Everything about W W Phelps Mormon totally explained
William Wines Phelps (
February 171792 —
March 71872) was an important early leader of the
Latter Day Saint movement. He was an assistant president of the church in
Missouri, scribe to
Joseph Smith, member of the Literary Firm, church printer, editor, and song-writer.
Life
Born
February 17,
1792 in
Hanover, New Jersey, Phelps has been referred to by Dean Jessee as "one of [the] founders" of the anti-
Masonic movement in
New York. He was the editor of the anti-Masonic newspaper
Ontario Phoenix in
Canandaigua (1827-28). Phelps was also the editor of the
Western Courier and the
Lake Light papers.
Well educated, Phelps was an aspirant for the office of lieutenant governor of New York at the time when he purchased a copy of the
Book of Mormon from
Parley P. Pratt on
April 9,
1830—just three days after the early
Latter Day Saint church was organized. He visited Kirtland in 1831, was baptized, and established a print house in
Independence, Missouri, where he published the
Evening and Morning Star. While working to publish the church's
Book of Commandments, a mob of vigilantes destroyed Phelps' home and the press. In
Kirtland, Ohio, he helped print the
first Latter Day Saint hymnal and the 1835 edition of the
Doctrine and Covenants.
A scribe to the Prophet
Joseph Smith Jr., Phelps was the author of a number of popular Latter Day Saint hymns including
The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning, which he wrote for the dedication of the
Kirtland Temple. From 1834-1838, he was a counselor to
David Whitmer in the presidency of the church in Missouri and in that capacity he helped found the town of
Far West, Missouri. Phelps was
excommunicated from the church on
March 10,
1838 when he was accused of profiting from
Far West land deals and reneging on a $2,000 subscription to "the house of the Lord" that wasn't paid. In June, 1838, Phelps,
Oliver Cowdery,
David Whitmer,
John Whitmer, and
Lyman E. Johnson were warned out of Far West
or a more fatal calamity shall befall you.
On
July 8,
1838, it was decided that Phelps, along with
Frederick G. Williams, could be ordained as elders and serve
missions abroad, even though they'd lost their standing. Phelps served a brief mission in the East in
1841. Phelps moved to
Nauvoo, Illinois where on
August 27,
1841, he replaced Robert B. Thompson (who had died) as
Joseph Smith's clerk. Phelps was
endowed on
December 9,
1843 and was also was made a member of the
Council of Fifty. In Nauvoo, Phelps spoke out for the destruction of an opposition newspaper, the
Nauvoo Expositor. He believed that the city charter gave the church leaders power to declare the newspaper a nuisance. Shortly afterwards, the press and type were carried into the street and destroyed. Phelps was summoned to be tried for treason with Joseph Smith at Carthage.
During the
Mormon Succession Crisis in 1844, Phelps sided with
Brigham Young and the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was again excommunicated on
December 9,
1848 for entering into an unauthorized polygamous marriage, but was
rebaptized two days later . He took part in the
Mormon Exodus across the
Great Plains and settled in
Salt Lake City in 1849. He served a
mission in southern
Utah (as counselor to
Parley P. Pratt) from November,
1849 to February,
1850. There he served in the
Utah territorial legislature and on the board of regents for the
University of Deseret (now the
University of Utah). Phelps died on
March 7,
1872 in
Salt Lake City,
Utah.
Hymns
Today,
William W. Phelps is probably best-known for his legacy of
LDS hymns, many of which appear in the current edition of the
LDS Hymnal.
Phelps also reworded popular hymns turning them into uniquely Latter Day Saint hymns.
Joy to the World! the Lord will Come
Redeemer of IsraelFurther Information
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