An Intimate Chronicle: The Journals of William Clayton

by George D. Smith, George D. Smith (Editor)

William Clayton is best remembered today for his hymns, especially “Come, Come Ye Saints.” But as one of the earliest Latter-day Saint scribes, he made intellectual as well as artistic contributions to his church, and his records have been silently incorporated into official Mormon scripture and history. Of equal significance are his personal impressions of day-to-day activities, which describe a social and religious world largely unfamiliar to modern readers. In ministering to the sick, for instance, Clayton anointed with perfumed oil and rum. He performed baptisms to heal the sick. Church services, held irregularly, were referred to as “going to meeting” and seemed to be elective. He testifies of people speaking in tongues and of others “almost speaking in tongues.” When introduced to plural marriage, he was reluctant but eventually became one of its most enthusiastic proponents, marrying ten women and fathering forty-two children. Since polygamy was initially secret, Clayton spent much of his time putting out the fires of innuendo and discontent. He caught his first plural wife rendezvousing with her former fiancé; later, when she became pregnant, her mother–his unaware mother-in-law–was so overwrought that she attempted suicide. Joseph Smith reassured “Just keep her at home and brook it and if they raise trouble about it and bring you before me I will give you an awful scourging and probably cut you off from the church and then I will set you ahead as good as ever.” Clayton was also the object of Emma Smith’s attentions, allegedly part of a jealous wife’s plan to make a cuckold of her errant husband.

678 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1991

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love the first-hand account of clayton as he deals with the everyday of crossing the plains. i love his tender words regarding his wives and his human frustrations at the shortcomings of all involved in the trek. i love that both chris's and my great great grandfathers were together on this trek and mentioned often in clayton's journals.

[Thumper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading about your great-great-grandfather is GREAT!!!

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for insights. Clayton was in the middle of all the events in the last few years of Joseph Smiths life and for the pioneer trek west. His journals represent some of the most detailed history we have of that time period. Plenty of new stories I had never heard before — and many I wish I had more details on.

[Tom Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the notes are disturbing and seem to be biased against the church, but overall the book was very interesting.