A Funeral Sermon-part I

I remember the first time I was introduced to the King Follet Sermon. I was called to a mission and getting ready to leave. It was a time of personal doctrinal exploration. I was endowed around the same time so naturally I started asking questions about topics of the Temple. Naturally this sermon came up. It seems that most people are first brought to this discourse while on their mission or immediately prior. I say that because I have spoken to many girls who have never heard of it. I have spoken to many returned missionaries that were exposed to it on their mission while staying up late with other missionaries getting into the "deep" doctrine discussions. 

An example of a grove where the Prophet Joseph Smith instructed the saints. The King Follet Sermon would have been given in a grove such as this.

When I first heard the name of the sermon, I thought it was either given to a king or about a king or something to that nature. That is not the case. Well, at least not on the surface as I was thinking. In fact, quite the opposite. The title of the remarks were not the “official” title: it was simply a funeral talk. The talk was given at a General Conference of the Church but the aim of the talk served, at least in part, to comfort the family and friends of King Follet.* King Follet was a simpleton (not a King) who had died that week. I mention this as the history because there is something remarkable about the circumstances. We have similar talks in the Church today. The Bishops and Branch Presidents get up and talk about the Plan of Salvation at a church member’s memorial service. This is to offer comfort, hope, understanding, and perspective during a tough time. By happenstance King Follet's death occurred the week of a conference of the Church; however, the talk, by nature, should be very similar to talks we would give at a funeral.

 King Follet was not a king at all. But Joseph Smith was giving a discourse on how he could one day be a king. It is a landmark talk concerning the doctrine of the Church and I think the setting could not be any better. Joseph Smith was offering comfort to a family who had lost a loved one. And here Joseph Smith uses the opportunity to teach doctrine and comfort the family. I cannot think of a better place or circumstance to reveal such a doctrine.  

 The sermon taught numerous things about Deity that had previously been lost. These facts and principles are vital to our faith today. Most notable was the fact that Deity was more like us than we could originally conceive:

 “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret. If the veil were rent today, and you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form--like yourselves in all the person, image, and the very form as a man.”

 He further taught that "You have got to learn to become Gods yourselves, the same as all Gods before you have done."

 What makes this more fascinating is the fact that the discourse came out just months before his death. It seemed that Hell’s foundation shook at the thought that this would be revealed to the World. When we realize our divine potential we immediately recognize that God loves us more than we imagine. We have purpose in life. We have meaning attached to our existence. We feel both happy and hopeful. 

 What most people do not realize is that there was a talk given after this known as The Sermon in the Grove. This sermon was given less than 2 weeks before his death. It points out similar doctrines. It can be found in the History of the Church volume 6, pages 473-479, or in Joseph Fielding Smith’s compilation, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith pages 369-376. 

 This discourse is great because it is after Joseph Smith gains a bit more confidence in his understanding of the Hebrew language. Among other things he points out that things are not created out of nothing and he used Hebrew to do so. Around the same time a similar scientific discovery was made to validate Joseph Smith’s teaching: we call it the Law of Conservation of Energy.

 If this is truly the case then it reveals much about the character and being of God the Father and His role in creation. Albeit the mainstream Christian community scoffs at the sermons, one cannot help but notice that similar discoveries have been made. 

 More than a scientific approach what I call the paternal approach. For so long in history Deity was seen as unknown and unknowable and incomprehensible. Joseph Smith however invites us to learn how close the Heavens really are. In fact, Joseph Smith spent his life attempting to show others the nature of God. 

 Although Joseph had seen the Father and the Son 24 years earlier, it seems to only dawn on him later that in fact, Deity was made of a body as we have. It was a body like our body, but without the carnal blood running through the veins making them subject to the Fall. It is almost exactly 1 year before the King Follet sermon that we first hear Joseph Smith make a bold declaration as to the nature of the Godhead (see D&C 130:22-23). It seems that around that same time, Joseph Smith also learns of many deep and important things pertaining to the Plan of Salvation. 

 To actually put down all of my thoughts on this would take dozens upon dozens of pages (maybe even hundreds); and I know that I have only skimmed the surface. I think that those who want to learn more about what we may call “the essence” of our religion would do well to study D&C 76 (note the placement of the verses within the vision and the particular details of our natures in the resurrection), The King Follet sermon, The Sermon in the Grove, Romans 8, and D&C 130 (again, emphasizing the idea of resurrection, sociality, and the nature of the Godhead and why it is placed where it is in the Doctrine and Covenants).

 I will relate this to the Temple if it is not making quite a lot of sense yet. 

