Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, LDS church purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas. Served as church headquarters, 1839...

in 1840. There he was immediately engaged by JS as a clerk at his office. Coray later reminisced in his autobiography that after he completed his initial assignment, JS requested that he “undertake, in connection with

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

, had begun to bear fruit. Unfortunately, Mulholland had died 3 November 1839 after inscribing fifty-nine pages of text in a large record book subsequently designated as volume “A-1” of the manuscript history of the church.

1 Oct. 1811–27 Aug. 1841. Clerk, editor. Born in Great Driffield, Yorkshire, England. Member of Methodist church. Immigrated to Upper Canada, 1834. Baptized into LDS church by Parley P. Pratt, May 1836, in Upper Canada. Ordained an elder by John Taylor, 22...

to draft additional historical material, using sources JS provided. Woolley eventually withdrew from the project and was replaced by a “Dr. Miller,” who remains unidentified. Their work evidently resulted in two different kinds of drafts. According to Coray’s later reminiscences, the first grew out of instructions “not only to combine, and arrange in cronological order, but to spread out or amplify not a little, in as good historical style as may be.” No manuscript matching this description has survived, but their work may have provided the basis for material subsequently copied into the history by other scribes.

did, however, produce an edited version of the narrative inscribed in the large history volume (A-1). According to Coray’s later account, JS was directly involved in this reworking of the history, reading aloud and dictating revisions from the large volume. Two drafts of this work have survived. However, the main history endeavor continued in the large history volume, and there is no indication that either draft was used in subsequent compiling or in publication of the history. Though a short-lived effort, Coray’s manuscript represents the intention to revise the history, suggesting that JS had not yet settled on a final historical product even after he had directed scribes to begin inscribing the history in the large, more permanent volume in 1839.

’s history draft includes departures from the material recorded in A-1 which, though minor, show an intention to refine the story. Coray deleted passages that seemed to be defensive, to plead the cause of the Saints, or to play on the reader’s sympathies—a list of grievances, for example, or complaints against individuals. The draft often softened wording about the persecution of JS and employed more moderate language in describing opposition, avoiding the word “mob” and glossing over accounts of violence.

’s work on JS’s history was not located until 2005, when two manuscripts in Coray’s hand were identified among documents in the possession of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These two manuscripts consisted of a lightly edited draft of the material

1 Oct. 1811–27 Aug. 1841. Clerk, editor. Born in Great Driffield, Yorkshire, England. Member of Methodist church. Immigrated to Upper Canada, 1834. Baptized into LDS church by Parley P. Pratt, May 1836, in Upper Canada. Ordained an elder by John Taylor, 22...

had written in the large history volume, and a fair or clean copy of that material that incorporated the revisions Coray made in his earlier draft. The first draft was published in volume 1 of the Histories series of the The Joseph Smith Papers. (See History Drafts, 1838—ca. 1841.) The second or “fair copy” of the two drafts is the document herein featured. An inscription in Coray’s handwriting at the bottom of the first page of this document identifies it as the second copy. In 1869 Coray signed a statement that was later attached to the paper wrapper that enclosed the two drafts: “These hundred pages of History were written by me, under Joseph the Prophet’s dictation. Dr Miller helped me a little in writing the same.”

as I said unto you my disciples where two or three are gathred together in my name as touching one thing behold there will I be in the midst of them even so am I in the midst of you. Fear not to do good my sons for whatsoever ye sow that shall ye <also> reap. therefore if you sow good you shall also reap good for your reward. Therefore fear not little flock do good let earth and hell combine against you for if ye are built on my rock they cannot prevail.

Behold I do not condemn you. Go your way and sin no more,— perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you— look unto me in every thought, doubt not fear not. Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and als[o] the prints of the nails in my hands, and feet. Be faithful keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven Amen

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

12 July 1771–14 Sept. 1840. Cooper, farmer, teacher, merchant. Born at Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Asael Smith and Mary Duty. Nominal member of Congregationalist church at Topsfield. Married to Lucy Mack by Seth Austin, 24 Jan. 1796, at Tunbridge...

’s family that I had the plates he retired to rest and called upon the Lord asking him if these things were so and that the Lord had manifested to him that they were true— that he had divulged this to no one consequently he knew this work to be true because none but himself and God knew of the thing alluded to in the Revelation. During the month of April we continued to translate and write. During which time we receivd several Revelations. A differance of opinion arrising between us relative to the account of John the Apostle mentioned in the New Testament, John 21st. & 22 ver. whether he died or continued; we mutually agreed to settle it by the Urim & Thummin and the following [p. 30]

as I said unto my disciples where two or three are gathred together in my name as touching one thing behold there will I be in the midst of them even so am I in the midst of you. Fear not to do good my sons for whatsoever ye sow that shall ye also reap. therefore if you sow good you shall also reap good for your reward. Therefore fear not little flock do good let earth and hell combine against you for if ye are built on my rock they cannot prevail.

Behold I do not condemn you. Go your way and sin no more,— perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you— look unto me in every thought, doubt not fear not. Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands, and feet. Be faithful keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven Amen

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

12 July 1771–14 Sept. 1840. Cooper, farmer, teacher, merchant. Born at Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Asael Smith and Mary Duty. Nominal member of Congregationalist church at Topsfield. Married to Lucy Mack by Seth Austin, 24 Jan. 1796, at Tunbridge...

’s family that I had the plates he retired to rest and called upon the Lord asking him if these things were so and that the Lord had manifested to him that they were true— that he had divulged this to no one consequently he knew this work to be true because none but himself and God knew of the thing alluded to in the Revelation. During the month of April we continued to translate and write. During which time we receivd several Revelations. A differance of opinion arrising between us relative to the account of John the Apostle mentioned in the New Testament, John 21st. & 22 ver. whether he died or continued; we mutually agreed to settle it by the Urim & Thummin and the following [p. 30]