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 2 Sunday 2 At home. Pleasant day.
A conference was held in Glasgow, Scotland, representing 1018 members, including 1 High Priest, 30 elders, 46 priest, 36 teachers, and 20 deacons.
3 Monday 3 At home. Received the following letter:—
“, Iowa, June 2nd, 1844
“Friend Smith:
I have just received intimation that there is a project on foot here to visit with a body of from five to six hundred armed men for the purpose of liberating , whom it is stated is confined in your prison. I, as a friend to your society, consider it my duty to make you aware of the danger you may be in, that you may be prepared to meet them. I think it best to keep my name from you, for were it known here that I had given notice of their proceedings it would be unsafe for me to remain. Do not think it a humbug, and treat it lightly, but prepare yourselves for the coming storm. From what I can learn they intend going on the next boat. I hope this may reach you in time.
“I am with respect your friend,
Horace.”
Rode out on the hill about 9 A. M.
Municipal Court sat; I was not present; the appealed cases of , , , and came up; but as they failed to appear, the cases were referrred back to the court below.
At 5 P. M., I read German with .
President left , and preached in the evening to an attentive congregation in Old Britain.
4 Tuesday 4 At home. , and proposed to give $100. per month for the use of the “Maid of Iowa”, made out their own bonds with their own security; but I would not receive them. [HC 6:426]
In the afternoon I went out to my , and accidentally broke the whipple tree of my buggy.
Wrote the following letter to , :—
“, Ill. June 4th. 1844.
“Sir:
We understand that you have been cut off from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and feeling an ardent desire for the salvation of the souls of men, we take pleasure in feeling after you; and therefore would, in the sincerity of men of God, advise you to be rebaptized by , one of the servants of God, that you may again receive the sweet influences of the Holy Ghost, and enjoy the fellowship of the saints. The law of God requires it, and you cannot be too good. Patience is heavenly; obedience is noble; forgiveness is merciful; and exaltation is godly; and he that holds out faithful to the end shall in no wise lose his reward. A good man will endure all things to honor Christ, and even dispose of the whole world and all in it to save his soul. Grace for grace is a heavenly decree, and union is power where wisdom guides.
Respectfully,
Joseph Smith,
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The Municipal Court issued an execution against for $36,26¼ for costs incurred on 8th. May last.
At 6 P. M., I was in counsel with Elders , , , , , and on the propriety of prosecuting the Laws and Fosters for perjury, slander &c. Counseled to go on with [p. 69]
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