Saturday, March 27, 2021

The Theology of W.W. Phelps' "Paracletes"

In 1845, W.W. Phelps, writing under the name of “Joseph’s Speckled Bird,” write a two-part article “Paracletes.” As Samuel Brown noted about the theology of these fictional pieces:

 

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]:62-82, here, p. 66)

 

In a footnote to the above, Brown also noted that, while:

 

Teaching Greek in Winter Quarters, Phelps retranslated 2 Peter 1:17, converting “he received from God the Father honer Glory” into “he recived in presence of God’s Father honer and Glory,” misunderstanding apposed Greek genitive nouns. This later belief in God having a Father of his own is not clearly endorsed in Paracletes. Maurine Carr Ward, ed., Winter Quarters: The 1846-1848 Life Writings of Mary Haskin Parker Richards (Logan: Utah State University Press, 1996), February 21, 1847, 191. (Ibid., 66 n. 12 [note: the diary entry is actually February 21, 1848, not 1847)

 

The following are the two parts of Paracletes as published in the 1 May and 1 June 1845 issues of the Times and Seasons:

 

Times and Seasons, vol. 6, no. 8 (1 May 1845):891-92:

 

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.

 

Times and Seasons, vol. 6, no. 10 (1 June 1845), 917–8:

 

COMMUNICATIONS. THE PARACLETES. CONTINUED.

 

To continue the history of the seven holy ones, who agreed to take upon them bodies of flesh, and work out a more exceedithe flesh, knew before they left their "first estate," what their fathers' will was; and that when they should begin to replenish the earth, Satan, who had been raised and educated with them in their father's family, would descend from heaven like lightning to tempt them, that they might know to choose good and reject evil. These two, who had engaged to people Idumia: to subdue it, and to return, having (kept the faith) once delivered to the chosen seed, were informed, when they agreed to go and labor their hour, that besides the comforter, to bring all things to their remembrance, the angels which attended them on high should attend them below to preserve them from the secret of unforseen snares of those angels who kept not their first estates, but were left in their sins, to roam from region to region, and in chains of darkness, until the great day of judgment.

 

It was written in the law of the Lord on high, that they that overcome by obedience, should be made kings and queens, and priests and priestesses to God and his Father, through the atonement of the eldest son, and that natural eyes should not see, nor natural ears hear, neither should the natural heart conceive the great, glorious, and eternal things, honors and blessings, that were then, in the Father's dominions, and mansions, prepared in the beginning for them that kept the faith to the end, and entered triumphantly into their third estates: (the eternal life).

 

It was also written in the law of the Lord on high, that when the Lord punished men for their sins, he would "punish the hosts of the high ones on high," and the "kings of the earth upon earth," -- that spirit might judge spirit, and flesh judge flesh; for this honor have all the just, and this honor have all the saints.

 

Having this understanding Idumia was placed in its space, but was "desolate and empty." and the life organizing power of the Gods, or sons of the "head," moved over the matters and then the land and water separatedcam" and they went on and organized a world, and created every thing necessary to beautify and adorn it, with life and the power of lives to sustain it, until it should fill the measure of all designed, from a mite to a mammoth; from a man to a God; and Milauleph's and his wife's spirits, clothed in heavenly garments, and learned in eternal wisdom, witnessed the creation, as the spirits of the Gods had witnessed their Father: for even the elder brother could do nothing but what he had seen his Father do in eternities before.

 

Perhaps this subject may excite the curiosity of some: as it will lead the mind back among the worlds that have been organized and passed away, -- and among the Gods and angels that have attended to execute the laws and decrees of one universe after another, from eternity to eternity, from the beginning till (now); and, to increase the curiosity of having this present world pass away with a great noise, when there is no place found for it; -- and of having organized a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth "righteousness" and as our fathers cannot be perfect without us, nor we without them; and as the man is not without the woman, neither the woman without the man in the Lord, perhaps Milauleph and his wife, as king and queen to God, and all the sons and daughters of the "head" will shout for joy, and the morning stars sing together again, at the "third" entrance of Idumia and sanctified millions! -- Who knows?

 

JOSEPH'S SPECKLED BIRD.