| The "Manuscript
History of the Church" is the traditional title for the 69-volume
history begun by Joseph Smith and James Mulholland in 1838 and continued
by various scribes and clerks to 1888. It was used as the basis of the serialized
"History of Joseph" and later of B. H. Roberts' History of
the Church. |
| Manuscript History
on SC |
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The "Manuscript History
of the Church" is the traditional title for the 69-volume history
begun by Joseph Smith in 1838. The history was maintained
by his scribes, and later by Church Historians and clerks to 1882. Digital
images of the history comprise the first 18 DVDs of Selected
Collections from the Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints (SC)
(1:1–18), where it is titled, "Church Historian's Office History
of the Church, 1839–circa 1882." |
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Selected
Collections Review
Selected Collections Alphabetically |
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A-1 |
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| Volume A-1 |
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Joseph and his scribes often
refer to the first volume as "the
large journal." It is labeled A-1
on the spine and includes
two accounts. The first, which I refer to as the
1834 –1836 History, contains
191 numbered pages. The second, which I refer to as MH A-1, is the beginning
of the Manuscript History of the Church. It contains 533
pages, numbered 1–533
from the back of the book. |
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Only 187 of the 191 numbered pages contain text. |
| 1834 –1836
History |
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MH A-1 |
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| Scribes |
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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, 440441. 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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1805–1830
Volume A-1 |
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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-1,
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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| 1831 |
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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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1834
Volume B |
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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
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