JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. E-1, created 20 Aug. 1855–5 Apr. 1856; handwriting of Robert L. Campbell, , and Jonathan Grimshaw; 392 pages, plus 11 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the fifth volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This fifth volume covers the period from 1 July 1843 to 30 Apr. 1844; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, C-1, D-1, and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
History, 1838–1856, volume E-1, constitutes the fifth 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 July 1843 to 30 April 1844, and it was compiled in Utah Territory in the mid-1850s.
The material recorded in volume E-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , who was JS’s cousin. Smith collaborated with in collecting material for the history and creating a set of draft notes that Smith dictated to Bullock and other clerks.
Robert L. Campbell, a recently returned missionary and member of the Historian’s Office staff, transcribed ’s notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents (such as letters and meeting minutes). The Church Historian’s Office journal entry for 2 May 1855 pinpoints the beginning of his work: “R. L. C. on Book D forenoon, afternoon began book E.” Campbell’s work on the volume apparently concluded on 5 April 1856; entries in the Historian’s Office journal indicate that he then moved on to other assignments while another clerk, Jonathan Grimshaw, began work on volume F-1, the last manuscript in the series. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 2 May 1855; 5 and 9 Apr. 1856.)
Volume E-1 contains 391 pages of primary text and 11 pages of addenda. The initial entry on page 1637 is a continuation of the 1 July 1843 entry that closed volume D-1. The final entry in volume E-1 is for 30 April 1844.
The 391 pages of volume E-1 document a crucial period of JS’s life and the history of the church. Important events recorded here include
• An account of JS’s 2 July 1843 meeting with several Pottawatamie chiefs.
• JS’s 4 July 1843 address regarding his recent arrest, the Legion, and Mormon voting practices.
• JS’s 12 July 1843 dictation of a revelation regarding eternal marriage, including the plurality of wives, in the presence of and .
• Dispatch of the first missionaries to the Pacific Islands on 20 September 1843, led by .
• JS’s 1 October 1843 announcement of ’s appointment to a mission to Russia.
• Minutes of a 6–9 October 1843 general conference inserted under the date of 9 October at which pled his case in regard to his 13 August 1843 disfellowshipment and was permitted to continue as counselor in the First Presidency.
• Text of JS’s appeal to the Green Mountain Boys of , inserted under the date of 29 November 1843.
• A 20 January 1844 entry that includes a poem by commemorating the presentation of two copies of the Book of Mormon to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert by .
• JS’s nomination on 29 January 1844 as an independent candidate for the presidency of the .
<Augt. 30> Recently there has been much said about the powers of the Municipal court of said ; because that court had the right to issue writs of under their own ordinances. Any man that objects to this power of the Municipal court, is ignorant of the vested rights of the Constitution of the for ‘the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless, when in cases of rebellion and invasion, the public safety may require it.’ The highest objection is, that the writ according to the charter, must be confined to cases arising from the ordinances. Just so. If the writ was not issued upon the direction and rules of ordinances; what would govern it? Do the circuit and supreme courts of the State issue writs of habeas corpus on the laws of the State, or upon the laws of Spain, Portugal, or the ? Does the supreme court of the exercise the right of habeas corpus upon the , or upon an Ukase of the Emperor Nicholas, of Russia.
Again the Municipal court of consists of several persons, whereas the circuit court is one man only; and the world has yet to learn that a ‘little brief authority’, is as judiciously exercised by one man, as by six— why, the good old Law Book says, ‘in the midst of Counselors there is safety.’
, of late, made a most desperate and illegal attempt to force the Mormon prophet into her bosom, but met with a most sublime failure. After having been once thrust from her warm embrace by pointed steel and burning sulphur, he seems not anxious to throw himself again upon their renewed offers of hospitality and ‘pretended justice;’ yet Gen. Smith treated the of the State of with all due respect; introducing him to his family, and seating him at the head of his table. All is quiet at . Yours, Viator.”
<September 1> Friday A was held in , New York. presiding, William H. Folsom, Clerk. 13 , 1 , 58 [HC 6:1] Elders, 2 , 1 and 247 Members were represented.
I attended the meeting of the as a Witness in the case of vs .” Charges not sustained.
The following appears in the Times and Seasons of this date:
“To the Editor of the Times and Seasons. Sir:— As the Prophet, not long since, told the Unitarian Clergyman, in answer to the question, ‘what is truth’, truth is a matter of fact. I have thought that a few such precious morsels, occasionally handed out to this generation, if carefully attended to, might save some. Much has been said about the bad translations of the Bible; the meaning here and there warped to favor religious creeds; for which curious phenomena in the sectarian horizon, very few of the literate, have ever attempted to give an account, or even render a reason.— Every school boy seems to know that when either of the sectarian translators failed in making the two ends of a sentence meet, he filled up the vacenity with italics, by which means God has been greatly helped towards expressing himself so as to be understood by the learned world, and benefit the poor heathen, if they are correct; but if their thoughts should not happen to be God’s thoughts, it is a matter of fact that the mother of harlot holds in her hand a golden cup full of the filthiness of her abominations. [p. 1712]