One day early in my mission a Sister that I had said hello to a few times came up to me in the lobby and said “Sister Shea, I’m so excited, I found the story of a family member and I just have to tell someone!” She went on to explain that she knew about this woman from her family history. She started to tell me about a woman named Laura Clark and a man named Morris Phelps and said she’d copied the book and asked if I wanted to read it, and I said yes.
The story is about Laura Clark who was born in Fairfield, Connecticut in July of 1807. She met Morris Phelps and was married in 1825.
Upon learning of the Book of Mormon Laura & Morris were baptized and they followed the call and moved to Jackson County, Missouri in 1831. Laura & Morris were great friends of the Prophet Joseph Smith and Morris suffered with the Prophet through the many trials of persecution such as the Battle of Crooked River in October of 1838, where an extermination order was issued by Governor Boggs.
After the terrible Haun’s Mill Massacre, the Prophet, Hyrum, Morris Phelps, David Patten & Parley P Pratt were arrested & taken to a jail in Richmond County, several days later the Prophet & Hyrum were transferred to the jail at Liberty, Missouri.
After 8 months Laura decided to go to Richmond to see Morris & do what she could to get him out of jail. She travelled with her brother the 150 miles on horseback to Richmond. When she arrived she was allowed to see her husband & be with him in court. Since there was no one to testify in behalf of her husband & Parley P Pratt the case was continued.
One night Parley Pratt had a dream about escaping the jail & later learned that Laura Clark had had the same dream. They realized that the only option was escape.
Morris Phelps & Parley Pratt managed to escape but the mob took its anger out on Laura in a cruel & abusive manner.. She was rescued by a family named Richardson & stayed with them for 10 days to recover. Laura was very anxious to know if Morris made it back to Nauvoo & after no word, decided to ride back to Nauvoo herself. She journeyed part of the time with a mail carrier and in a moment of fear & desperation while on her own she met up with King Follett’s son who rode the rest of the way with her. She joined Morris in Quincy and they returned to Kirtland in July of 1840.
Laura had worked and traveled day & night in all kinds of weather as an efficient midwife and practical doctor, but the overexertion & exposure had taken a terrible toll on her. Severe sickness came, and she died February 2, 1841 at the age of 34.
The family took her to Nauvoo to be buried. The Prophet Joseph Smith & Heber C Kimball preached her funeral sermons. The Prophet told of her life that had” been short in years, but full of noble accomplishments” and that her “exaltation was assured”. Heber C Kimball wrote her obituary.
It took me a few days to get to the actual reading of the story, but as I read I started asking myself why these names seemed so familiar? I decided the names were from Church History but the thought lingered until I actually got up, went to my computer to log on to Family Search. I went to my Family Tree and looked for my husband’s grandmother Irene Holmes Budge who I knew had Pioneer ancestry and started looking backwards, there in just three generations I found Laura Clark, married to Morris Phelps!
I started asking myself why this Sister Missionary had chosen me to tell her story to, and quickly realized that she had been moved by the Spirit.
Does the courage of Laura Clark inspire the courage in your Spirit? Are you being moved by the Spirit to find a family member?
Names on a Family Pedigree are genealogy; stories about your family are Family History! Are there stories you can share, is there work you can do?
I testify to you Brothers & Sisters that the work is the reward, that your families are waiting for YOU!
With Much Love,
Sister Shea
Authored by LLHappyEternal Writer: GUEST
Authored by LLHappyEternal Writer: GUEST
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