolutions, necessary in order to become more active in forwarding the work of the . After much deliberation, it was [p. 1240]

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20 October 1841 • Wednesday

20 Wednesday 20. Extract of a letter from , Dated “Jaffa, October 20 1841 on his way to

“On my passage from Beyroote to this place (Jaffa) night before last, at one o’clock, as I was meditating on the deck of the vessel as she was beating down against a sultry wind, a very bright glittering sword appeared in the heavens, about six feet in length, with a beautiful hilt, as plain and complete as any art you ever saw. And what is still more remarkable, an arm with a perfect hand stretched itself out, and took hold of the hilt of the sword— The appearance really made my hair rise, and the flesh, as it were, crawl on my bones. The Arabs made a wonderful outcry at the sight. Allah! Allah! Allah! -[O Lord, O Lord, O Lord]- was their exclamation all over the vessel, I mention this because you know there is a commandment of God for me, which says, “Unto you it shall be given to know the signs of the Times, and the sign of the coming of the Son of Man”— Yours in Christ— .”

23 October 1841 • Saturday

23 Saturday 23. I attended the City Council.

Conference convened pursuant to previous appointment Elders , , and [HC 4:439] , of the — — — Twelve Apostles, were in attendance. Elder was unanimously chosen President, and Jas. C. Snow Clerk of the conference. then made some preliminary remarks, setting forth and explaining the object of the meeting, followed by President . Elder J. C. Snow then represented the Branch of the Church at , consisting of 424 members including 9 High Priests, 32 Elders, 4 Priests, 5 Teachers, and 4 Deacons, mostly in good standing. , Elders and , then made some very appropriate remarks, showing and proving the absolute necessity of finishing and completing the , now building in ; in preference to any thing else that can be done, either by mental, or physical exertion, in spreading light, knowledge, and intelligence, among the nations of the Earth. Conference adjourned till tomorrow, 10 oclock. In the evening met with his counsel, together with , Elders and , and brethren of the branch, for the purpose of— entering into certain resolutions, necessary in order to become more active in forwarding the work of the . After much deliberation, it was [p. 1240]

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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. 1145
  See 20 Oct. 1841 entry in History Draft.
2. 1146
  “Extract of a Letter from Elder Hyde,” LDS Millennial Star, Jan. 1842, 2:144.
  
  Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
3. 1147
  See 23 Oct. 1841 entry in History Draft.
4. 1148
  “Conference Minutes,” Times and Seasons, 15 Nov. 1841, 3:591.
  
  Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

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

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