| William W. Phelps (1792–1872) |
| 1830 convert, assistant president of the church in Missouri, scribe to Joseph Smith, member of the Literary Firm, church printer, editor, song-writer. Excommunicated, warned out of Missouri in 1838, returned to the church in 1841. | ||||
| Born | William Wines Phelps, February 17, 1792, in Hanover, Morris county, New Jersey. | |||
| Died | March 7, 1872 in Salt Lake City. | |||
| Father | Enon Phelps | |||
| Mother | Mehitable Goldsmith | |||
| Baptized | June 10, 1831 | Messenger and Advocate, vol. 1 no. 7 (April 1835), 96. | ||
| Ordinations | June 6, 1831, elder by Joseph Smith | Minutes of June 3–6, 1831 | ||
| October 1, 1831, to the High Priesthood by Joseph Smith | FWR, 13. | |||
| Occupation | Newspaper editor | |||
| Events | December 24, 1830 meets Joseph and is convinced he is a prophet. | Messenger and Advocate, vol. 1 no. 7 (April 1835), 96. | ||
| Jailed to prevent baptism | April 30, 1830 "I was thrown into prison at Lyons, N.Y. by a couple of Presbyterian traders, for a small debt, for the purpose, as I was informed, of 'keeping me from joining the Mormons.'" | Messenger and Advocate, vol. 1 no. 7 (April 1835), 96. | ||
| Editor in Canandaigua | Before moving to Kirtland in June 1831, William edited the Ontario Phoenix in Canandaigua, New York. | Joseph Smith Revelations, 140n49. | ||
| High Priesthood conference, elder | June 6, 1831 shortly after baptism, attends conference where High Priesthood is bestowed, Lyman Wight has a vision, and "the man of sin" is revealed. Joseph ordains William an elder. | Minutes of June 3–6, 1831 | ||
| June 15, 1831 | ||||
| Missouri tour with Joseph | June 19, 1831 leaves Kirtland for Jackson county with Joseph, Sidney, Martin, Edward, and three others, arriving in mid-July. | Joseph Smith history (1839) in Papers 1:356–357; also HC 1:188. | ||
| July 14, 1831 Williams arrives at Indepencence with Joseph, Edward, Martin Harris, W. and Joseph Coe reach Independence. | 'Joseph Knight's Recollection," 39. | |||
| Lamanite women revelation | July 17, 1831 Joseph gives revelation recalled by William in 1861authorizing missionaries to marry Indian women. | ¶
1831 Chronology ¶ Ezra Booth Letters (8–9) |
||
| Preaches in Indian territory | July 18, 1831 preaches to "a western audience over the boundary of the United States, wherein were present specimens of all the families of the earth; Shem, Ham and Japheth; several of the Lamanites or Indians—representative of Shem; quite a respectable number of negroes—descendants of Ham; and the balance was made up of citizens of the surrounding country, and fully represented themelves as pioneers of the West." | HC 1:189-91. | ||
| Steward of revelations | November 12, 1831 named as one of the "stewards over the revelations and commandments." Others are Joseph, Martin, Oliver, John Whitmer, and Sidney. | D&C 70:1–3 | ||
| Superintend Zion schools | January 24, 1832 Conference in Zion. Oliver, William W. Phelps, and John Corrill are to superintend schools. | FWR, 234, | ||
| Attend to poor | April 26, 1832 William is among the leaders "bound together by a bond and covenant that cannot be broken by transgression, except judgment shall immediately follow … to manage the affairs of the poor, and all things pertaining to the bishopric both in the land of Zion and in the land of Kirtland." The others are Joseph, Oliver, Martin, Sidney, Edward Partridge, John Whitmer, Sidney Gilbert, and Newel K. Whitney. | D&C 82:11–12. | ||
| Literary Firm, book | April 30, 1832 the Literary Firm, of which William is a member, decides to print 3,000 copies of the Book of Commandments. William, Oliver, and John Whitmer are to "select for printing such as shall be deemed by them proper, as dictated by the Spirit & make all necessary verbal corrections." William is also to "correct" hymns selected by Emma. | Minutes
of April 30, 1832 At the end of July 31, Joseph changed his mind and decided not to release the revelations to the editing committee. ¶ Joseph to W. W. Phelps William authoried twenty-nine of the ninety songs in the first 1835 edition. |
||
| Evening and Morning Star | June 1832 publishes first issue of The Evening and the Morning Star in Independence. Fourteen issues are published before the press is destroyed on July 20, 1833. | Papers 1:26n2. | ||
