I have had people close to me wonder if Joseph fell at the end of his life (due to the introduction of polygamy, etc) and I say that this sermon alone is enough for me to say NO!! The principle and practice, as hard as it was/is to swallow for many was indeed a correct and hallowed one and will be found where the best of the best are found to tread after this sifting process is completed.
Here is the King Follett discourse from the depth's of Joseph's soul:
Joseph Smith Diary, by Willard Richards
3 1/4 P. M.—Joseph commenced speaking on the subject of the Dead—relative to the death of elder King Follet 2 who who was crushed in a well. by the falling of a tub of rock on him.—
340 - 341If men do not comprehend the character of God 3 they do not comprehend themselves. what kind of being is God?—Eternal life to know God. 4—if man does not know God, has not Eternal life.—if I am so fortunate as to comprehend and explain the [incomplete thought] let evry one sit in silence and never lift your voice against the servants of God again.
341Every man has a right to be a false prophet. as well as a true prophet.—in the beginning. before the world was.—Is a man like one of yourselves.—should you see him to day. you would see a man in fashion and in form. Adam was formed in his likeness. 5—
341refute the idea that God was God from all eternity—Jesus said as the father had power in himself even so hath the son power 6 to do what the father did. Lay down his body. & take it up again.—you have got to learn how to make yourselves God, Kings, Priests, &c. 7—by going from a small to great capacity. Till they are able to dwell in everlasting burning 8 & everlasting power.—
341how consoling when called to part with a dear friend. to know their very being will rise to dwell in everlasting burning.—heirs of God. 9 and ascend a throne as those who have gone before.—I saw the father work out his kingdom with fear & trembling. 10—god is glorified in salvation Exaltation—of his ancestors &c.—not all to be comprehended in this world.—the head, or the head one—The head one of the Gods, 11 brought forth the Gods.—Dr & Lawyers that have persecuted.—The head one called the Gods together in grand council—to bring forth the world.—Example of error as yocabem Jacob—the son of Zebedee—& James James the son of Zebedee 12 4 Mat. 21. Greek Hebrew. German. & Latin.—In the begining the head of the gods called a council of the Gods—and concocted a scheme to create the world.—Soon as we begin to understand the character of the Gods he begins to unfold the heavens to us. 13—Doctors say.—created the earth out of nothing. Borau. 14—creates.— it means to organized. 15—God had materials to organise the world. Elements 16—nothing can destroy. no beginning no end.—
341The soul. Doctors of Divinity. God created in the beginning—he never the character of man. 17 dont believe it.—who told you God was self existent? correct enough.—in hebrew put into him his spirit. 18—which was created before. Mind of man coequal with God himself. friends seperated for a small moment from their spirits. coequal with God. and hold converse when they are one with another— 19
341If man had a beginning he must have an end.—might proclaim. God never had power to create the spirit of man
341 - 342Inteligence exist upon a self existent principle no creation about it. 20 all mind & spirit God ever sent into the world are susceptible of enlargement.—all things God has seen fit proper to reveal while dwelling in mortality, are revealed. precisely the same as though we were destitute of bodies. 21—
342what will save our spirits will save our bodies—our tabernacles—for our spirits—All spirits who have not obeyed the Gospel must be damned.—who have not obeyed the decrees of son of man.
342We are looked upon by God as though we were in Eternity—the greatest responsibility resting upon us is to look after our dead.— they without us cannot be made perfect without us. 22 Meet Paul 1/2 way.—Hence the saying of Elijah.—God made provisions before the world was for every creature in
342All sin shall be forgiven in this world or world to come—except one
342Salvation for all men who have not committed a certain sin can save any man who has not committed the unpardonable sin. 23 cannot commit the unpardonable sin after the diss dissolution of the body. Knowledge save a man.—
342No way for a man to come to understanding but give his consent to the commandment 24 Damned by mortification—a lake as of fire of brimstone—as exquisite the disappointment of the mind of man 25—
342Why? Must commit the unpardonable sin in this world. will suffer in the eternal world until he will be exalted.—
342work of the devil. the plans the devil laid to save the world.—
342Devil said he could save them all 26—Lot fell on Jesus.—All sin &c 27 forgiven except the sin against the Holy Ghost.—Got to deny the plan of salvation. &c. with his eyes open. Like many of the apostates of christ of the Church of Jesus Christ of last Days.
342Let All be careful.—lest you be deceived. best man brings forth best works.
342To the mourners your friend has gone to wait the perfection.—of the reunion.—the resurrection of your friend in felicity while worlds must wait myriads of years before they can receive the like blessings.—leave the subject. bless those who have lost friends. only gone for a few moments.—
342Shall mothers have their Children? Yes. they shall have it without price. redemption is paid possessing all the inteligence of a god. the child as it was before it died out of your arms thrones upon thrones. Dominion upon dominion just as you 28—
342 - 343Baptism of water fire & Holy Ghost. are inseperably connected. 29—found in the German Bible to prove what I have taught for 14 years about baptism.—I baptize you with water. but when Jesus comes having the keys—he shall baptize you with the baptism of fire & Holy Ghost. 30—
343Leaving the principles of doctrine of baptism &c 31—one god. one baptism. & one baptism 32—I.E. all three.
343called upon all men. Priests and all to repent and obey the gospel.—if they do not they will be damned.—those who commit the unpardonable sin are doomed to Gnaolom. 33 without end.—God dwells in everlasting burnings. 34—Love all men but hate your deeds.—
343You dont know me—you never will 35 I dont blame you for not believing my history had I not experienced it could not believe it myself
5 1/2 closed.
