Examining Six Key Concepts in Joseph Smith's Understanding of Genesis 1:1

Authors

Kevin L. Barney

Keywords

Mormon studies, Joseph Smith, nature of God, King Follett Discourse

Abstract

Joseph Smith spent Sunday afternoon, April 7, 1844, in a grove behind the Nauvoo Temple. There he gave a funeral sermon, which lasted for over two hours, dedicated to a loyal friend named King Follett, who had been crushed by a bucket of rocks while repairing a well. Known today as the King Follett Discourse and widely believed to be the Prophet's greatest sermon, this address was Joseph's most cogent and forceful presentation of his Nauvoo doctrine on the nature of God, including the ideas of a plurality of Gods and the potential of a man to become as God. Several times in the first part of the discourse, Joseph expressed his intention to "go back to the beginning" in searching out the nature of God, and a little before midway through the sermon, he undertook a commentary on the first few words of the Hebrew Bible in support of the speech's doctrinal positions.

Recommended Citation

Barney, Kevin L. (2000) "Examining Six Key Concepts in Joseph Smith's Understanding of Genesis 1:1," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 39: Iss. 3, Article 7.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol39/iss3/7