| Rebuked by Joseph | July 31, 1832 Joseph is upset by William's letter. He denounces William, Edward, and the Missouri Saints generally. Sidney was so furious when he read William's letter and he had to be temporarily removed from office. | Joseph to W. W. Phelps | ||
| January 14, 1833 Joseph responds to a letter from W. W. Phelps, criticizing the brethren in Zion of the judgments of God if they do not repent. | ||||
| Writes for high council to Kirtland | February 26, 1833 with Oliver Cowdery and John Corrill, William writes an epistle on behalf of a special conference of high priests in Kirtland to the brethren in Kirtland. | Minutes of February 26, 1833; HC 1:327. | ||
| "Free People of Color" article angers citizens | July 1833 issue of The Evening and the Morning Star, edited by W. W. Phelps, includes an article titled "Free People of Color," which quotes from the laws of Missouri the circumstances under which free people of color can come to the state. Jackson county citizens are infurated. An Extra is printed on the 16th, quoting paragraphs in the same issue that blacks are not to immigrate and are not accepted into the church. | "Free People of Color" | ||
| Citizens'
ultimatum Home, press destroyed |
July 20, 1833 a gathering of Jackson county citizens declares Mormons must leave the county immediately. They present their demands to W. W. Phelps, A. S. Gilbert, and Bishop Edward Partridge, who ask for time to consult with other leaders in Missouri and Ohio. The mob raze the printing press office—where William and his family live—force A. S. Gilbert to close the store, and tar and feather Edward Partridge and Charles Allen. | ¶ Missouri
Persecutions (1) |
||
| One of six to offer themselves as ransom | July 23, 1833 W. W. Phelps, Edward Partridge, John Corrill, John Whitmer, A. S. Gilbert, and Isaac Morley meet with Jackson county citizens' committee and offer themselves as a ransom for the church "willing to be scourged or die, if that would appease their anger toward the church." Instead, the citizens agree to stop the violence and the Mormons agree to leave the county by April 1, 1834. | The
Evening and the Morning Star,
vol. 2 no.15 (December 1833), 114. ¶ Missouri Persecutions (2) |
||
| Sings in tongues | September 11, 1833 sings about the Nephites in tongues at council. | ¶ Minutes of September 11, 1833 | ||
| Mob rampage | May 1, 1834 writes to the Star that last week the mob burned most of 170 Mormon structures. Also Clay county depredations. Some non-Mormons leaving Jackson. Only God can stop the mob. | To the Star, May 1, 1834 | ||
| Named for endowment | June 23, 1834 named to receive Kirtland endowment. | ¶ Minutes of June 23, 1834 | ||
| High council presidency | July 3, 1834 high priests in Missouri select David Whitmer as first president, assisted by W. W. Phelps and John Whitmer. | Minutes of July 3, 1834 | ||
| Counsels branches on diplomacy | July 31, 1834 assigned with David Whitmer, Orson Pratt (h), and Lyman Wight (h) (swh) to visit churches throughout Missouri, instructing members "how to escape the indignation of our enemies." | Minutes of July 31, 1834 | ||
| Silences Parley | Winter 1834–1835 suspends (silences) Parley P. Pratt for leaving Missouri in debt. Parley had offered to pay, but the creditor refused payment in view of Parley's church service. William: "such conduct was not the way of the pure in heart." Parley stops officiating in the New Portage area. (Joseph overturns the ruling in early February.) | Parley, 145. | ||
| Leaves for Kirtland | April 28, 1835 leaves Missouri for Kirtland with son Waterman and John Whitmer. | Book of John Whitmer in From Historian, 137. | ||
| Works D&C | May 17, 1835 arrives in Kirtland and lives in Joseph's home while working on the 1835 D&C. | Book of John Whitmer in From Historian, 137. | ||
| Joseph
as speaker Kirtland conditions |
May 26, 1835 hears Joseph preach for three and a half hours—"one of the greatest sermons I ever heard." He couldn't live in Kirtland—too expensive—but members keep commandments. | W. W. Phelps to Sally | ||
| Pledges $500 for temple | June 25, 1835 subscribes $500 for House of the Lord. | HC 2: 234. | ||