*I read a blog that argued "that this is a significant misinterpretation of Joseph Smith, but I also fail to see how that teaching would have been any comfort for a funeral sermon." I would however argue that the interpretation that God was once as we are is the most quintessential and comforting doctrine that Joseph Smith had to offer. 

Name Change... and with it... doctrine of names!

So I have changed the name of this blog. There is another, more controversial blog, that has the same name as I had chosen. I did not realize this until I had someone ask me if I was affiliated. After going to their site, I opted that I would allow them to keep their name while I retained a new one.

I did not change the name just so I could say that this website was undergoing some sort of rebirth; although, that brings up a fascinating question that I want to comment on: the doctrine of Name Change.


To me it was asked: Why did the people in the Book of Mosiah receive a name change (Mosiah 1:11-12) and why does it seem so different than the one we as Church members commonly hear about (see also Mosiah 5)?


All over the Old and New Testament we see name changes take place. The first which we hear about in the written history of the world is Abraham--who before was called Abram. It then happened to his grandson Jacob who would be called Israel. (as a side note, the new name for the website comes from a word-play on Jacob's vision of a ladder leading to Heaven).


Latter-day Saints who have been through the Temple are well-aquainted with this doctrine. What most people do not consider, however, is how often we hear the word "name" in LDS Theology. Some examples include

1. At the end of our prayers "in the name of Jesus Christ"

2. When giving/receiving Priesthood blessings it is often said "by the Authority of [whatever Priesthood that person has] and in the name of..."

3. At baptism: " in the name of the..."

4. The sacrament prayers

5. The baptismal and sacramental covenants

6. Sacred temple covenants

7. it used over 1500 times in the scriptures

8. Dedicatory prayers (ldschurchtemples.com has the dedicatory prayers to all of the Temples built in the latter-days: these are great to read and glean doctrine from)

this list goes on...

Maybe some more interesting times we hear it is when their are more direct references to the Temple. One example is in 2 Chronicles 7:16, concerning the Temple the Lord said "I have chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever". Surely the Lord does't intend to say that his literal name will be there.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks helps identify something more meaningful behind the word we so commonly use in the Church: "name". He explained,

“When I was called as an Apostle I went to the scriptures for illumination on my responsibilities. I found that I was called to be one of the “special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world” (D&C 107:23). A witness of Christ I could understand, but why a witness of the name of Christ?

"Sensitized by this unanswered question, I have been amazed at how often scriptural teachings on very important subjects refer to the name of Jesus Christ rather than to the Savior Himself. There is something important here–something heretofore rarely discussed in our literature.

Uses of Name 

"The word name occurs in the scriptures about 1500 times, mostly as references to Deity or to the name of Deity.

"Instead of directly referring to God the Father or to His Son, Jesus Christ, many passages of scripture refer to “the name of the Lord,” to “his name” or to “my name.” Thus, the scriptures describe praying as calling upon the name of the Lord (e.g., Gen. 4:26; D&C 65:4). They teach that miracles are done by the power of His name (see Acts 4:10; 3 Ne. 8:1). They state that temples are built to His name (e.g., 1 Chr. 22:19; D&C 109:78). They declare that salvation and the remission of sins come through His name or to those who believe on His name (e.g., Acts 10:43; Alma 5:48). And they declare that there is no other name given whereby man can be saved (e.g., Acts 4:12; Mosiah 3:17). ...

"What is the meaning and significance of the word name when it refers to Deity?

Name as Identification 

"The first dictionary meaning of the word name is a word or words by which a person is identified, designated, or known. Consequently, a scriptural reference to “name” of the Father or the Son can be simply a reference to God Himself...It is probably not an overstatement to say that this meaning, identification, is the meaning most readers assume for most scriptural references to the name of Deity.

Name as Authority or Priesthood or Power

"Many scriptural references to the "name" of Jesus Christ seem to be referenes to the authority or priesthood or power of Jesus Christ. Some verses of scripture specifically define "name" in this manner.  The clearest of these is the Lord word to Abraham: "Behold, I will lead thee by my hand, and I will take thee, to put upon thee my name, even the Priesthood of thy father, and my power shall be over thee. (Abr. 1:18)

Name as Work or Plan

"Although there are various other vitally important meanings, the most frequent single meaning of the scriptures that refer to the name of the Lord seems to be work of the Lord (or His work or My work). For this purpose “work of the Lord” includes the entirety of God’s gospel plan for the salvation and exaltation of His children, most notably the Resurrection and Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. ...

"To those blessed with the illumination of the restored gospel, the priesthood or authority meaning discussed in chapter 3 and the work or plan meaning discussed in this chapter are basically the same reality viewed from two different perspectives. To act in the authority of God is to do the work of God: to do the work of God we should have the authority of God.