Wilford Woodruff Diary
3433 o clock P M April Sunday 7th 1844
The following important edefying & interesting discourse was deliverd by President Joseph Smith to about twenty ten thousand souls upon the subject of the death of Elder King Follet
343, 344, 345, 346, 347I now call the attention of this congregation while I addres you upon the subject of the dead The case of our Beloved Brother King Follet, who was crushed to death in a well, as well as many others who have lost friends will be had in mind this afternoon, & shall speak upon the subject in general as far as I shall be inspired by the Holy Spirit to treat upon the subject it, I want the Prayers & faith of the saints that I may have the Holy Ghost, that the testimony may carry conviction to your minds of the truth of what I shall say, & pray that the Lord may strengthen my lungs, there is strength here & your prayers will be herd. Before I enter upon an investigation of this subject, I wish to pave the way, and bring up the subject from the beginning that you may understand. I do not intend to please you with oritory but with the simple truths of heaven to Edify you. Go to the morn of creation to understand of the decrees of the Eloheem at the Creation. It is necessary for us to have an understanding of God at the beginning, if we get a good start first we can go right, but if you start wrong you may go wrong. But few understand the character of God. they do not know they do not understand their relationship to God. the world know no more than the brute beast, & they know no more than to eat drink and sleep & this is all man knows about God or his exhistance, except what is given by the inspiration of the Almighty. go then to the beginning that you may understand. I ask this congregation what kind of a being is God? turn your thoughts in your hearts, & say have any of you seen or herd him or communed with him this is a question that may occupy your attention The scriptures inform us that this is eternal life to know the ownly wise God & Jesus Christ whom He has sent. 36 If any inquire what kind of a being God is, I would say If you dont know God you have not eternal life, go back & find out what kind of a being God is. If I am the man that shows you what kind of a being God is, then let evry man & woman sit in silence and never lift up his hand against me again if I do not do it, I will not make any further pretentions to inspiration or to be a prophet, I would be like the rest of the world, fals teachers & you would want to take my life. But you might just as well take the lives of other fals teachers as mine if I was fals, But meddle not with any man for his religion, evry goverment ought to permit evry man to enjoy his religion, I will show the world is wrong by showing what God is. I am going to inquire after God so that you may know God, that persecution may cease concerning me, I go back to the beginning to show what kind of a being God was, I will tell you & hear it O Earth! God who sits in yonder heavens is a man like yourselves That God if you were to see him to day that holds the worlds you would see him like a man in form, like yourselves. Adam was made in his image and talked with him & walkd with him. 37 In order to understand the dead for the consolation of those that mourn, I want you to understand God and how he comes to be God. We suppose that God was God from eternity. I will refute that Idea, or I will do away or take away the veil so you may see. It is the first principle to know that we may converse with him and that he once was a man like us, and the Father was once on an earth like us, And I wish I was in a suitable place to tell it The scriptures inform us mark it that Jesus Christ said As the Father hath power in himself so hath the son power in himself to do what the father did 38 even to lay down my body & take it up again do you believe it, if not, dont believe the bible. I defy all Hell and earth to refute it. And you have got to learn how to make yourselves God, king and priest, by going from a small capacity to a great capacity to the resurrection of the dead to dwelling in everlasting burnings, 39 I want you to know the first principle of this law, how consoling to the mourner when they part with a friend to know that though they lay down this dody [body]. it will rise & dwell with everlasting burnings to be an heir of God & joint heir of with Jesus Christ 40 enjoying the same rise exhaltation & glory untill you arive at the station of a God. What did Jesus Christ do, the same thing as I se the Father do, see the father do 41 what, work out a kingdom, when I do so to I will give to the father which will add to his glory, he will take a Higher exhaltation & I will take his place and am also exhalted. Those are the first princples of the gospel. It will take a long time after the grave to understand the whole If I should say anything but what was in the bible the cry of treason would be herd I will then go to the Bible, Barasheet 42 in the beginning, Analize the word in and through the head, an old Jew added the word Bath, it red the head one of the Gods, broat forth the Gods, I will transpose it in the english language. I want you to know & learn that the Holy Ghost knows somthing. The grand Council set [sat?] at the head and contemplated the creation of the world, some will say, the scriptures say so & so, but I will show you a text out of an old book containing the four languages, the german is here what does this text say, yoakabeam, the son of Zebedee, the bible says James the son of Zebedee, but this says Jacob son of Zebedee 21 ch 4th ver Matthew The Dr says (I mean Dr of Law not of physic) If you say any thing not according to the Bible we will cry treason, But if ye are not led by revelation how can ye escape the damnation of Hell, here we have the testimony of four I have the oldest Book in the world & the holy Ghost I thank God for the old Book but more for the Holy Ghost. The Gods came together & concocked the plan of making the world & the inhabitants, having an knowledge of God we know how to Approach him & ask & he will answer 43 An other thing the learned Dr says the Lord made the world out of nothing, 44 you tell them that God made the world out of somthing, & they think you are a fool. But I am learned & know more than the whole world, the Holy Ghost does any how, & I will associate myself with it. Beaureau, 45 to organize the world out of chaotic matter, element they are principles that cannot be disolved they may be reoganized. Another subject which is calculated to exhalt man I wish to speak of The resurrection of the dead The soul the mind of man, whare did it come from? The learned says God made it in the beginning, but it is not so, I know better God has told me so. If you dont believe it, it wont make the truth without effect, God was a self exhisting being, man exhists upon the same principle. God made a tabernacle & put a spirit in it and it became a Human soul, 46 man exhisted in spirit & mind coequal with God himself, you who mourn the loss of friends are ownly seperted for a moment, the spirit is seperated for a little time, they are now conversant with each other as we are on the earth. I am dwelling on the immutibility of the spirit of man, is it logic to say the spirit of man had a begining & yet had no end, it does not have a begining or end, my ring is like the Exhistanc of man it has no begining or end, if cut into their would be a begining & end, so with man if it had a begining it will have an end, if I am right I might say God never had power to create the spirit of man, God himself could not create himself. Intelligence is Eternal & it is self exhisting, 47 All mind that is susseptible of improvement, the relationship we have with God places us in a situation to advance in knowledge. God has power to institute laws to instruct the weaker intelligences that thay may be exhalted with himself this is good d doctrin, it taste good, I can taste the principles of eternal life, so can you, they are given to me by the revelations of Jesus Christ and I know you believe it. All things that God sees fit to reveal to us in relation to us, reveals his commandments to our spirits, and in saving our spirits we save the body, the same as though we had no Body how comes the awful responsibility if in relation to our dead, if they do not be baptized they must be damned, (I wish I had 40 days to talk) what promises are made, what can be said if in the grave, God dwells in eternity, and he does not view things as we do, the greatest responsibility lade upon us in this life, is in relation to our dead Paul said we cannot be made perfect without us [them], 48 for it is necessary that the seals are in our hands to seal our children & our dead for the fulness of the dispensation of times, 49 A dispensation to meet the promises made by Jesus Christ befor the foundation of the world for the salvation of man. All sins and blasphemy, were to be forgiven except the sin against the Holy Ghost. 50 God has made provision for evry spirit in the eternal world, and the spirits of our friends should be searched out & saved, Any man that has a friend in eternity can save him if he has not committed the unpardonable sin, He cannot be damned through all eternity, their is a possibility for his escape in a little time, If a man has knowledge he can be saved, if he has been guilty of great sins he is punished for it, when he consents to obey the gospel whether Alive or dead, he is saved, his own mind damns him 51 I have no fear of hell fire that dont exhist No man can commit the unpardonable sin, untill He receives the Holy Ghost, All will suffer untill they obey Christ himself, even the devil said I am a savior and can save all, he rose up in rebelion against God and was cast down,. Jesus Christ will save all except the sons of perdition. What must a man do 10 commit the unpardonable sin they must receive the Holy Ghost have the heavens opened unto them, 52 & know God, 53 & then sin against him, this is the case with many apostates in this Church, they never seease to try to hurt me, they have got the same spirit the devil had, you cannot save them, they make open war like the devil, stay all that hear, dont make any hasty mooves you may be saved, if a spirit of Bitterness is in you, dont be in haste, say you that man is a sinner, well if he repents he shall be forgiven. I could go back and trace evry subject of interest concerning the relationship of man to God if I had time, their is many mansions in my fathers Kingdom, 54 What have we to console us in relation to our dead, we have the greatest hope in relation to our dead, of any people on earth we have seen them walk worthy on earth and those who have died in the faith are now in the selestial kingdom of God, they have gone to await the resurrection of the dead, to go to the celestial glory, while there is many who die who will have to wait many years, But I am authorized to say to you my friends in the name of the Lord, that you may wait for your friends to come forth to meet you in eternity in the morn of the celestial world, those saints who have been murdered in the persecution shall triumph in the celestial world, while their murderers shall dwell in torment untill they pay the utmost farthing. 55
347 - 348I have Fathers, Brothers, children, that are gone to eternity soon to meet me, the time will soon be gone, the trump will soon be blown. A question will Mothers have their children in Eternity yes, yes, you will have the children But as it falls so it will rise, It will never grow, 56 It will be in its precise form as it fell in its mothers arms. Eternity is full of thrones upon which dwell thousands of children reigning on thrones of glory not one cubit added to their stature I will leave this subject here and make a few remarks upon Baptism, I will read a tex[t] in Jerman [German] upon Baptism, John says I Baptise you with water But when Jesus Christ Comes He shall adminster the baptism of fire & the Holy Ghost, 57 John said his baptism was good for nothing without the Baptism of Jesus Christ, Many talk of any baptism not being essential to salvation but this would lay the foundation of their damnation, There has also been remarks made concerning all men being redeemed from Hell, But I say that any man who commits the unpardonable sin must dwell in hell worlds without end. 58
348Thomas Bullock Report
348The President having arrived—the Choir sung an hymn Elder Amasa Lyman prayed.
