History of the Church
Encyclopedia
History of the Church (cited as HC) (originally entitled History of Joseph Smith; first published under the title History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; nicknamed Documentary History of the Church or DHC) is a semi-official history of the early Latter Day Saint movement
during the lifetime of founder Joseph Smith, Jr. It is largely composed of Smith's writings and interpolations and editorial comments by Smith's secretaries, scribes, and after Smith's death, historians of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The history was written between 1839 and 1856 . Part of it was published in Times and Seasons
and other church periodicals. It was later published in its entirety with extensive annotations and edits by B. H. Roberts as part of a seven-volume series beginning in 1902 as History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
in 1844. From handwriting analysis
, scholars have identified the following men as the primary scribal authors of the work during the time periods indicated:
Although Smith died in 1844, the compilation of his actions and words were not completed until 1856. Apostle Willard Richards
was the chief editor of the work from 1841 until 1854. Apostle George A. Smith
was the chief editor from 1854 until its completion in 1856. After Smith's death, Apostle Wilford Woodruff
allowed his extensive journal entries to be used to coordinate dates and clarify statements made by Smith. The completed work was read by and revised by Church President Brigham Young
and was published in 1858 by the LDS Church under the title History of Joseph Smith.
of the LDS Church, B. H. Roberts, was commissioned by the First Presidency
to work through History of Joseph Smith and correct errors, add corroborative material, improve the narrative, and provide commentary on the events. Roberts's extensive revision of the work resulted in it being republished by church-owned Deseret Book
between 1902 and 1912 as the seven-volume History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The work soon became nicknamed the Documentary History of the Church, a usage which has only recently been abandoned by Mormon
historians.
Today, the work is published in essentially the same form created by Roberts. Deseret Book
currently publishes the work in paperback under the shortened title History of the Church.
In 1851, extracts from what would become History of Joseph Smith were published in a church publication entitled Pearl of Great Price. This book was canonized
by the LDS Church on October 10, 1880. The portion of History of Joseph Smith that was canonized consists of Smith's recitation of events between his birth in 1805 and May 1829 and is officially entitled Joseph Smith—History.
Although History of the Church is no longer an official publication, most of the section headings in the current edition of the canonized Doctrine and Covenants
contain citations to related portions of History of the Church, and it is the most-cited source in two histories of the church which are official publications of the LDS Church : Our Heritage: A Brief History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Church History in the Fulness of Times.
have alleged that when History of the Church is compared to the original manuscripts from which it is drawn, "more than 62,000 words" can be identified that were either added or deleted. D. Michael Quinn
responded to these charges by pointing out that the methods used in creating History of the Church—while flawed by today's standards—were not uncommon practices in the nineteenth century, even by reputable historians.
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
during the lifetime of founder Joseph Smith, Jr. It is largely composed of Smith's writings and interpolations and editorial comments by Smith's secretaries, scribes, and after Smith's death, historians of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The history was written between 1839 and 1856 . Part of it was published in Times and Seasons
Times and Seasons
Times and Seasons was a 19th-century Latter Day Saint periodical published monthly or twice-monthly at Nauvoo, Illinois, from November 1839 to February 15, 1846...
and other church periodicals. It was later published in its entirety with extensive annotations and edits by B. H. Roberts as part of a seven-volume series beginning in 1902 as History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Authorship, editorship, and initial publication
The body of the work is "a narrative of the prophet Joseph Smith" as most was written by scribes. The parts of the work attributed to Smith were either dictated by Smith to a scribe or consist of a secretary or historian independently outlining Smith's activities and statements for a given time period. Much of the writing occurred after Smith's deathDeath of Joseph Smith, Jr.
The death of Joseph Smith, Jr. on June 27, 1844 marked a turning point for the Latter Day Saint movement, of which Smith was the founder and leader. When he was attacked and killed by a mob, Smith was the mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois, and running for President of the United States...
in 1844. From handwriting analysis
Questioned document examination
Questioned document examination is the forensic science discipline pertaining to documents that are in dispute in a court of law...
, scholars have identified the following men as the primary scribal authors of the work during the time periods indicated:
- Oliver CowderyOliver CowderyOliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, Jr., an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836, becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, and the Second Elder of...
(1829-1838) - John WhitmerJohn WhitmerJohn Whitmer was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He was one of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's Golden Plates...
(1829-1838) - Sidney RigdonSidney RigdonSidney Rigdon was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Baptist background:...
(1830-1838) - Frederick G. WilliamsFrederick G. WilliamsFrederick Granger Williams was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement and served in the First Presidency as Second Counselor to church president Joseph Smith, Jr. from 1833 to 1837...
(1832-1839) - Orson HydeOrson HydeOrson Hyde was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles...
(1833-1836) - W.W. Phelps (1831?-1844)
- Warren ParrishWarren ParrishWarren Parrish was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint or Mormonism movement. Parrish held a number of positions of responsibility, including that of scribe to church president Joseph Smith Jr. Parrish and other leaders became disillusioned with Smith after the failure of the Kirtland Safety...