| Scribe for Book of Abraham | July 3, 1835 Michael H. Chandler arrives in Kirtland to exhibit four Egyptian mummies and rolls of papyrus covered with hieroglyphics. "Some of the Saints" in Kirtland purchase the artifacts and, "and with W. W. Phelps and Oliver Cowdery as scribes," Joseph begins translating the scrolls. | HC
2:235. William leaves for Missouri on |
||
| 1835 General Assembly | August 17, 1835 General Assembly approves 1835 D&C. William reads the testimony of the Twelve about the book and Oliver's "Article on Marriage," which is included as the last section. | ¶
Minutes of August 17, 1835 ¶ Minutes of August 17, 1835 |
||
| Revelation:
t akes honor to himself Riches promised Be lawyer |
September 22, 1835 revelation through Joseph: William "shall have the desires of his heart in the gift that pertaineth to writing the law of God and in being an instrument in writing to lift up an ensign to the Nations … [but] the Lord will chasten him because he taketh honor to himself. … because of his liberal soul, the Lord will make him rich, even with treasures of gold, silver, precious stones, and with all precious metals." To be lawyer. | William W. Phelps journal qtd. in New Mormon Studies. | ||
| Council of presidency of church | September 26, 1835 participates in "the council of the Presidency of the Church" (First Presidency and presidents of Zion) to resolve differences with the Twelve. | Minutes
of September 26, 1835 term: council of the presidency of the church |
||
| Future of the Lamanites |
The Indians are the people of the Lord; they are the tribes of Israel; the blood of Joseph, with a small mixture of the royal blood of Judah, and the hour is nigh when they will come flocking into the kingedom of God, like doves to their windows; yea, as the book of Mormon foretells—they will soon become a white and delightsome people … |
William to Oliver, Letter No. 11, Messenger and Advocate, vol. 2 no. 1 (October 1835), 193. | ||
| Israelites at North Pole |
there may be a continent at the north pole, of more than 1300 square miles, containing thousands of millions of Israelites, who, after a highway is cast up in the great deep, may come to zion, singing songs of everlasting joy. |
Op. cit. 194. | ||
| School of the Prophets | November 2, 1835 attends organization of the School of the Prophets. | |||
| Under condemnation, repents | November 8, 1835 "The word of the Lord cam[e] unto me saying that President Phelps & President J. Whitmer are under condemnation before the Lord, for their errors <for which they made satisfaction the same day> |
Papers
2:68; HC
2:304. |
||
| Temple
dedication William's hymns |
March 27, 1836 dedication of the House of the Lord. Three of the six hymns sung are William's: "Now Let Us Rejoice, "Adam-ondi-Ahman," and "The Spirit of God." | HC 2:416–417, 426–427. | ||
| Temple feet washing | March 29, 1836 David Whitmer washes W. W. Phelps' feet during the all-night temple session. William then washes John Whitmer's feet . | American Prophet, 153. | ||
| Leaves Kirtland for Zion | April 9, 1836 leaves Kirtland for Zion with Edward Partridge, Isaac Morley, John Corrill. | HC 2:436. | ||
| Appoint building committee | November 15, 1836 William and John Whitmer appoint building committee for temple. | Minutes of November 15, 1836 | ||
| Charged by high council | April 3–7, 1837 High council and bishop's council charge William and John Whitmer with exceeding their authority. Reconcile on the fourth day. | Minutes
of April 3, 1837 Minutes of April 5–6, 1837 Minutes of April 7, 1837 |
||
| Warned to repent | September 4, 1837 William and John Whitmer are warned in a revelation to Joseph that they must repent or be removed from their positions. | Revelation of September 4, 1837 | ||
| Excommunicated | March 10, 1838 accused of profiting from Far West land deals and reneging on the $2,000 subscription to the house of the Lord that they did not pay, William and John Whitmer are excommunicated by the high council and congregation. | Minutes of March 10, 1838 | ||
| Contacts apostles | June 1840 contacts Orson Hyde and John E. Page in Dayton, Ohio. | From Historian, 94. | ||