348 - 349The Prophet while I address you on the subject which was contempd in the fore pt. of the Con. 59—as the Wind blows very hard it will be hardly possible for me to make you all hear it is of the greatest importance & the mo solemn of any that cod. occupy our attentn. & that is the subj of the dead on the dece of our bror. Follit who was crushed to death in a well—& inasmuch as there are a great many in this congre who live in this city & who have lost friend I shall speak in genl. & offer you my ideas so far as I have ability & so far as I shall be inspd. by the H S. to dwell on his subjt. I want your prayer faith the inspn. of Alm God to say things that are true & shall carry the testimony to your hearts & pray that he may streng my lungs—stay the winds—& let the pray of the Saints to heaven appear—for the prayers of the righteous avail much 60 & I verily believe that your prayers shall be heard before I enter in this investign. fully of the subjt. that is lying before us I wish to make a few preliminaries in order that you may understand when I come to it I do not calculate to please your ears with oratory with much leang. but I calculate to edify you with simple truths from Heaven. I wish to go back to the begin: of creation—it is necessary to know the mind decree & ordinatn. of the great Eloi beging at the creatn. & it is necy. for us to have un understandg. of God in the beging. if we start right it is very easy for us to go right all the time but if we start wrong it is hard to get right There are very few who understand rightly the char of God—They do not comprehend any thing that is past or that which is to come & com: but little more than the brute beast if a man learns know nothing more than to eat, drink, sleep, & does not comprehend any of the desn. of God the Beast com the same thing eats drin sleeps—[k]noes nothing more & how are we to do it by no or. way than the inspn of A. God.
349, 350, 351, 352I want to go back to the begin & so get you into a more lofty sphere than what the human being generally understands I want to ask this cong: every man wom: & child to ansr. the questn. in their own heart what kind of a being is God I agn. rept. the questn. what kind of a being is God does any man or woman know have any of you seen, him heard him, communed with him, here is the questn. that will peradventure from this time henceforth occupy your attentn.—The Apos: says this is Eternal life to know God & J.C. who he has sent 61—that is eternal. life if any man enquire what kind of a being is God if he will search deligently his own heart that unless he knows God he has no eternal life—my first object is to find out the character of the true God & if I shod. be the man to com: the God & I com: them to your heart let every man & woman henceforth shut their mouths & never say anything agst. the man of God & If I do not do it I have no right to revn. inspn. if all are [indecipherable word] to the God they will all be as bad off as I am. they will all say I ought to be d d. there is not a man or wom who wod not breath out an anathema on my head & some wod feel authd. to take away my life—if any man is authd. to take away my life who say I am a false teacher so I shod. have the same right to all false teacher & where wod. be the end of the blood & there is no law in the heart of God that wod. allow any one to interfere with the rights of man every man has the right to be a false as well as a true prophet—If I shew verily that I have the truth of God & shew that ninety nine of 100 are false prop. it wod. deluge the whole world with blood. I want you all o know God to be familiar with him & if I can bring you to him all persecut. agst. me will cease & let you know that I am his servt. for I speak as one havg. authy. and not as a scrib[e] 62 open your ears & eyes all ye Ends of the Earth & hear & I am going to prove. it to you with the Bible & I am going to tell you the desns. of God to the human race & why he interferes with the affairs of man God himself who sits enthroned in yonder Heavens is a man like unto one of yourselves who holds this world in its orbit & upholds all things by his power if you were to see him today you wod. see him a man for Adam was a man like in fashion & image like unto him Adam wakd talked & convd. with him as one man talks & com: with anor. 63 in order to speak for the consoln. of those who mourn for the loss of their friend it is necy. to understand the char. & being of God for I am going to tell you what sort of a being of God. for he was God from the begin of all Eternity & if I do not refute it—truth is the touchstone they are the simple and first princ: of truth to know for a certainty the char. of God that we may conv[erse] with him same as a man & God himself the father of us all dwelt on a Earth same as Js. himself did & I will shew it from the Bible—I wish I had the trump of an Arch An. I cod. tell the story in such a manner that pers: shod cease for ever—J. Sd. as the Far. hath power in himself even so hath the Son power to do what 64 the Far. did that ansr. is obvious in a manner to lay down his body & take it up—J—did as my Far. laid down his body & take it up agn. if you don't believe it you don't believe the Bile the Scrip says & I defy all hell all learng. wisdom & records of hell togr to refute it here then is Etl. life to know the only wise and true God you have got to learn how to be a God yourself & be a K. & God Priest 65 to God same as all have done by going from a small capy to anr. from grace to grace until the resn. of & sit in everlasting power as they who have gone before & God in the L D. while certn. indivals are proclaimg. his name is not trifling with us—how consoling to the mourner when they are cald. to part with a wife, mother, father dr. relative to know that all Earthly taber shall be dissolved that they shall be heirs of God & jt. hrs of J. C. 66 to inherit the same power exaltn. until you ascd. the throne of Etl. power same as those who are gone bef. what J. did I do the things I saw my Far. do 67 before worlds came rolld. into existence I saw my Far. work out his K with fear & trembling 68 & I must do the same when I shall give my K to the Far. so that he obtns K rollg. upon K. so that J treads in his tracks as he had gone before. It is plain beyond comprehensn. & you thus learn the first prin of the Gospel when you climb a ladder you must begin at the bottom run[g] until you learn the last prin of the gospel for it is a great thing to learn Saln. beyond the grave & it is not all to be com in this world. I sup I am not alld. to go into investign. but what is contd. in the Bible & I think there is so many wise men who wod. put me to death for treason I shall turn commentator today. I shall go to the first Hebrew word in the Bible the 1st sen: In the beginning—Berosheat 69—In by thro. & every thing else. Roshed 70 the head when the Inspd. man wrote it he did not put the 1st pt. to it. a man a Jew witht. any authy. thot. it too bad to begin to talk about the head of any man. "The Head one of the Gods brought forth the Gods" is the true meang. of the word—if You do not believe it you do not believe the learned man of God—no man can tell you more than I do thus the H God brot. forth the Gods in the Head council—I want to bring it to English. Oh ye lawyers ye doctors I want to let you know that the H G. knows something as well as you do—the Head God called togr. the Gods & set in Grand Council &c when I say a lawyer I mean a lawyer of the Scrip. 71 I have done so hither to let the lawyers flutter & let everybody laugh at them. some learned Dr. mit. take a notn. to say thus & so—& are not to be altd. & I am going to shew you an error I have an old book in the Latin Greek Hebrew & German & I have been readg. the Germ: I find it to be the most correct that I have found & it corresponds the nearest to the revns. that I have given the last 16 yrs 72 years it tells about Jachabod 73 means Jacob—in the English James—& you may talk about James thro all Eternity in the 21 v. of 4th Mat: where it gives the test. that it is to Jacob & how can we escape the dn. of hell witht. God reveal to us. Latin says that Jackobus means Jacob—Hebrew says means Jacob—Greek says Jacob German says Jacob thank God I have got this book & I thank him more for the gift of the H G. I have all the 4 Test. come here ye learned men & read if you can. I shod. not have brot. up this word unt only to shew that I am right when we beg to learn in this way we beg to learn the only true God & when we be[g]in to know how to come to him—he begins to unfold the heavens to us & tell us all abt. it bef our prayers get to his ears 74 at the bo now I ask all the learned men who hear me wher. the learned men who are preachg. Saln. say that God created the Heavens & the Earth out of nothing & the reason is that they are unlearned & I know more than all the world put togr. & If the H.G. in me com: more than all the world I will associate with it—What does Boro 75 mean it means to organize same as you wod. organize a Ship.