Laura Clark the daughter of Timothy Baldwin Clark and Mary (Polly) Keeler was born in New Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut. She was the third child and daughter in a family of twelve children. Laura's family moved around quite often in the American frontier and joined a Methodist group following a Reverend Jesse Walker.
She married Morris Charles Phelps 28 April 1826 in Lawrenceville, Lawrence, Illinois. They had five children: Paulina Eliza, Mary Ann, Harriet Wright, Joseph Morris and Jacob Spencer. Laura, her husband and oldest daughter joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in August 1831 and were baptized by Sanford Porter, Senior in the DuPage River in Cook County, Illinois. The family then moved to Independence, Missouri with the Saints. Laura and her husband lived in Clay and Caldwell Counties. They lived south of the city of Far West. Morris was taken prisoner in December 1838 and was in the Richmond Jail and later moved to the Columbia Jail in the early summer of 1939 to wait for his trial.
Laura left her husband in Missouri and went with the Saints to Quincy, Illinois with her children in the spring of 1839. A short time later went to Commerce that was renamed Nauvoo for a few days and then travel across the river to Montrose where her father had settled. She left her children with Elizabeth Stevens Stevenson the mother-in-law to her brother Ezra Thompson. Laura then took her younger brother, John Wesley with her to find and rescue her husband Morris from jail. William O. had loaned his horse to Laura for the trip.
In Parley P. Pratt's autobiography he states that Mrs. Morris Phelps arrive on 1 July, 1839 for a visit and brought news of his family. At that time Parley and Morris had been in confinement for eight months. The night before Laura arrived Parley was shown by vision how they would escape. Laura was also shown the same vision that very night. Orson Pratt, Parley Pratt's brother was there to talk with the Judge and Attorney to obtain various papers for their trials. In the evening at suppertime on 4 July 1939, Parley, Morris and King Follett were to made their escape when the door was opened to hand them their food and coffee pot. Once outside of the prison Morris, Parley and King Follett ran to the horses that John Wesley and Orson had nearby in the thickets. John and Orson hid in a small ravine until their pursuers retired and then they made their way back to Illinois.
While Laura's husband and others made their escape, she was still an inmate of the dwelling (prison house). The old jailer and his wife rail and curse her as the author of this mischief. They threatened her with instant death and then turned her out of the prison to the mob were who outside. Laura sat down on a block of wood in the midst of the mob as they cursed, insulted, threatened and abused her in the most unfeeling manner for some time. She stay in that spot for some time and did not notice the slang or the abuse. She thought of her husband and wondered if he was shot, taken or would be brought back to the prison house. A young man looked at Laura and did not like the treatment she was receiving. He went home to his parent's house and soon his mother came with him and took Laura to their home until she could travel back to Illinois. She stayed with them for about two weeks while her horse was used to search for the prisoners. Finally, her horse and saddle were returned to her and she rode home to find her husband.
After Laura and Morris were reunited and settle in the Montrose area, Morris was called on a mission in September 1839. Laura and their youngest child went with Morris on his mission. The other children were left with the Clark family in Montrose. In 1840 Morris and Laura moved to Macedonia, Illinois with their now five children. They enjoyed peace and happiness a short while. Laura was a midwife and travelled night and day. She took sick on the 1 February and died on 9 February 1842. Her husband and children missed her. Morris had Laura buried in Nauvoo. She was 34 years old. Her death was record in the Times and Seasons in Nauvoo on 1 March 1842 by Heber C. Kimball honoring her life.
Morris Phelps writes in his autobiography that a few months before her death, Laura had beheld a vision where she saw the great suffering of the saints in Nauvoo. She saw many who were slain in battle and killed by a mob. She also saw the saints expulsion from Nauvoo and their travel in great bodies and suffering. She was not shown where they were going. She had told Morris she could not endure that kind of trouble that was to come upon them. She told him she had endured all she could endure.
Sources: Timothy B Clark by A. Charles Clark, 2017 and Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, eighth printing 1970
