Andrew Jenson Biographical Encyclopedia

PHELPS, Morris, a Patriarch in the Church, was a son of Spencer Phelps and Mary Miller, and was born Dec. 20, 1805 in Northampton, Hampshire county, Mass.  His father removed to Geauga (now Lake) county, Ohio, in the early days of its settlement.  When about nineteen yeas of age, with the consent of his parents, he went to the southwestern part of Illinois, to visit some relatives, when he became acquainted with Laura Clark, to whom he was married March 28, 1826, and afterwards removed to Tazwell county Ill., settling at Willow Springs.  From thence he removed to the northern part of the State, where he first heard the gospel preached by Lyman Wight and John Correll.  He opened his house for holding meeting and was baptized in August, 1831, by Sanford Porter, Sen.  Shortly afterwards he was ordained an Elder.  He sold his possessions in Illinois and started for Jackson county, Mo., Oct. 14, 1831 arriving at Independence March 6, 1832, where he continued laboring with the Saints until driven out by the mob, in 1822.  He next located his family in Clay county Mo.  From there he performed several missions to different parts of the State, laboring also on the Kirtland Temple as a Carpenter in the winter of 1835-36.  At Kirtland he was ordained a High Priest.  When Caldwell county, Mo., was settled by the Saints, he removed his family to Far West, from which place they were driven by the exterminating order of Governor Lilburn W. Boggs.  At this time Brother Phelps was cast in prison, together with Parley P. Pratt and others.  After several months" confinement in the Richmond jail, in Ray county, they were taken by a change of venue to Columbia jail, Boon county, from which place Brothers Pratt and Phelps succeeded in making their escape July, 4. 1839. and after , and after much suffering reached Illinois, where they found their families, who had preceded them.  Shortly after this he performed a mission to the Eastern States, and on his return settled in Macedonia (Ramus) Hancock county, Ill.  Here his wife died and he removed to Nauvoo, where he labored on the Temple, and was finally driven out with the Saints.  In 1851 he came to Utah and settled in Alpine Utah county, where he remained until 1864, when he removed to Bear Lake valley, and there became one of the pioneer settlers of Montpelier.  He was ordained a Patriarch under the hands of President Brigham Young and others, and died May 22, 1876, surrounded by his family and friends.  All his children with one exception were present at his death-bed.  He left seven living children, fifty-one grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. (Taken from Biographical Encyclopedia Vol. 1 pgs. 373-374 by Andrew Jenson)