—God himself had materials to org. the world out of chaos which is Element & in which dwells all the glory 76—that nothing can destroy they never can have an ending they coexist eternally—I have anor. to dwell on & it is impossible for me to say much but to touch upon them—for time will not permit me to say all—so I must come to the resn. of the dead—the soul the in[ne]r Spirit—all man says God created in the beging. the very idea lessens man in my idea—I don't bel. the doct: hear it all ye Ends of the World for God has told me so I am going to tell of things more noble—we say that God himself is a selfexisting God, who told you so, how did it get it into your head who told you that man did not exist in like manner— how does it read in the Heb. that God made man & put into it Adams Spirit & so became a living Spirit 77—the mind of man—the mind of man is as immortal 78 as God himself—hence while I talk to these mourners—they are only separated from their bodies for a short period—their Spirits coexisted with God & now converse one another same as we do—does not this give your satisfactn. I want to reason more on the Spirit of Man for I am dwelling on the body of man on the subjt. of the dead—the SP of man I take my ring from my finger and liken it unto the mind of man, the im[mor]t. Sp. bec. it has no beging. Suppose you cut it into but as the D[evil] lives there wod. be an end all the fools & wise men from the beging. of creation who say that man had begin—they must have an end & then the doc of annihilitn. wod. be true—but if I am right I mit. with boldness proclaim from the housetop that God never had power to create the Sp of Man at all—it is ne God himself cod. not create himself—intelligence is self existent 79 it is a sp. from age to end & there is no creatn abt. it
352, 353, 354the first principles of man are self exist with God—that God himself finds himself in the midst of Sp & bec he saw proper to institute laws for those who were in less intelligence that they mit. have one glory upon another in all that knowledge power & glory & so took in hand to save the world of Sp: you say honey is Sweet & so do I. I can also taste the Sp of Eternal life I know it is good & when I tell you of these things that were given me by Insp of the H S. you are bound to rece it as sweet & I rej more & more. Mans rel. to God & I will open your eyes in rel to your dead all things which God of his inf reason has seen fit to reveal to us in our mortal state in regard to our mortal bodies are revd. to us as if we had no bodies & those revns. which will save our dead will save our bodies. & God reveals them to us in the view of no eternal dissn. of the body—hence the awful responsibility that rests upon us for our dead—for all the Spirits must either obey the gospel or be d—d solemn thot. dreadful thot. is there nothing to be done for those who have gone before us without obeyg the decrees of God Wod. to God that I had 40 days & nights—to tell you all to let you know I am not a faln prop—what kind of characters are those who can be saved altho their bodies are decaying in the grave—the greatest responsibility that God has laid upon us to seek after our dead—the apostle says they without us cant be Perfect 80—now I am speaking of them I say to you Paul, you cant be perfect witht. us.—those that are gone before & those who come after must be made perfect—& God has made it obligatory to man—God said he shall send Elijah &c I have a declarn to make as to the provn. which God made from before the foundn. of the world. what has J. sd. All sins & all blas. every trans. that man may be guilty of there is a Saln. for him or in the world to come 81—every Sp in the Et. world can be ferreted out & saved unless he has comd. that Sin which cant be remd to him—that God has wrot. out saln. for all men unless they have comd. a certn. sin. 82 a friend who has got a friend in the world can save him unless he has comd. the unpard sin & so you can see how far you can be Savior there is no thing that a man can commit the unpardonable sin after the dissn of the body & there is a way possible for escape. not Part[icul]arly st[ate]d those that are witht. wisdom until they get exalted to wisdom so long as man will not give acct. of his sins a sinner has his own mind & is in his own comdemner for the G will the torment of the mind of man is as exquisite as a lake burng. with fire & brimstone 83—I know the Scriptures I understand them—no man can commit the unpardonable sin after the dissn. of the body but they must do it in this World—hence the Saln. of J. C was wrought out for all men to triumph over the devil—for he stood up for a Savior—J. contd. that there wod. be certn. souls that wod. be condemned & the d[evi]l sd. he cod. save them all 84—as the grand council gave in for J. C. so the d I fell & all who put up their heads for him. All sin shall be forgiven except the sin agt. the H. G. he has got to say that the Sun does not shine while he sees it he has got to deny J. C. when the heavens are open to him. & from that time they begin to be enemies like many of the apostates of the Church of J. C. of L.D.S.—when a man begins to be an enemy he hunts him—for he has the same Sp. that they had who crucd. the Lord of life—the same Sp. that Sin agt. the H. G. I advise all to be careful what you do—stay—do not give way—you may find that some one has laid a snare for you be cautious—await—when you find a Sp. wants bloodshed murder same is not of God but is of the devil out of the abundance of the heart man speaks—the man that tells you words of life is the man that can save you—I warn you agt all evil characters who sin agt. H. G. for there is no redempn. for them in this world nor in the world to come I can enter into the mysteries—I can enter largely into the eternal worlds—for J. sd. where my In my Fars. mansion there are many mansions &c 85 There is one glory of the moon sun & star &c 86 we have the reason to have the greatest hope & consoln. for our dead— for we have aided them in the 1st princ for we have seen them walk in the midst & sink asleep in the arms of J. & hence is the glory of the Sun—you mourners have occn. to rejoice for your husband has gone to wait until the redn. & your expn. & hope are far above what man can conceive—for why God has revd. to us—& I am authd. to say by the authy. of the H. G. that you have no occasn. to fear for he is gone to the home of the just—don't mourn don't weep—I know it by the test of the H. G. that is within me—rejoice O Israel—your friends shall triumph gloriously—while their murderers shall welter for years.—I say for the benefit of strangers I have a Far. Bror. Friends who are gone to a world of Sp—they are absent for a momt.—they are in the Sp. then shall we hail our Mor. Fars. Friends & all no fear of mobs—&c but all one Eternity of felicity—Mothers you shall have your Children for they shall have it—for their debt is paid there is no damn. awaits them for they are in the Spirits—as the Child dies so shall it rise from the ded & be living in the burng. of God. 87—it shall be the child as it was bef it died out of your arms Children dwell & exercise power in the same form as they laid them down
354The Bap of Water witht. the B of Fire & the H G. attg. it are necy he must be born of W. & Sp 88 in order to get into the K of God & in the German text bears me out same as the revns. which I have given for the 14 years—I have the test to put in their teeth that my test has been true all the time You will find it in the declar of John the Bap (reads from the German) John says I bap you with Water but when J comes who has the power he shall adm the bap of F & the H. G. Gt. 89 God now where is all the Sect. world. & if this is true they are all d—d as clearly as any Anathama ever was—I know the text is true—I call upon all to say I—(shouts of I) Alex Campbell 90—how are you going to save them with water—for John sd. his bapm. was nothing witht. the bap of J. C. One God, Far., Jesus, hope of, our calling, one baptism 91—all three bap make one. I have the truth & I am at the defiance of the world to contradict.
354 - 355I have preached Latin Hebrew Greek German & I have fulfilled all I am not so big a fool as many have taken me for—the Germans know that I read the German correct—Hear it all ye Ends of the Earth—all ye Sinners Repent Repent—turn to God for your reln. wont save you & ye will be d—d but I do not say how along—but those who Sin agt. the H. G. cannot be forgiven in this world or in the world to come but they shall die the 2nd. death 92—but as they concoct scenes of bloodshed in this world so they shall rise to that resurn. which is as the lake of fire & brimstone—some shall rise to the everlasting burning of God 93 & some shall rise to the dn. of their own filthiness—same as the lake of fire & brimstone—I have intd. my remarks to all—to all rich & poor bond & free great & small I have no enmity agst any man. I love you all—I am their best friend & if persons miss their mark it is their own fault—if I reprove a man & he hate me he is a fool—for I love all men especially these my brethren & sisters—I rejoice in hearing the test of my aged friend—You never knew my heart. No man knows my hist—I can not do it. I shall never undertake—if I had not experienced what I have I should not have known it myself—I never did harm any man since I have been born in the world—my voice is always for peace—I cannot lie down until my work is finished—I never think evil nor think any thing to the harm of my fellow man—& when I am called at the trump & weighed in the balance you will know me then 94—I add no more God bless you. Amen—The choir sung an hymn at 1/2 p 5.
