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| History
of Joseph Smith: Introduction |
| The "History of
Joseph Smith" is the serialized version of
the Manuscript History of the Church, published
in the Times and Seasons, Deseret News, and Millennial
Star. |
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Preparation of the Manuscript |
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| 1838 history |
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On Friday, April 27, 1838 Joseph, Sidney, and Hyrum, with George W. Robinson scribe, spent most of the day "writing a history of this Church from the earliest period of its existance up to this date." They also worked on the history on the following Monday–Thursday. By May 2 they had composed the history through the obtaining of the gold plates in September 1827. It is believed they continued through the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood and the baptism of Joseph and Oliver on May 15, 1829. |
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Scriptory
The Scriptory Book—of Joseph Smith Jr—President of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latterday Saints In all the World. (Kept by Geo. W. Robinson, Church Recorder.) Titled "Journal, March-September, 1838" in The Joseph Smith Papers.
, 34. |
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It is not known what became of the 1838 history. |
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1839 draft history
May 1829–September 10, 1830 |
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The next attempt at a history came in 1839 with James Mulholland as clerk. His document is known "History [1839 Draft]" by Dean Jesse, or "History Draft, 1839" by Dan Vogel. |
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"Tuesday
11. I commenced dictating my history for my Clerk, James Mulholland to
write. "
1834-1836 History
1834-1836 History (Dec. 5-6, 1834 and Sept. 22, 1835-Jan. 11, 1836). Pages 1-194 (numbered from the front) of the "large journal" (A-1). Contents: Genealogy of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery (pages with headings for Sidney Rigdon's and Frederick G. Williams genealogies are blank); copy of Oliver Cowdery's history of the church published in the Messenger and Advocate (1834-1835) in Frederick G. Williams' hand; journal-type entries for Sept. 22, 1834 to Jan. 11, 1836 in third person, mostly Warren Parrish's hand. Writing began October 29, 1835 and ended January 17, 1836. Selected Collections 1:1 // Papers of Joseph Smith 1:15-209. Original, Church Archives, CR 100 102, Volume 1.
, 956.
For a comparison of the draft document and the final version in the Manuscript History, see
Early documents
Early Mormon Documents, compiled and edited by Dan Vogel. 4 vols. (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002).
1:76–135. |
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The draft begins abruptly, "Immediately upon our coming up out of the water after we had been baptized, …" suggesting that the 1838 document had proceeded to that point in the narrative. |
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The draft ends with the September 1–2, 1830 conference of the church. |
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Manuscript History, A-1
1805–September 30, 1830 |
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At this point Mulholland begins what has become to be known as the Manuscript History of the Church
MH-A
Manuscript History of the Church (December 1805-August 30, 1834), 553 pages numbered from the "back" of Joseph's "large journal" (A-1), written June 11, 1839-Aug. 24, 1843. Selected Collections 1:1, Volume 1 // “Joseph Smith History, 1839” (first 93 pages), Early Mormon Documents 1:56-148; “History, 1839” (first 240 pages), Papers of Joseph Smith 1:265-386. Original, Church Archives, CR 100 102, Volume 1.
), using the 1838 history as his source up to May 1829, and the draft history as his next source. He continued to September 30 1830 before passing away on November
3, 1839, by which time he had written the first 59 pages of MH-A. |
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| September–November 1830 |
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Robert
B. Thompson wrote the next 15 pages (September–November 1830)
sometime before his death on August 27, 1841. |
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| November 1830–November 1, 1831 |
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W.
W. Phelps wrote pages 75–157 (November 1830–November 1,
1831) except Notes A, B, C on pages 131–133 written by Willard
Richards. |
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Volumes A and
B
November 1, 1831–August 30, 1834
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Beginning
December 21, 1842, Willard Richards wrote pages 158–553, covering November 1, 1831–August
30, 1834. |
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| September 1, 1834–August 5, 1838 |
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Richards began a new volume () on Oct.1, 1843, commencing with the entry for September 1, 1834. |
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On March 2, 1844 he made the last entry (August 5, 1838) made before
the death of Joseph Smith (June 27, 1844). That entry is on page 813. |
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Manuscript History authorship
"Authorship of the History of Joseph Smith: A Review Essay," Howard C. Searle, BYU Studies 21, no. 1 (Winter 1981): 101-122.