Name as Essence or Exaltation

"In the ancient world, a name represented the essence of the person named.  Thus, a prominent Bible dictionary declares: "In biblical thought a name is not a mere label of identification; it is an expression of the essential nature of its bearer.  A man's name reveals his character...Hence to know the name of God is to know God as he has revealed himself (Interpreter's Dictionary, 3:500-501).  ...

"For this reason, in biblical thought a change of name signifies a change of nature or essence.  The dictionary observes:  "It could also be said soberly of anyone that his name is his very self.  Thus, when a radical change in a person's character took place so the he became a new man, he was given a new name" (Interpreter's Dictionary, 2:408).   Thus, a king receives a new name on his ascending the throne.

"This understanding helps to explain the new names given to many key figures in the Bible at the time of an important change in their lives.  Examples include Abraham (see Gen. 17:5), Sarah (see Gen. 17:15), Israel (see Gen. 32:28; 35:10) and Peter (see John 1:42).  The idea that a name changes when a person's essence changes also helps to explain the scriptural teaching that a new name is given to all persons who come into the celestial kingdom (see D&C 130:11; see also Isa. 56:5, 62:2; Rev. 2:17, 3:12).

"The most comprehensive biblical illustration of the significance of the word name as signifying the essence of the one named occures in a conversation between the Lord and the prophet Moses.  When the Lord spoke to Moses from the burning bush, He introduced Himself with these words:  "I [am] the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob"(Ex. 3:6).  The scripture next reports the Lord's instructions to Moses about his assignment to deliver the children of Israel out of Pharaoh's captivity, and then records this significant exchange:


"'And Moses said unto God, Behold, [when] I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What [is] his name? what shall I say unto them?


"'And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you'. (Ex. 3:13-14)


"In English the words I am signify the state of being (the first person present thense of the verb to be).   (In Latin, the verb of being is esse, which is the root source of essence.)  Thus, when Moses asked to know the name of God, he was asking to know the essence or nature of God, and God answered in those same terms.  The Bible dictionary quoted above concludes:  


"The uses of the word 'name' in the OT [Old Testament] are all related to the central conception of name as denoting essential being.  This applies with regard to both man and God....The name in the OT is the essence of personality, the expression of innermost being" (Interpreter's Dictionary, 3:501).  ...


"Jesus Christ, the Redeemer and Savior of the world, is the essential life-giving source in the plan of salvation.  His saving mission under this plan opens the door and points the way for the children of God to achieve their ultimate destination as sons and daughters of God--to become like Him.  The plan of salvation is not only an expression of the authority and work of our Savior.  It is also the manifestation of His essence  (emphasis added).  ...


"The word name is threaded through the entire fabric of scriptural descriptions of the glorious plan of salvation, including its process and its intended result.  The name of Jesus Christ was specified from the heavens (see Luke 1:31; Matt. 1:21).  The word name sometimes means the work of salvation, which is the mission of the true Chruch of Jesus Christ.  And the word name sometimes means the essence of Christ or the intended exaltation that is our destination and the result of the plan of salvation

"What could be more beautiful or more natural for God the Father than to desire and provide a means for His spirit children, who were created in His image, to become like He is?  And what more natural means (more understandable to mortals) to enter upon that path than for His children to born again--spiritually begotten--and to aspire to take upon them the name of their Creator?  Taking that name upon us has obvious family implications, and it also serves to identify our destination as His children.

"Many scriptures invoke the word name in connection with explaining our relationship to God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ and our eternal goal under their plan.  Following are some that explain the plan by means of vivid analogy to birth and to attaining the name (essence) of the Creator.

"In his great valedictory teachings to his people, King Benjamin concluded with these words:


"'And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.

"'And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.


"'And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.  (Mosiah 5:7-9) ...

This reference to taking upon us the name of Christ and being "saved at the last day" is a clear reference to exaltation, which means attaining the essence of Christ."

(from His Holy Name by Dallin H. Oaks, 1998)


So in answer to that question, the people, after hearing King Benjamin give his address on becoming (another topic for discussion) Saints of Christ, wanted to have a spiritual rebirth. They wanted for their "essence" to change. King Benajamin explained to them that "the natural man is an enemy to God". The people no longer wanted to be the natural man: they wanted to experience a change in essence--they do this by taking upon themselves Christ's name or in other words, Christ's essence. 


So their experience was not much different than what we as Latter-day Saints are taught in the Temple. We just tend to hear it more prominently when discussing temple doctrine (D&C 130:11).