William Clayton Report
355 - 356Choir sun an Hymn Prayer by Er. A. Lyman.
Prest. J. Smith called the attention of the con. upon the subjects contemplated in the fore part of this con. 95—as the wind blows hard it will be impossible to make hear unless profound attention—Subject of the greatest importance and most solemn that could occupy our attention. the subject of the dead been requested to speak on the subject on the decease of bro Follet who was crushed to death &c—I have been requested to speak by his friends & relatives & inasmuch as great many here in con—who live in this City as well as elsewhere who have deceased friends feel disposed to speak on the subject in general and offer my ideas as far as ability & as far as inspired by H.S. Want your prayers faith the inspiration of Almighty God the Gift of H.S. that I may set forth truth things that can easily be comprehended and will carry the testimony to your hearts. Pray that the L may strengthen my lungs control the mind that it may enter into the the ear of the L of Sabaoth. The fervant effectual prayer of righteous men availeth much 96—. Will speak in order to hold out Before enter fully into the investigation wish to pave the way—make a few preliminaries—bring the subject from the beginning in order that you may understand the subject when I come to it. Do not calculate to please your ears with superfluity of words oratory much learning, but edify you by the simple truths of heaven. First place wish to go back to the beginning of creation. There the starting point in order to fully aquainted with purposes decrees &c of the Great Eloheim that sits in the hev. for us to take up beginning at the creation necessary to understand something of God himself in the beginning. If we start right easy to go right all the time—start wrong hard matter to get right. Few beings in the world who understand the character of God and do not comprehend their own character. They cannot compre[he]n the beginning nor the end neit[her] their own relation and is but little above the beast. If a man comprehends nothing more than to eat sleep arise and not any more and what the designs of Jehov what better than the beast it does the same thing—eat drink sleep & comprehends present and knows as much as we, unless we are able to com by the inspiration of A. God. Go back to beginning to lift you minds into a more exalted standing than the human mind is want Want to ask this this congregation every man, woman, &c what kind of a being is God. ask yourselves. I repeat the question what kind of a being is God. Any man or woman that know, any of you seen him? heard him? communed with him? Here a subject that will peradventure occupy your attention while you live—The apostle says this is eternal life to know &c" 97 that is eternal life if any man inquires what kind of being is God casts his mind to know—if the declaration of the ap[ostle] be true he will realize that he has not eternal life. There can be eternal life on no other principle. 1st object to find the character of the only wise & true God.
356, 357, 358I comprehend so that the spirit seals it upon you hearts, let every man and woman put his hand on his mouth & never say any thing against the man of God again. But if I fail it becomes my duty to renounce all my pretensions to inspiration &c and if I should do so should I not be as bad as all the rest of the world. Not a man would not breath anathema if they knew I was a false prophet. Some would take my life. If any man is authorized to take my life because I am a false teacher then upon the same principle am I authorized to take the life of every false teacher and who would not be the sufferer—but no man is authorized to take away life in consequence of their religion. All laws and governments ought to tolerate whether right or wron. If I show that I have the truth of God & 99/100 are false teachers while they pretend to hold the keys of God & go to killing them because &c would it not deluge the world in blood. Want you should all now God—be familiar—If I can get you to know I can bring to him.& if so you will cease to persecute me. I speak in authority. What kind of a being was God in the beginning. Hear all ye ends of the earth. I am going to prove it by the bible & the relation the human family sustains with God. 1st God that sits enthroned is a man like one of yourselves. That is the great secret. If the veil was rent to day & the great God who holds this world in its sphere or its orbit—the planets—if you were to see him today you would see him in all the person image, very form of man, For Adam was created in the very fashion of God. Adam recieved instruction walked talked as one man with another. 98 In order to understand the subject of the ded for the consolation of those who mourn for the loss of their friends necessary they should understand Going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined that God was God from all eternity—These are incomprehensible to some but are the first principle of the gospel—to know that we may converse with him as one man with another & that he was once as one of us and was on a planet as Jesus was in the flesh—If I have the privilege could tell the story in such a manner as persecution would cease forever. Said Jesus (mark it Br. Rigdon) 99 What did Jesus say—as the father hath power in himself even so hath the son power 100 to do what why what the father did, to lay down his body and took it up again. Jesus what are you going to do—to lay down my life as my father did that I might take it up again. If you deny it you deny the bible. I defy the [indecipherable] and wisdom & all the combined powers of earth and hell to refute it. [indecipherable] You have got to learn how to be a god yourself in order to save yourself—to be priests & kings 101 as all Gods has done—by going from a small degree to another—from exaltation to ex—till they are able to sit in glory as with those who sit enthroned. I want you to know while God is being proclaimed that he is not trifling with you nor me. 1st principles of consolation how consoling to the mourner when called to part with husband father wife child to know that those being shall rise in immortal glory to sorrow die nor suffering more. & not only that to contemplate—the saying they shall be heirs of God &c.—what is it—to inherit the same glory power & exaltation with those who are gone before. What did Jesus do. Why I do the things that I saw the father do 102 when worlds came into existence. I saw the father work out a kingdom with fear & trembling 103 & I can do the same & when I get my Kingdom worked out I will present to the father & it will exalt his glory and Jesus steps into his tracks to inherit what God did before. This is some of the first principles of the gospel about which so much hath been.—You have got to find the beginning of this history & go on till you have learned the last—will be a great while before you learn the last. It is not all to be comprehended in this world. I suppose that I am not allowed to go into an investigation of anything that is not in the Bible—you would cry treason. So many learned and wise men here—will go the the old Bible the-very Berosheit. 104 make a comment on the first sentence of the history of creation. Berosheit want to annalize the word—Be 105—in by through & everything else—rosh 106 [indecipherable]—the head. sheit 107—where do it come from—when they inspired man wrote he did not put the Be there—But a jew put it there. It read in the first—the head one of the Gods brought forth the Gods—is the true meaning—rosheet signifies to bring forth the Eloheim. Learned men cannt learn any more than what I have told you hence the head God brought forth the head God in the grand council. Will simplify it in the English language. The learned Doctors who have persecuted me I want to let you know that the H.G.—
358 - 359The grand councilers set in yonder heavens and contemplated the creation of the worlds that was created at that time. When I say Doctor & Lawyer I mean the D & L of the scriptures. 108 Some learned doctor might say the scriptures say thus & so and we must believe the scriptures He referred to an old book (N.T.) in the Hebrew, Latin, German & Greek—find it to be the most correct—find it to correspond with the revelations I have received. It talks about Yachaubon the son of Zebedee—means Jacob. 109 The N.T. says James—now if Jacob had the keys you might talk about James and never get the keys. Matthew 4-21 verse it gives the word Jacob instead of James How can we escape the damnation of hell unless God be with us—Men bind us with chains—Read from the Hebrew Yingacoub—Jacob. Greek Ichobon—Jacob. German He has got the Oldest book in the world—but he has got the oldest book in his heart. Latin Yacobus—Jacob too—Should not have introduced this testimony were it not to back up the word rosh—the head father of the Gods. When we begin in this way we begin to find out God—what kind a being we have got to worship. When we begin to know now to come to him he begins to come to us. When we are ready to come to him he is ready to receive us. Learned Doctors tell us God created the heavens & earth out of nothing. They account it blasphemy to contradict the idea—They will call you a fool—You ask them why they say don't the Bible say he created the world & they infer that it must be out of nothing. The word create came from the word Barau 110—don't mean so—it means to organize—same as man would use to build a ship—hence we infer that God had materials to organize from—chaos—chaotic matter.—element had an existence from the time he had. The pure pure principles of element are principles that never can be destroyed—they may be organized and re organized=but not destroyed.