| Warned out of Far West | June 18, 1838 Hyrum and Uncle John Smith, Sampson Avard, and 83 other Mormons sign an ultimatum directed at Oliver, David , W. W. Phelps, John Whitmer, and Lyman E. Johnson, warning them to leave the county immediately lest a "fatal calamity shall befall you." | Origins, 94, quoting Document. | ||
| May be ordained elder, be missionary | July 8, 1838 William and Frederick G. Williams have lost their standing, but may be ordained elders and serve missions abroad. | Revelation of July 8, 1838 | ||
| Betrayal of Joseph | October 1838 William is one of the men who meets with Colonel Lucas prior to the "betrayal" of Joseph at Far West, the others being George M. Hinkle, Reed Peck, John Corrill, and John Cleminson. | |||
| 1841 misison | May 1841 brief mission to the East. | |||
| Clerk of Kirtland conference | May 22, 1841 appointed clerk of a conference of Kirtland Saints. | Times and Seasons, vol. 2 no.17 (July 1, 1841), 458. | ||
| Joseph's clerk | August 27, 1841 Robert B. Thompson, Joseph Smith's clerk, dies. W. W. Phelps replaces him. | Early Mormon Documents 1:55. | ||
| William as editor | [May 15, 1843] When it came to the cool discretion necessarily intrusted to an editor in the control of public opinion, the soothing of enmity, he was deficient, and would always make more enemies than friends. But for my part I would be willing, if I were able to pay Phelps for editing a paper, providing nobody else should have the privilege of reading it but myself. Joseph laughed heartily and said I had the thing just right. | George A. Smith diary | ||
| Nauvoo endowment | December 9, 1843 endowed in the Nauvoo temple. | From Historian, 94. | ||
| Anointed Quorum | March 3, 1844 attends meeting of the Anointed Quorum. | Origins, 356. | ||
| March 8, 1844 attends meeting meeting of the Anointed Quorum that nominates Joseph's vice-presidential candidate. | Origins, 118. | |||
| Post-martyrdom role | July 1, 1844 W. W. Phelps, W. Richards (h),and John Taylor announce no decision about new church leadership will be made until a majority of the apostles and "other authorities" can meet. | Times and Seasons vol. 5 no. 12 (July 1, 1844), 568. | ||
| William and Willard act independently | [July 6, 1844] The greatest danger that now threatens us is dissensions and strifes amongst the Church. There are already 4 or 5 men pointed out as successors to the Trustee and President, and there is danger of feelings being manifest.All the brethren who stand at the head seem to feel the delicacy of the business. Phelps and Dr. Richards have taken a private course and are carrying out many measures on their own responsibility without council. | William Clayton, Intimate Chronicle, 137. | ||
| Polygamy | February 2, 1846 becomes a polygamist, marrying Laura Stowell and Elizabeth Dunn. | From Historian, 94. | ||
| Leaves Nauvoo | February 1846 leaves Nauvoo with the main body of Saints. | From Historian, 94. | ||
| Excommuicated, baptized | December 9, excommunicated, rebaptized two days later. | From Historian, 94. | ||
| Mission to southern Utah | November 23, 1849 to February 1850 mission exploring southern Utah (counselor to Parley P. Pratt). | Parley, 463–468. | ||
| Member, first board of regents, University of Deseret | ||||
| Member, Utah territorial legislature, 1851. | ||||
| Hill Cumorah story | January 14, 1855 relates a story told him by Hyrum that Joseph, Hyrum, Oliver and one of the Whitmers went to the Hill Cumorah." As they were walking up the hill, a door opened and they walked into a room about 16 ft. square. In that room was an angel and a trunk. On the trunk lay a book of Mormon & gold plates, Laban's sword, Aaron's breastplate." | William H. Dame diary qtd. in New Mormon Studies. | ||
| Families | Sally Waterman, md. April 28, 1815, at Smyrna, Chenango county, New York. | |||
| Sabrina (1816–1887) Mehitable D. (1819–1877) Jerusha (1821–1822) William Waterman (1823–1886) Sarah (1825–1898) Henry Enon (1828–1901) Mary (1830–1831) James (1834) Lydia (1835–1923) Princella (1837–1838) |
||||
| Laura Stowell (b. [1796]) md. February 2, 1846 | From Historian, 94. | |||
| Elizabeth Dunn (b. [1796]) md. February 2, 1846 | From Historian, 94. | |||
| Mary Jones (b. [1796]) | ||||
| Sarah Betsy Gleason (b. [1796]) | ||||
| Harriet Schrider (b. [1796]) | ||||
| Biographical
sketches Home |
||||