W.W. Phelps teaches that our God and Father is the "head" of the Gods.

Date
May 1, 1845
Type
Periodical
Source
W. W. Phelps
LDS
Hearsay
Direct
Reference

W.W. Phelps ("Joseph's Speckled Bird"), "Paracletes," Times and Seasons 6, no. 8 (May 1, 1845): 891-92

Scribe/Publisher
Times and Seasons
People
W. W. Phelps
Audience
Latter-day Saints
PDF
Transcription

PARACLETES.

MR. EDITOR—If you think the following sketch of the "Paracletes" worthy of a place, in the Times and Seasons, use it.

Once upon a time, the most honorable men of the creations or universes, met together to promote the best interest of the great whole.—The "head" said to his oldest son, you are the rightful heir to all, but you know I have many kingdoms and many mansions, and of course it will need many kings and many priests, to govern them, come you with me in solemn council, and let us and some of the "best" men we have had born in the regions of light, to rule in those kingdoms and set them in order by exhibiting good that evil may be manifest.

It was said and done, for every thing there, was adopted from the "head" by common consent. As free agency gave the sons of the "head" a fair chance to choose for themselves, the most noble of the hosts, came forward and selected a world or kingdom, and a time or a season, when he would take his chance, at winning the hearts of the multitude, a kingdom, crown, and never ending glory.

The innumerable multiplicity of kingdoms, or spheres for action, with beings and animals in proportion, and time, times, eternity and eternities, for a full development of the qualities and powers of each, would so far exceed the common comprehension of mortals, that I can only say eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, nor hath a natural heart yet been able to calculate either. I then shall content myself, for this time to sketch but one. Idumia is the one as interesting as any, and being situated at an immense distance from the center or "head's" residence, and many eternities from the birth of the "Son of the morning" or even the great holy day when the "morning stars sang together," because so many worlds had been wrought out and left "empty and desolate," as places for "all the sons" of God to multiply and replenish the earth, I select that.

Time being divided into seven parts, the following men agreed to reaorganize every thing necessary to fill a kingdom for the space of many of the Lord's days, viz: Milauleph, Milbeth, Milgimal, Mildauleth, Milhah, Milvah and Milzah. Now after they had organized the kingdom of Idumia spiritually, then one at a time, was to come temporally and open the door of communication with the spiritual kingdom, that all that would, might return to their former estate; for, for this reason, all the regions created and to be created, were filled with a variety of beings: agents to themselves but accountable to the "head" for promises, made, when they agreed "to go" and be born of the flesh as they had been of the spirit; that they might know the evil, and choose the good: and then be born (again) of the spirit and the water," and enter into the mansions prepared for them before the foundations of the worlds.

Milauleph being the eldest and first chosen for Idumia, came on when 'there was not a man to till the ground," that is, there was not a "man of flesh" to labor temporally; and his elder brethren who had wrought out their salvation, upon worlds or realms, or kingdoms, ages, yea even eternities before, formed him a temporal body like unto their spiritual bodies, and put the life of his spiritual body into it, and gave him the power of endless lives.

Now the acts of his spiritual body, while he was a child with his father and mother in heaven; and his acts while he was in the spiritual councils of the Gods for millions of years; and his acts upon Idumia, while he named, arranged and prepared every thing upon it to fulfil the end and aim of their creation, behold they are written in 'the books' of the 'head,'—which are to be opened when the judgment comes for just men to enter into the joys of a 'third existence' which is spiritual.

Milauleph had one thousand years to account for, as well as to be 'arch angel' of Idumia, after he laid down his temporal body. Behold here is wisdom, he that hath ears to hear let him hear, for Milauleph, as yet had not been tempted with evil that he might (know) the good. He had not exercised the power of endless lives that he might (do) the works that his father had done: and he had not 'fell that men might be.' Although he had seen his eldest brother create worlds, and people them; and had witnessed the course and conduct of that world and people, as free agents, 'sinning and being sinned against,' while 'death' who held a commission from the 'Son of the morning,' to end the first partnership between the spirit and the body, yet, with all this knowledge, and a liberal education in the great college of the nobles of heaven, wherein all perfection was taught, all science explained from first to last, and all that was, is, or will be, was exhibited on the great map of perpetual systems, and eternal lives, Milauleph had to take his wife or one of the 'Queens of heaven,' and come upon Idumia, and be tempted, overcome, and driven from the presence of his Father, because it had been agreed by the Gods and grand council of heaven, that all the family of the 'head' that would do as he or his eldest son did, should be exalted to the same glory.

This was to be accomplished by the power of 'perpetual succession' in eternal lives, wherein there was no 'remission of sin without the shedding of blood;' no forgiveness without repentance; and no glory without perfect submission to the 'head.' The foundation was (truth): and the continuation, perpetual succession by revelation. Milauleph, then, knew that he and his wife would sin, and be troubled; but as the eternal spirit in him was the candle of the Lord, he knew also that the light thereof upon the eyes of his understanding, would show some of the way marks to the original 'truth,' whereby he might work out his salvation with fear aork of the hands of the 'Son' might be lost or any souls which his father had given him, might be left in prison, angels were commissioned to watch over Idumia, and act as (spiritual guides) to every soul, 'lest they should fall and dash their feet against a stone.' They were denominated 'the angels of our presence.

But I must stop, Mr. Editor: my story of the whole (seven) who managed the seven dispensations of Idumia, will be too long for one communication. And let me say that I have began this story of the 'Paracletes,' or Holy Ones to counterbalance the foolish novel reading of the present generation. My story is not revelation, but the innuendoes relate to holy transactions, which may lead good people to search after truth and find it. If this meets the approbation of virtuous minds, I shall write more.

JOSEPH'S SPECKLED BIRD.

BHR Staff Commentary

On the importance of this vis-a-vis Adam-God, Samuel Brown noted that:

Beyond presenting a link between Joseph Smith and Young’s Adam-God, Phelps’s short story provides windows on several other aspects of early Mormon belief. Contrary to the “infinite regress” view, and in support of Blake Ostler's “kingship monotheism,” Phelps reports a “head” God, one intermittently identified with the Lord-God of the Old Testament. (He would later equivocate on this point, following uncertain cues in Joseph Smith’s June 1844 Sermon in the Grove.) Contrary to some versions of Brigham Young's Adam-God formulation, Adam was an immature immortal, and the “head” remained involved in earthly affairs. In support of Eliza R. Snow and others, the divine anthropology clearly included God’s wife, the entity later dubbed Mother in Heaven (though more likely denominated the Queen of Heaven at the time). (Samuel Brown, "William Phelps's Paracletes, an Early Witness to Joseph Smith's Divine Anthropology," International Journal of Mormon Studies, volume 2 [Spring 2009]: 66)

Citations in Mormonr Qnas
Copyright © B. H. Roberts Foundation
The B. H. Roberts Foundation is not owned by, operated by, or affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.