359, 360, 361It is as[so]ciated with the subjects in question the resurrection of the dead. Another subject—the soul—the mind of man—they say God created it in the beginning. The idea lessens man in my estimation. Don't believe the doctrine—know better—God told me so—Make a man appear a fool before he gets through if he dont believe it. We say that God was self—existant who told you so? It's correct enough but how did it get into your heads—who told you that man did not exist upon the same principle (refer to the bible) Don't say so in the old Hebrew—God made man out of the earth and put into him his spirit and then it became a living body 111 The mind of man—the intelligent part is coequal with God himself. I know that my testimony is true. hence when I talk to these mourners what have they lost—They are only separated from their bodies for a short season but their spirits existed coequal with God and they now exist in a place where they converse together as much as we do on the earth. Is it logic to say that a spirit is immortal and yet have a beginning because if a spirit have a beginning it will have an end—good logic—illustrated by his ring. All the fools learned & wise men that comes and tells that man has a beginning proves that he must have an end and if that doctrine is true then the doctrine of annihilation is true. But if I am right then I might be bold to say that God never did have power to create the spirit of man at all. He could not create himself—Intelligence exists upon a selfexistent principle 112—is a spirit from age to age & no creation about it—All the spirits that God ever sent into this world are susceptible of enlargement. That God himself—find himself in the midst of spirit and glory because he was greater saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself. I know that when I tell you those words of eternal life that are given to me I know you taste it and I know you believe it. Wants to talk more of the relation of man to God—in relation to your dead. All things whatsoever God has seen proper to reveal to us while we are dwelling in mortality are revealed to us in the abstract & independent of affinity of this mortal tabernacle—but they are revealed as though we had no bodies at all—tho revealed to our spirits and those revelations must of necessity—save our spirits with them. Hence the responsibility, the awful res. that rests upon us in relation to our dead—for all spirits who have not obeyed the gospel in the flesh must obey the gospel or be damned. Is there no preparation—no salvation for our fathers & friends who have died and not obeyed the decrees of the son of man—Would to God I had 40 days & nights I would let you know that I am not a fallen prophet—What kind of beings can be saved although their bodies are mouldering in the dust. When his commandments teach us it is in view of eternity. The greatest responsibility in this world is to seek after our dead. They without us cannot be made perfect 113—It is necessary that those who come after us should have salvation in common with us—& thus hath God laid this upon the [indecipherable] of the world hence the saying of Elijah. Speak in relation to the provisions God hath made to suit the conditions of man. What hath Jesus said?— All sins & all blasphemies every transgression except one there is a provision either in this world or in the world of spirit. 114 Hence God hath made a provision that every spirit can be ferreted out in that world that has not sinned the unpardonable sin neither in this world or in the world of spirits. Every man who has a friend in the eternal world who hath not committed the unpardonable sin you can save him. A man cannot commit the unpardonable sin after the dissolution of the body there is a way for his escape. Knowledge saves a man and in the world of spirits a man can't be exalted but by knowledge. So long as a man will not give heed to the commandments he must abide without salvation. A man is his own torment. 115 Hence the saying they shall go into the lake that burns with fire & is as exquisite as a lake & so is the torments of a man—I said no man could commit the unpardonable sin after the dissolution of the body—Hence the salvation that the saviour wrought out for the salvation of a man if it did not [indecipherable] him in one place it would another—The contention in heaven was Jesus said there were certain man would not be saved the devil said he could save them. 116 he rebelled against God and was thrust down. After a man has sinned the sin againt the H.S. there is no repentence for him. Hence like many of the apostates of the C of J.C. L.D.S. They go to far the spirit leaves them hence they seek to kill me they thirst for my blood—they never cease—he has got the same spirit that crucified Jesus. You cant renew them to repentence 117— awful is the consequence. Advise all to be careful what they do—you may by and by find out that you have been decieved. He continued his discourse—& told of parents receiving their children—concluded his remarks by Baptism—Choir sang—
Samuel W. Richards Record
361Must know the only living and true God and Jesus Christ. to have eternal life, God: a man like one of us, even like Adam. Not God from all Eternity. Once on a planet with flesh and blood, like Christ. As the father hath life in himself &c. 119 To know God learn to become God's. Exalted by the addition of subjects to his family, or kingdom. 120
361Create (Burrau, 121 in Hebrew,) which means organize from Element Chaos, or Element, All things revealed to us as though we had no bodies. for the exaltation of our Spirits, hence our bodies being connected, cannot commit the unpardonable sin after the disolution of the body.
361 - 362Joseph Fielding Diary 122
361 - 362I have evidence enough that Joseph is not fallenÂ…April 6th-44 Our anual Conference bigan and continued 4 Days Joseph,s Discourse on the Origin of Man, the Nature of God and the Resurrection was the most interesting Matter of this time and any one that could not see in him the Spirit of Inspiration of God must be dark, they might have known that he was not a fallen Prophet even if they thought he was fallen.
362Willard Richards Diary
36210.000 123 people special conference.
362William Clayton Diary
362Joseph discoursed on the dead.
362George Laub Journal
362April the 6th, 1843 124 By Joseph Smith our Prophet
Now concerning Spirits First of all, or in the beginning, the great Eloheam in the Hebrew meaning the god of all Gods called a grand council &[c] and the[y] counseled to form this planet on which we are now or do dwell at present. The[y] spoke and earth from cayos [chaos] sprang by their workmanship Cayos [Chaos] being there matered mater element The[y] saw till time should be no more and the[y] spoke concerning the redemption of this world and formed limited sircumstances concerning the redemption Jesus Christ being the greater light or of more intelligence for he loved rituousness and hated iniquity he being the Elder Brother Presented himself for to come and redeem this world as it was his right by inheritance he stated he could save all those who did not sin against the holy ghost & the[y] would obey the code of laws that was given But their sircumstances ware that all who would sin against the Holy ghost should have no forgiveness neither in this world nor in the world to come, for they had strove aganst light and knowledg after the[y] had tasted of the good things of the world to come the[y] should not have any pardon in the world to come because the[y] had a knowledg of the world to come and ware not willing to abide the law therefore the[y] can have no forgiveness there but must be most miserable of all and never can be renewed again referred to 6 chapter of Hebrews
362But Satan or Lucifer being the next heir and had alloted to him great power and authority even prince of power of the eir He spake emediatey and boasted of himself saying send me I can save all [he] even those who sined against the holy ghost and he accused his brethren and was herld [hurled] from the council for striving to breake the law emediatly and there was a warfare with Satan and the gods and the[y] hurld Satan out of his place and all them that would not keep the law of the councill But he himself being one of the council would not keep his or their first estate for he was one of the Sons of perdition and concequently all the Sons of perdition become devils &[c].
362How came spirits[?] why the[y] are and ware Self Existing as all Eternity & our Spirits are as Eternal as the very God is himself & that we choose to come on this earth to take unto ourselvs tabernakles by permition of our father that we might be Exalted Equil with God himself & therefore Jesus Spake in this wise, I do as my Father before me did well what did the father doo why he went & took a body and went to redeem a world in the flesh & had power to lay down his life and to take it up again & this is the way we become heirs of God & joint heirs of with Jesus &[c]. But those who die without the obediance of the gospel while having a privlege here will have to subject to the law the[y] are under but those who have not had this privilege they[y] cannot be condemned therefore the[y] must come under condemnation by this wise & for the will be as the ware in torment of fire & brimstone untill the fullness of times for the[y] know not what will be their doom and as there are many mantions or departments in my father's kingdom suitable for every ones condition Jesus Saint he would goe to prepare a place That where I am ye may also come for we are to goe from glory to glory & as one is raised the next may be raised to his place or sphere and so take their exaltation through a regular channel & when we get to where Jesus is he will be as far ahed of us in exaltation as when we started
362Thus as one Star differs from another so does one glory differ from another and our bodies are in like fashon as god or Jesus likewise &[c].
