Blessing to William W. Phelps, 22 September 1835

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Blessing to William W. Phelps, 22 September 1835
Source Note

JS, Blessing, to
William W. Phelps
17 Feb. 1792–7 Mar. 1872. Writer, teacher, printer, newspaper editor, publisher, postmaster, lawyer. Born at Hanover, Morris Co., New Jersey. Son of Enon Phelps and Mehitabel Goldsmith. Moved to Homer, Cortland Co., New York, 1800. Married Sally Waterman,...
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, [
Kirtland Township
Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...
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, Geauga Co., OH], 22 Sept. 1835. Featured version copied 3 Oct. 1835 in Patriarchal Blessing Book 1, pp. 14–15; handwriting of
Oliver Cowdery
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...
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; CHL. For more complete source information on Patriarchal Blessing Book 1, see the source note for Blessing from Joseph Smith Sr., 9 Dec. 1834.

Historical Introduction
On 22 September 1835, JS dictated a blessing for
William W. Phelps
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in
Kirtland
Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...
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, Ohio.
1
For more information on the context of this blessing, see Blessing to David Whitmer, 22 Sept. 1835.
In June 1834, a
Missouri
Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
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council of
high priests
An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. Christ and many ancient prophets, including Abraham, were described as being high priests. The Book of Mormon used the term high priest to denote one appointed to lead the church. However, the Book of Mormon also discussed...
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had instructed Phelps to go to Kirtland to receive an “
endowment
Bestowal of spiritual blessings, power, or knowledge. Beginning in 1831, multiple revelations promised an endowment of “power from on high” in association with the command to gather. Some believed this promise was fulfilled when individuals were first ordained...
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with power.” The following month, the Missouri high council further directed Phelps to “assist in the printing business” in Kirtland.
2
Minutes, 23 June 1834; Minutes and Discourse, ca. 7 July 1834.
Phelps left for Kirtland on 28 April 1835. He was assisting in the editing of the Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate and finalizing the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants for publication at the time he received this blessing.
3
Whitmer, History, 70; “Doctrine and Covenants,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Aug. 1835, 1:170. Phelps had previously been in charge of the Independence, Missouri, printing office until its destruction in July 1833. He remained in Kirtland until after the dedication of the House of the Lord in March 1836. (William W. Phelps, Kirtland, OH, to Sally Waterman Phelps, Liberty, MO, Apr. 1836, William W. Phelps, Papers, BYU.)
Comprehensive Works Cited
Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.
Phelps, William W. Papers, 1835–1865. BYU.
JS’s blessing refers to Phelps’s abilities with the written word and promises him spiritual and temporal blessings.

Oliver Cowdery
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...
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recorded the initial dictation of this blessing on 22 September 1835 and copied it into Patriarchal Blessing Book 1 on 3 October 1835.
Footnotes
[1]
For more information on the context of this blessing, see Blessing to David Whitmer, 22 Sept. 1835.
[2]
Minutes, 23 June 1834; Minutes and Discourse, ca. 7 July 1834.
[3]
Whitmer, History, 70; “Doctrine and Covenants,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Aug. 1835, 1:170. Phelps had previously been in charge of the Independence, Missouri, printing office until its destruction in July 1833. He remained in Kirtland until after the dedication of the House of the Lord in March 1836. (William W. Phelps, Kirtland, OH, to Sally Waterman Phelps, Liberty, MO, Apr. 1836, William W. Phelps, Papers, BYU.)
Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.
Phelps, William W. Papers, 1835–1865. BYU.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Blessing to William W. Phelps, 22 September 1835
Page 14
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Blessed of the Lord is
brother Phelps, William W. Phelps
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, for he shall have the desires of his heart in the gift that pertaineth to writing the law of God, and in being an instrument in assisting to lift up an ensign to the nations.
1
See Isaiah 5:26; 11:12; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 91, 98 [2 Nephi 15:26; 21:12].
And according to the greatness of the desires of his soul, for blessings upon his friends, so shall the blessings of the Lord come upon him to the uttermost. The Lord will chasten him because he taketh honor to himself,
2
Revelation, 1 Aug. 1831 [D&C 58:41].
and when his soul is greatly humbled he will forsake the evil; then shall the light of the Lord break upon him as at noon-day, and in him shall be no darkness so great is the glory that shall come upon him. And blessed is his name among all nations. He shall have part in that that coucheth beneath:
3
See Deuteronomy 33:13.
and it shall be revealed unto him things by the hand of the Lord’s annointed that have been kept secret from the foundation of the world,
4
See Matthew 13:35.
concerning the last days. And he shall be a blessing unto his posterity from generation to generation, and shall be satisfied in beholding his enemies cut off out of the earth. He shall be filled with a fulness of the good things of the earth:
5
with houses and with lands, [p. 14]
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Editorial Title
Blessing to William W. Phelps, 22 September 1835
ID #
1203
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D4:435–436
Handwriting on This Page
Oliver Cowdery
Footnotes
[1]
See Isaiah 5:26; 11:12; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 91, 98 [2 Nephi 15:26; 21:12].
[2]
Revelation, 1 Aug. 1831 [D&C 58:41].
[3]
[4]
See Matthew 13:35.
[5]