Category: King Follett Discourse
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Joseph Smith’s Most Famous Sermon: The King Follett Discourse
The King Follett Discourse is Joseph Smith’s most famous, well-recorded, and controversial sermon. It was the last General Conference talk Joseph gave before his death, and its teachings on the nature of God and man are among the most controversial things Joseph ever taught.
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Q&A: The King Follett Discourse
The sermon “is widely recognized as his single most important preaching event and perhaps the most important Mormon sermon of all time.”
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Crash Course Mormonism: God the Father
God the Father has several different names in Mormonism, including Heavenly Father or Elohim. A good picture of this version of God can be seen in founder Joseph Smith’s statement from what is known as the King Follett Discourse: I will go back to the beginning before the world was, to show what kind of…
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In 1912 Some Mormon Leaders Doubted Both the Content and Reliability of the King Follett Sermon
In 1912 some Mormon leaders doubted both the content and reliability of The King Follett Sermon. Mormon apostle George Albert Smith wrote: “Sometime ago I received an invitation, mailed from the Liahona office, to contribute to a fund for the purpose of mailing copies of King Follet’s[sic] funeral sermon. At the time I was somewhat…
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Responding to the King Follett Discourse: “It Is the Voice of a God, Not of a Man”
Early Mormon leader Joseph Fielding responded to the King Follett Discourse (April 7, 1844): “I never felt more delighted with his discourse than at this time. They said at his oration, it is the voice of a god not of a man.” (Journal of Joseph Fielding, quoted in “The King Follett Discourse: Joseph Smith’s Greatest…
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The Teachings of Joseph Smith and His Apostles
The following illustration is found in the Instructor’s Guide for the current Mormon Institute manual, “The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, (Rel 211-12)” [The posted scan is from the print edition, page 110]. Found in a section of the manual that is discussing 2 Peter and “Partaking of the Divine Nature of…
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King Follett Discourse (Defined)
King Follett Sermon. A sermon given by Joseph Smith just three months before Joseph Smith was killed in a gun battle. On April 7, 1844, Smith declared that Joseph Smith was an exalted man who lived on an earth. It should be the goal of every person, he said, to be like God. In the…
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Does Mormonism Still Teach God the Father Was Once a Man?
Joe Carter at The Gospel Coalition blog recently wrote a good article providing relevant FAQs in answer to the question, “Are Mormons Christian?” The first topic Mr. Carter addressed was, “What do Mormons believe about God?” His answer began this way: “Mormons claim that God the Father was once a man and that he then…
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Joseph Smith Jr. Index
PropheciesCivil War predictionRocky Mountain prophecyPrediction of Second ComingDoes the Bible contain Prophecies of Joseph Smith?Joseph the ManNEW!
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Are You “Scared” or “Weak-Minded” Over the Father Having a Father? Joseph Smith Has a Word For You
On June 16, 1844—just 11 days before his death—Joseph preached just east of the Nauvoo temple in a grove probably very near (or even the same place as?) where he gave his sermon at King Follett’s funeral. Many people think of the King Follett Discourse as Joseph Smith’s last great sermon, and indeed, some have…
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LDS Apostle Explains the Purpose of Life
The official web site of the LDS Church has posted a transcript of the interview Apostle Dallin H. Oaks gave to Helen Whitney, maker of the PBS documentary “The Mormons” which aired earlier this year. Mr. Oaks told Ms. Whitney, “Before the close of his ministry, in Illinois, Joseph Smith put together the significance of…
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The King Follett Discourse
Introduction The King Follett Discourse was a funeral sermon preached by Joseph Smith on behalf of Elder King Follett, an early convert to Mormonism, who, on March 9, 1844, was crushed to death when a bucket of rocks fell on him as he was walling up a well. According to the “Documentary History of the…
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New and Improved King Follett Discourse
In 2004 the LDS Church brought its long-running City of Joseph pageant (Nauvoo, Illinois) to a close. In 2005 a new pageant premiered in the City of Joseph — Nauvoo Pageant: A Tribute to Joseph Smith. Along with the introduction of the new pageant, the LDS Church also offered tourists several historic vignettes which were…
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The Nature of the Godhead
The LDS Church has begun a new series of articles in the Ensign which are for the purpose of “explaining the basic beliefs of the restored gospel, doctrines unique to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” The first article in the series, The Nature of the Godhead appears in the January 2006 issue…