362But says the English translation in the beginning God created all things out of nothing but there was never yet anything made of nothing. Shame to such logick. The words in the hebrew is thus when the Gods counsiled together the[y] the[y] went to work and roled this earth in existence This [is] the theme of the beginning and the word hell signifies prison of Spirits this is the signification of hell There torment will be as with fire and Brimstone &[c.] all those that are not adopted into the kingdom by baptism are in some degree punished according to their works, for their consience are gnawing them because the[y] know not what will become of them till some one in the flesh Proximates for them and pays the utmost farthing for them. that the[y] may live in the Spirit acording to what men do for them in the flesh or else why are we baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all for if we are planted together in the likeness of his death and burial then shall we rise again in the likeness of his resurection & burried in Baptism in baptism put under the watter in the liquid grave and thus do we become Saviours on mount Zion Memory by George Laub
394—7 April 1844 (2)
3941. See History of the Church, 6:302-17, and Teachings,pp. 342-62. The report of this discourse in History of the Church and Teachings is an amalgamation of the accounts of Willard Richards (Joseph Smith Diary), Wilford Woodruff, Thomas Bullock, and William Clayton. The reports of Samuel W. Richards, Willard Richards (personal diary) and William Clayton (personal diary) are here published for the first time.
Traditionally considered the Prophet's greatest sermon, the King Follett discourse was delivered at a time when both anti-Mormon and apostate sentiment was intensifying. "Accusations were repeatedly being made," notes B. H. Roberts, "that President Smith was a fallen prophet." On this occasion he coolly claimed that this single discourse would vindicate his prophetic calling. Although the sermon contains no new doctrine, never before had Joseph Smith so thoroughly, eloquently, and with such power presented what by now had become the very life-blood of Mormon theology. B. H. Roberts added that "The Prophet lived his life in a crescendo. From small beginnings, it rose in breadth and power as he neared its close. As a teacher he reached the climax of his career in this discourse (Teachings, pp. 355-56). Joseph Fielding, one who knew all that the dissenters knew of the Prophet's private teachings, including plural marriage, the endowment, and the Council of Fifty, had "evidence enough [from the discourse] that Joseph [was] not fallen." So affected was he by this sermon that he asserted "any one that could not see in him the Spirit of Inspiration of God must be dark. They might have known that he was not a fallen Prophet even if they thought he was fallen."
A special issue of Brigham Young University Studies 18 (Winter 1978) included three indepth studies of the King Follett discourse. Donald Q. Cannon presented the historical context of the address. A newly amalgamated text of the four major reports of the sermon was prepared by Stan Larson. Finally, Van Hale analyzed the doctrinal antecedents that are synthesized in this and the 16 June 1844 discourses.
3942. King Follett (1788-1844) was baptized in Ohio in 1831. On the morning of 9 March 1844, Follett was walling up a well in Nauvoo when a bucket of rock fell on him, crushing him to death.
3943. D&C 88:49, 67 (48-50, 63-69).
3944. John 17:3.
3945. Genesis 1:26-27.
3946. See 11 June 1843, note 18. 18
3947. Revelation 1:6; 5:10; 20:6.
3948. Isaiah 33:14 (13-17).
3949. Romans 8:17.
39510. Philippians 2:12.
39511. See note 70, this discourse. 70
39512. See text of discourse at note 73 & and note 73. 73
39513. D&C 88:63 (48-50, 63-69); see text of 9 March 1841 discourse at note 8. &
39514. See note 75, this discourse. 75
39515. See 5 January 1841, note 8. 8
39516. See note 4 of discourse dated "Before 8 August 1839 (1)." 4
39517. Ibid.
39518. See 17 May 1843 (2) note 3. 3
39519. The thought is rounded out in the text after footnote 78.
39520. D&C 93:23, 29, 33; Abraham 3:18.
39521. See text of discourse in paragraph after note 79 .
39522. Hebrews 11:40.
39523. D&C 76:43-44.
39524. John 7:17.
39525. See 8 April 1843, note 4. 4
39526. Moses 4:1 (1-4). See also, Isaiah 14:12-13 (12-17); Revelation 12:7-9.
39527. Matthew 12:31-32 (cf. JST Matthew 12:26).
39528. See text of this discourse at notes 56 and 87 &, and the text after 117 &. See also 20 March 1842, note 22. 22
39529. See Moses 6:59-60.
39530. Matthew 3:11.
39531. Hebrews 6:1-2.
39532. Ephesians 4:5-6.
39533. The only time the word gnolaum appears in the scriptures is in Abraham 3:18: Concerning spirits, "Notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other, [they] have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal." Thus, this discourse suggests that the fate of the sons of perdition is eternal doom.
39534. Isaiah 33:14 (13-17).
39535. The phrase "You dont know me—you never will" is reported differently by Thomas Bullock. See text at note 94 &, and note 94 94, this discourse.
39636. John 17:3.
39637. Genesis 1:26-27.
39638. See 11 June 1843, note 18. 18
39639. Isaiah 33:14 (13-17).
39640. Romans 8:17.
39641. Clearly the Prophet is here quoting John 5:19. However, when Jonathan Grimshaw amalgamated the texts to prepare this discourse for inclusion in the Manuscript History of the Church (and consequently what appeared in the History of the Church, 6:304, or Teachings, pp. 346-47), the final text obscured the fact that the Prophet made an allusion to this passage of scripture. It was so obscured that B. H. Roberts, when he edited this discourse, observed that the Prophet's argument based on John 5:26 (in the text at notes 38 &, 64 & and 100 &) could have been "very much strengthened by" quoting John 5:19. Thus Roberts could not tell that the original text actually quoted John 5:19. Roberts' note was reproduced verbatim in Teachings, p. 346. See text at notes 67 & and 102 &.
39642. See note 70, this discourse. 70
39643. See 5 October 1840, note 19. 19
39644. See note 4, discourse dated "Before 8 August 1839 (1)." 4
39645. See note 75, this discourse. 75
39646. See 17 May 1843 (2), note 3. 3
39647. D&C 93:23, 29, 33; Abraham 3:18.
39648. Hebrews 11:40.
39649. D&C 128:18; Ephesians 1:10.
39650. Matthew 12:31-32.
39651. See 8 April 1843, note 4. 4
39652. Taken together, Ezekiel 1:1, Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Acts 7:56; 1 Nephi 1:8; 11:14, 27, 30; 12:6; Helaman 5:48; 3 Nephi 17:24; 28:13; Ether 4:9; D&C 76:12, 19; 93:15; 107:19; 110:1, 11; 137:1, 138:11, 29; Moses 7:3 (cf. Moses 1:2-11, 24-41) Joseph Smith-History 1:16-20, 43 (27-43), 68; and Teachings, pp. 9, 51, 151, 312, 328, 338, 339, 345, 350, and 371 show that the phrase "heavens opened" usually refers to a direct heavenly vision on the order of the blessings attending the visitation of the Second Comforter (see 27 June 1839, note 15 15). Compare the two visions of Newel Knight recorded in History of the Church, 1:83 and 85.
