| The Manuscript
History of the Church (MH) is the traditional title for the 69-volume
history begun by Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, with George W. Robinson, clerk, on April 27, 1838. The First Presidency and Robinson spent May 2–4 writing the new history before suspending work until the following year. They prepared a history of Joseph's early life to his and Oliver's baptisms on May 15, 1829. (This manuscript is now unknown except as it was presumably copied into the first eighteen pages of the MH.) Work on the project resumed in June 1839 with James Mullholland, clerk, and continued
by various scribes, recorders, clerks and Church Historians to 1888. |
| The history of the Joseph Smith years was serialized as "The History of Joseph Smith" beginning with the Times and Seasons 3, no. 10 (March 15,
1842), continuing through Deseret News and Millennial
Star. |
| It was edited by B. H. Roberts and published in six volumes as the History of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (ca 1902). |
| Digital images of the complete MH are published on 18 DVDs of Selected
Collections from the Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, where it is titled, "Church Historian's Office History
of the Church, 1839–circa 1882." |
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| 1835–1836
history |
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The Manuscript History of the Church for the Ohio/Missouri period was compiled by Joseph's scribes and church historians, drawing on Joseph's earlier histories and minutes. For example, the September 22, 1835–January 17, 1836 diary, originally written in the third person, was rewritten in the first person, with some changes. The scribes were Oliver
Cowdery,
Joseph Smith, Frederick G. Williams, Warren
Parrish, Sylvester Smith, possibly
Jesse Hitchcock, probably Levi Jackman, and Warren
A. Cowdery. |
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History
of Joseph Smith: Contents
Handwriting is identified by Dean Jessee in footnotes of PWJS,
82–225. |
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Joseph writes very little of the
history himself. His contributions are primarily dictated and drawn from
his diaries and letterbooks. The scribes compose much of the history themselves,
based on their observations of Joseph's activities, minutes of meetings,
correspondence, and other documents accumulated during his lifetime. |
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Other's recollections were also incorporated into the text. For example, Heber C. Kimball's journal entry for May 13, 1834 was published in the January 15, 1845 issue of the Times and Seasons. Willard Richards copied it into the MH-A Addendum and then edited it prior to its January 1853 publication in the Millennial Star. |
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TS
Volume 6, no. 1 (Jan. 15, 1845): 771–773 |
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MH-A
Addendum, 6 note K |
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Here F. G. Williams and Roger Orton, received a very serious chastisement from Brother Joseph,
for not obeying orders previously given. The chastisement given to Roger
Orton, was given more particularly for suffering me to go back after the
horses, as I was one of Joseph's life guard, and it belonged to Roger to
attend to the team; but, as the team was my own and I had had the care of
it all through, he still throwed the care on me, which was contrary to orders,
inasmuch as the responsibility rested upon him to see to the team: In this
place further regulations were made in regard to the organization of the
camp. |
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Here F. G. Williams and Roger Orton, received a very serious chastisement for not obeying <neglect of> orders previously given <in not taking care of the Teams, when in charge of the guards.> The chastisement
given to Roger
Orton, was given more particularly for suffering Elder Kimball to go back after the
horses, as he was one of Joseph's life guards, and it belonged to Roger to
attend to <see that> the team <was attended to,> but as the team was Kimball's and he had <taken> the care of
it all through, Orton still throwed the care on Kimball <him>. which was contrary to orders,
inasmuch as the responsibility rested upon him to see to the team. In this
place further regulations were made in regard to the organization of the [one illegible canceled word] camp. |
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| Scribes |
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I refer to the first volume of the Manuscript History of the Church as MHA. It contains 533
pages, numbered 1–533
from the back of the large journal. Joseph and scribe James
Mulholland begins the "History of Joseph Smith" manuscript on
June 11, 1839. Mulholland is followed by scribes Robert
B. Thompson, W. W. Phelps, Willard
Richards (h), Thomas Bullock, Leo Hawkins,
Robert L. Campbell, and Johnathan Grimshaw. |
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"Tuesday 11.
I commenced dictating my history for my Clerk, James mulholland to write. " MH-C,
956.
Writing JS, 440–441. Source |
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The period from ?? to
?? appears to be based on the 1834–1836 History, though the history is written
in the third person and the MHC in the third person. |
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Joseph writes very little of the
history himself. His contributions are primarily dictated and drawn from
his diaries and letterbooks. The scribes write much of the history themselves,
based on their observations of Joseph's activities, minutes of meetings,
correspondence, and other documents accumulated during his lifetime. |
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Volume A-1 (1805–Nov. 1, 1830)
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James Mulholland
wrote the first 59 pages of volume A-1 (1805–Sept. 30, 1830). He
began writing June 11, 1839 and died
November 3, 1839. |
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June 11, 1839: MH-B,
100. |
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Robert
B. Thompson wrote the next 15 pages (Sept.–Nov. 1830)
before his death on August 27, 1841. |
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W.
W. Phelps wrote pages 75–92 (Nov. 1830–Jan. 1831). |
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Willard Richards (h)
added notes on pages 131–133. |
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W. W. Phelps resumed on page 135
and continued to page 157 (Aug. 2–Nov. 1, 1831). |
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MH B-1 |
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| Volume B ( 1834) |
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Willard Richards
wrote page 553 (Aug. 30, 1834) of A-1 on August
24, 1843. On October 1, 1843 he resumed the narrative in a new volume,
B-1, beginning with page 553 (Aug.
30, 1834–Apr. 4, 1845). |
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Joseph's
death |
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At the time of Joseph's
death in 1844, the project had reached August 5, 1838. Richards
and resumed the work in March 1845, with Thomas Bullock doing
most of the writing. |
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Hiatus
from 1846 to 1854
Completed 1856 |
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There was an eight-and-a-half
year hiatus (Jan. 15, 1846.–July 1, 1854) while the Saints moved
from Nauvoo to Winter Quarters, then established themselves in the Salt
Lake Valley. The work was completed through August 8, 1844 under the direction
of Church Historian George A. Smith, assisted by Wilford Woodruff in 1856. |
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Times
and Seasons 1842–1846 |
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Publication of the
history began in the Times and Seasons 3, no. 10 (Mar. 15, 1842)
and continued through almost every issue to the end of the publication,
6, no. 23 (Feb. 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 (Nov. 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) and ended in 5 (Aug. 1844). The 1852 supplement
to vol. 14 contained 56 pages of the history. |
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History
of the Church |
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B. H. Roberts used
the "History of Joseph Smith" as a primary source for the History
of the Church. |
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Scribes
Church Historians
History of Joseph Smith: Contents
Selected
Collections Review
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