The funeral sermon by the prophet Joseph Smith for his friend, King Follet, delivered in the afternoon of Sunday the 7th of April, 1844, has become recognized as one of Joseph's most important. In it Joseph declared many new principles relative to the plan of salvation, mysteries that had been hidden in plain sight in the scriptures but which required a revelator to unlock and teach.
For the most part, Mormons lucky enough to have read the sermon have had to receive it through the lens of the compilers of the official church histories (though not until 1948!). But other accounts exist from those who sat in attendance and took notes. One such person was George Laub. What follows is a presentation of his notes with grammar and spelling modernized and scriptural quotations added:
"First of all, or in the beginning, we chose tabernacles for ourselves that we might be exalted equal with God himself and therefore Jesus Christ spoke in this manner; I do as my Father before me did:
"Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel" (John 5:19 – 20).
"Well what did the Father do? Why, he went and took a body and went to redeem a world in the flesh and had power to lay down his life and to take it up again:
"Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father" (John 10:17 – 18).
"And this is the way we become heirs with God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. For we are to go from glory to glory, and as one is raised to a higher [degree], so the next under him may take his degree. And so [we] take...exaltation through [a regulated] channel. When we get to where Jesus is, he will be just as far ahead of us again in exaltation.
"But, [says one, how can this be? For,] says the [Bible in its] English translation, 'in the beginning God created' all things out of nothing.
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1, emphasis added).
"But, [says I,] there was never anything yet that was made of nothing! Shame to such logic. The word in the Hebrew is thus: when the Gods counseled together they rolled this earth into existence. The great Elohim—in the Hebrew meaning the God of all Gods—called a Grand Council and counseled to form that planet on which we do now dwell. They spoke and earth from chaos sprang by their workmanship, chaos being made into element. They saw till time should be no more.
"[But, says another,] how came spirits? Why, [says I,] they are and were self-existing as all eternity and our spirits are as eternal as the very God is himself. [Hence all spirits progress to exaltation through a regulated channel. And] those [spirits] who die without the obedience of the gospel here will have to obey it in the world of spirits, for so long as they do not obey they will be miserable and as if they were in torment of fire and brimstone. Thus is the signification of torment:
"The fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone" (Rev 21:8).
"[There is a channel away from exaltation, for] Satan, or Lucifer, being the next heir had allotted to him great power and authority even [being made] prince of power of the air:
"In time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sin" (Eph 2:2 – 5).
"But [in the Grand Council of the Gods,] Satan spake immediately and boasted of himself saying, 'send me I can save all!' And [he] sinned against the Holy Ghost because he accused his brethren and was immediately hurled from the council for striving to break the law. There was a warfare with Satan and the Gods and they hurled Satan out of his place and all them that would not keep the sayings of the council. But Satan, himself being one of the councilors, would not keep the first estate for he was one of the sons of perdition and consequently all the sons of perdition [follow that downward channel and] become devils.
"There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night" (Rev. 12:7 – 10).
"Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled" (John 17:11 – 12).
"As there are many mansions in my Father's house—or in other words, many worlds in my Father's world—I will go and prepare a place for you that where I am ye may also come. Jesus Christ being the greater light or of more intelligence, for he loved righteousness and hated iniquity, he being the Elder Brother presented himself for to come and redeem this world as it was his right by inheritance.
"And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
"And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain...and he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
"And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev. 5:1 – 10).
"Jesus stated he could save all those who did not sin against the Holy Ghost and they would obey the code of laws that were given [that they might progress to exaltation in the regulated channel]. But [code of laws'] circumstances were that all who would sin against the Holy Ghost should have no forgiveness—neither in this world or in the world to come—for they strove against light and knowledge after they tasted of the good things of the world to come. They should not have any forgiveness in the world to come because they had a knowledge of the things of the world to come and were not willing to abide of the laws of the world to come. Therefore they can have no forgiveness there, but must be most miserable of all and never can be renewed again [and follow the downward channel]:
"It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
"For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: but that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned" (Heb. 6:4 – 8).
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