(1835-1837) - Sylvester Smith (1834-1836)
- Warren A. CowderyWarren A. CowderyWarren A. Cowdery was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an editor of Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate, an early Latter Day Saint periodical. He was the eldest brother of Oliver Cowdery, who with Joseph Smith, Jr...
(1836-1838) - George W. RobinsonGeorge W. RobinsonGeorge Washington Robinson was the first secretary to the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...
(1836-1840) - James Mulholland (1838-1839)
- Robert Blashel Thompson (1839-1841)
- Howard Coray (1840-1841)
- James SloanJames Sloan (Latter Day Saints)James Sloan was an official historian and recorder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a secretary to Joseph Smith, Jr., and one of the first Mormon settlers in Nauvoo, Illinois....
(1840-1843) - Willard RichardsWillard RichardsWillard Richards was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to church president Brigham Young in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death.Willard Richards was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to...
(1841-1854) - William Clayton (1842-1844)
- Thomas BullockThomas Bullock (Mormon)Thomas Bullock was a Mormon pioneer and a clerk in the Church Historian's Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Bullock was born in Leek, Staffordshire, England...
(1843?-1856) - Robert Lang Campbell (1845-1850, 1854-1856)
- Leo Hawkins (1853-1856)
- Jonathan Grimshaw (1853-1856)
Although Smith died in 1844, the compilation of his actions and words were not completed until 1856. Apostle Willard Richards
Willard Richards
Willard Richards was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to church president Brigham Young in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death.Willard Richards was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to...
was the chief editor of the work from 1841 until 1854. Apostle George A. Smith
George A. Smith
George Albert Smith was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and as a member of the church's First Presidency.-Childhood:Smith was born in Potsdam, St...
was the chief editor from 1854 until its completion in 1856. After Smith's death, Apostle Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
allowed his extensive journal entries to be used to coordinate dates and clarify statements made by Smith. The completed work was read by and revised by Church President Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
and was published in 1858 by the LDS Church under the title History of Joseph Smith.
Revision, renaming and republication
Beginning in 1902, a general authorityGeneral authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of the LDS Church, B. H. Roberts, was commissioned by the First Presidency
First Presidency (LDS Church)
The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
to work through History of Joseph Smith and correct errors, add corroborative material, improve the narrative, and provide commentary on the events. Roberts's extensive revision of the work resulted in it being republished by church-owned Deseret Book
Deseret Book
Deseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
between 1902 and 1912 as the seven-volume History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The work soon became nicknamed the Documentary History of the Church, a usage which has only recently been abandoned by Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
historians.
Today, the work is published in essentially the same form created by Roberts. Deseret Book
Deseret Book
Deseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
currently publishes the work in paperback under the shortened title History of the Church.
Status in the church
History of Joseph Smith was initially published as an official publication of the LDS Church. Although Roberts's History of the Church has never been granted "official history" status, it nonetheless is widely used in the church and is often cited in the sermons and magazine articles written by general authorities and other church leaders.In 1851, extracts from what would become History of Joseph Smith were published in a church publication entitled Pearl of Great Price. This book was canonized
Standard Works
The Standard Works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the four books that currently constitute its open scriptural canon.* The Holy Bible * The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ...
by the LDS Church on October 10, 1880. The portion of History of Joseph Smith that was canonized consists of Smith's recitation of events between his birth in 1805 and May 1829 and is officially entitled Joseph Smith—History.
Although History of the Church is no longer an official publication, most of the section headings in the current edition of the canonized Doctrine and Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants
The Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement...
contain citations to related portions of History of the Church, and it is the most-cited source in two histories of the church which are official publications of the LDS Church : Our Heritage: A Brief History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Church History in the Fulness of Times.
Criticism
Jerald and Sandra TannerJerald and Sandra Tanner
Jerald Dee Tanner was an American writer and researcher who, with his wife Sandra McGee Tanner spent nearly fifty years annotating and publishing archival and evidential materials which, the Tanners claim, accurately portrayed the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
have alleged that when History of the Church is compared to the original manuscripts from which it is drawn, "more than 62,000 words" can be identified that were either added or deleted. D. Michael Quinn
D. Michael Quinn
Dennis Michael Quinn is a historian who has focused on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a professor at Brigham Young University from 1976 until his resignation in 1988. At the time, his work concerned church involvement with plural marriage after the 1890 Manifesto, in which...
responded to these charges by pointing out that the methods used in creating History of the Church—while flawed by today's standards—were not uncommon practices in the nineteenth century, even by reputable historians.
See also
- Comprehensive History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsComprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsA Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Century I is a six-volume history published in 1930 by B.H. Roberts, a general authority and Assistant Church Historian of the LDS Church...
- History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsHistory of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsThe history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is typically divided into three broad time periods: the early history during the lifetime of Joseph Smith, Jr...
External links
- History of the Church : complete work in HTML at kristus.dk
- History of the Church : complete work in TXT at boap.org