, 111. |
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Publication of "The History of Joseph Smith" in the Times and Seasons had reached January 7, 1832. |
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| Volumes B–D |
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On June 15, 1845, Richards
resumed the work, assisted by Thomas Bullock. They began on page 812 (August 5,
1838). Their method was for Richards to compose a rough draft, leaving Thomas Bullock
to flesh it out and copy assorted documents into the history. |
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Manuscript History authorship
"Authorship of the History of Joseph Smith: A Review Essay," Howard C. Searle, BYU Studies 21, no. 1 (Winter 1981): 101-122.
, 114. |
| Joseph reviewed only 42 pages? |
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Brigham Young began "revising the
history" with Heber C. Kimball and George A. Smith on April 1, 1845. Willard
read the manuscript to them. Young stated, "President Joseph Smith had
corrected forty-two pages before his massacre." A notation at the top of
A-1, p. 42, reads: "1845 April 1—Commenced reading." What was
Brigham's source for this information is not known. Page 42 deals with
events of early July 1830 and shows no change in handwriting, narrative,
or any other indication of Joseph's review. According to George A. Smith
in April 1856, Brigham "revised" the manuscript "almost without any alteration." |
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Manuscript History authorship
"Authorship of the History of Joseph Smith: A Review Essay," Howard C. Searle, BYU Studies 21, no. 1 (Winter 1981): 101-122.
, 116. |
Hiatus
from 1846 to 1854
Completed 1856 |
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They were on page 1,485
in volume D-1 when Willard and Thomas began packing for the journey west
on January 20, 1846. Eight-and-a-half
years later, on July 1, 1854, they resumed work, this time with Richards
dictating the rough draft to Bullock. They reached March 1, 1843 by the
time of Richards' death on December 1, 1853. George A. Smith became Church
Historian on April 7, 1854 and began work on the history on April 18. |
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Manuscript History authorship
"Authorship of the History of Joseph Smith: A Review Essay," Howard C. Searle, BYU Studies 21, no. 1 (Winter 1981): 101-122.
, 117. |
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The Joseph Smith section of the Manuscript History was completed under George A. Smith's direction in January 1857. |
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Manuscript History authorship
"Authorship of the History of Joseph Smith: A Review Essay," Howard C. Searle, BYU Studies 21, no. 1 (Winter 1981): 101-122.
, 119. |
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Published Versions |
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| Times
and Seasons 1842–1846 |
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Serialization of the history began in the Times and Seasons 3, no. 10 (March 15,
1842) and continued through almost every issue to the end of the publication,
6 no. 23 (February 15, 1846). |
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| Beginning
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Those familiar with
Mormon history will recognize the beginning of the history: "Owing
to the many reports which have been put in circulation by evil designing
persons in relation to the rise of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter
Day Saints, …" |
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| End of
Times and Seasons |
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The last episode of
the Times and Seasons concludes with the minutes of a Kirtland assembly
held on August 11, 1834 (after the return of Zion's Camp). |
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| Deseret
News 1851 |
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Publication of the
history resumed with Deseret News 2 no. 1 (November 15, 1851),
Willard Richards editor. I have not identified the concluding issue of
the series yet. The December 15, 1855 issue discusses events of August
1842. |
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| Millennial
Star 1842–1844 |
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Meanwhile in England,
the Millennial Star commenced publication of the history in
3, no. 2 (June 1842): 21, and ended in November, 1831 with volume 5, no. 12 (May 1845). Publication of the series is then suspended, probably due to the unsettled state of affairs with the church in America, until volume 14, no. 8 (April 15, 1852). The 1852
supplement to volume 14 contains 56 pages of the history. |
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| History
of the Church |
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B. H. Roberts edited
the "History of Joseph Smith" for publication as History
of the Church of Jesus Christ / Period I / History of Joseph Smith the Prophet / by Himself. |
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Scribes
Church Historians
History of Joseph Smith: Contents
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