39653. See 1 May 1842, note 7. 7
39754. John 14:2.
39755. Matthew 5:26.
39756. See text of this discourse at notes 28 and 87 &, and the text after note 117 &. See also 20 March 1842, note 22. 22
39757. Matthew 3:11.
39758. D&C 76:31-49; Matthew 11:32; Hebrews 6:4-6.
39759. See note 1, this discourse. 1
39760. James 5:16.
39761. John 17:3.
39762. Matthew 7:29.
39763. Genesis 3:8.
39764. See 11 June 1843, note 18. 18
39765. Revelation 1:6; 5:10; 20:6.
39766. Romans 8:17.
39767. See note 41, this discourse. 41
39768. Philippians 2:12.
39769. It should be remembered that these are reports of what the Prophet said and not his transliterations of the original language. The transliteration for the first word in Genesis 1:1 is Berê'shîyth (pronounced bray-sheeth'). According to the "Dictionary of the Hebrew Bible" in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance this word means "the first, in place, time, order or rank—beginning, chief, first (-fruits, part, time), principal thing."
39770. The word given here phonetically transliterates from the Hebrew as Rê'shîyth (pronounced ray-sheeth'). The word, which when transliterated is re'sh, means "the head" as the Prophet applied it here (see note 107 07.BMP"> ) that begins Genesis 1:1 removes the aspiration of the first vowel, the Prophet says the B (meaning "in, by, through and everything else") should also be dropped. If this is followed, then he is free to form a translation "The Head one of the Gods organized the heaven and the earth" which comes from "rê'shîyth bârâ' 'elôhîym 'êth hashâmayim v'êth ha'arts."
39771. See 13 April 1843, note 15. 15
39772. That is, revelations he had received since 1828.
39873. Jakobum, would be the proper transliteration. See note 69 69, this discourse. The James mentioned in Matthew 4:21, from the Hebrew (Matthew 17:1) transliterates as Yaeaqôb; from the Greek (Matthew 4:21) as Iakobus; and, from the Latin (Matthew 4:21), Iacobus.
39874. Isaiah 65:24.
39875. The word transliterated from the Hebrew is bârâ (pronounced baw-raw'). See notes 69 and 70, this discourse. See also 5 January 1841, note 8. 8
39876. D&C 93:28-29, 32-39.
39877. See 17 May 1843 (2), note 3. 3
39878. See note 4, discourse dated "Before 8 August 1839 (1)." 4
39879. D&C 93:23, 29, 33; Abraham 3:18.
39880. Hebrews 11:40.
39881. Matthew 12:31-32.
39882. D&C 76:31-49.
39883. See 8 April 1843, note 4. 4
39884. Moses 4:1 (1-4).
39885. John 14:2.
39886. 1 Corinthians 15:41 (40-42).
39887. Isaiah 33:14 (13-17). See text of this discourse at notes 28 and 56 , and the text after note 117 . See also 20 March 1842, note 22. 22
39888. John 3:5.
39889. Matthew 3:11.
39890. Alexander Campbell, founder of the Disciples of Christ.
39891. Ephesians 4:5-6.
39892. Revelation 2:11; 20:6, 12-15; 21:8 (cf. Jacob 3:11; D&C 63:17-18); D&C 29:41, 44; 76:37.
39893. Isaiah 33:14 (13-17).
39894.& Rather than suggesting, as in the Willard Richards account, that the Saints never knew him, nor "never" would &, the Thomas Bullock report says that he would be known at the final judgment. Orson F. Whitney writes that the Saints often heard Joseph Smith say, "Would to God, brethren, I could tell you who I am! Would to God I could tell you what I know! But you would call it blasphemy, and there are men upon this stand who would want to take my life" (Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball 2nd ed., rev. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1945), p. 322.
39895. See note 1, this discourse. 1
39896. James 5:16.
39897. John 17:3.
39898. Genesis 3:8.
39999. Apparently Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith did not see "eye to eye" on the concept of a once-mortal God.
399100. See 11 June 1843, note 18. 18
399101. Revelation 1:6; 5:10; 20:6; D&C 76:56 (50-56). See also 27 August 1843, note 30. 30
399102. See note 41, this discourse. 41
399103. Philippians 2:12.
399104. See notes 69 and 70, this discourse.
399105. This is confirmation that Joseph Smith was scrutinizing the prefix "Be" in his analysis of the word Berê'shîyth. See notes 69 and 70, this discourse.
399106. The transliteration should be rê'shîyth. See notes 69 and 70, this discourse.
399107. If we are following the Prophet's reasoning correctly, he believed that the word rê'shîyth should have been the two words rê'sh and shîyth; that the two words were originally there, and the letter , which is both the last letter of the first word and the first letter of the second word, was somehow dropped from one of the words thus fusing the two words into one. As Joseph Smith indicates, one meaning of the word shîyth is "to bring," and the word rê'sh means "head."
399108. The Prophet, after a year of poking fun, finally reveals his ruse (see 13 April 1843, note 15 15).
399109. See note 73, this discourse. 73
399110. See note 75, this discourse. 75
399111. See 17 May 1843 (2), note 3. 3
399112. D&C 93:23, 29, 33; Abraham 3:18.
399113. Hebrews 11:40.
399114. Matthew 12:31-32.
399115. See 8 April 1843, note 4. 4
399116. Moses 4:1 (1-4).
399117. Hebrews 6:4-6.
399118. Samuel W. Richards (1824-1909) was baptized at the age of fourteen and in 1842 moved to Nauvoo, where he worked as a carpenter on the Nauvoo Temple.
400119. John 5:26. See commentary on the Prophet's variation of this passage in 11 June 1843, note 18.
400120. See 2 April 1843 (2), note 9. 9
400121. See note 75, this discourse. 75
400122. Joseph Fielding (1797-1863). Converted to the Church in Upper Canada, Fielding served an important mission to England 1837-41.
400123. This estimate is the most conservative of the general conference attendance estimates recorded by these reporters. It agrees with Wilford Woodruff's estimate. In fact, Wilford Woodruff, when he was transcribing his notes into his diary, originally wrote down that 20,000 people were in attendance. He then reconsidered, crossed out the 20,000 estimate, and simply gave 10,000.
The estimate given in the Nauvoo Neighbor (10 April 1844) report of the April 1844 General Conference of the Church was not as conservative as Willard Richards and Wilford Woodruff. The Church newspaper, like an annotation by Thomas Bullock on the original manuscript of his account of the sermon, estimated an attendance of between 15,000 and 20,000.
The weather was most favorable. We do not remember that we ever saw so large an audience before, any where in the western country. The number that composed it is variously estimated from fifteen to twenty thousand. We were particularly attracted by the respectable and gentlemanly deportment of the whole multitude. Many spectators were present from Quincy, Alton, Warsaw, Fort Madison, and other towns of less notoriety. The good order that was preserved, when we consider the immense number that were present, speaks much in favour of the morality of our city.
Although historians have been skeptical of these large attendance figures, the presence of spectators from several nearby communities conceivably could have swelled the size of the assembly to unusual numbers.
400124.& Inexplicably we overlooked including our transcript of the George Laub report of the King Follett sermon in the 1980 paper edition of Words. We now include, in this computer edition of Words, this transcript. It was first published by Eugene England, "George Laub's Nauvoo Journal," Brigham Young University Studies 18 (Winter 1978): 171-73.
Unquestionably, the date George Laub assigned to this transcript is incorrect. He did not arrive in Nauvoo until 9 May 1843, a month after the date given for the sermon (6 April 1843). Because he did not begin his journal until 1 January 1845, these notes of the Prophet's "King Follett" sermon (as well as his notes on the 12 May 1844 and 16 June 1844 sermons which were included in the first edition of Words) were not transcribed into his journal until at least eight months after the sermons were delivered. This probably accounts for his error in dating this and the other sermons.
Of course, this leads to a question regarding the strict contemporaneousness of these notes. There are a number of evidences in this report, however, which suggest that it is based on contemporary notes. (For example, see the incidental note that Joseph Smith "referred to 6 chapter of Hebrews.") Nevertheless, because the notes really are only a summary of the major points of the "King Follett" sermon, and because George Laub indicates that this account was from "memory," the account included here is given without further annotation.
The King Follett Discourse: A Newly Amalgamated Text
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