The last major speech that the Prophet Joseph Smith gave was also his greatest. It is known as the King Follett Discourse or funeral sermon. King Follett actually died on March 9, 1844 digging a well in Nauvoo. His funeral was the next day, March 10, and the Prophet Joseph Smith spoke at his funeral. However, the Prophet forgot to mention anything about King Follett. His family felt bad so the Prophet decided to mention King Follett again in another sermon. The occasion that the Prophet chose was General Conference, Sunday, April 7, 1844, a month after the actual funeral. He spoke for about 2 1/2 hours. He honored King Follett in the sermon which became dubbed the King Follett Funeral Sermon. When the talk was over, the prophet had not finished the subject. He got up the next day to speak, but his lungs were worn out, so he said that he would finish the talk at another time. That time was on June 16, 1844. This is sometimes referred to as the Sermon in the Grove. Both talks must be taken together to get the full impact of the sermon.Both talks can be found in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith by Joseph Fielding Smith on pages 342 - 362 and 369-376. To see another amalgamation of the text please read here.
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In the sermon the Prophet explains how God has given us a system to advance like himself,(click on image to enlarge)
The Prophet also explained what it means in scriptural language to be a "joint heir."(click on image to enlarge)
2 comments:
Thank you for your blog! It's wonderful and informative. Another you might like to check out sometime is my best friend's, Rose Datoc Dall.Her conversion story is on my blog, but she has done many paintings which she displays in her home and at the Wash, D.C. Temple Visitor Center. Her latest just won a Purchase Award at the 8th Internat'l LDS Art Comp. & another she did made it into the Sept. 2008 Ensign (back of the front cover) entitled, "Joseph & Emma." She has done many biblical figures, such as Adam & Eve, Joseph & Mary, and Esther, which I love. Sincerely, Jackie
Visit:
http://rosedatocdall.blogspot.com/
or
http://segullah.org/artist-interviews/down-to-an-art-—-an-interview-with-artist-rose-datoc-dall/#more-3202
It's interesting Joseph talks of the scripture Christ spoke of about Himself just before his own death. Another parallel (type) in his life of Christ.
"I will show it from the Bible. I wish I had the trump of an archangel. If I had the privilege, I could tell the story in such a manner that persecution would cease forever. The scriptures inform us (Mark it, Brother Rigdon) that Jesus Christ said:—What did Jesus
say?—As the Father has power in Himself, even so has the Son power in himself. To do what? Why, what the Father did. That answer is obvious; even in a manner to lay down His body and take it up again. Jesus, what are you going to do? “To lay down my life as my Father laid down His body that I might take it up again.” Do you believe it? If you don’t believe it, you don’t believe the Bible. The Scriptures say it and I defy all hell—all the learned wisdom and records and all the combined powers of earth and hell together
to refute it!" p. 8
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