What About The King Follett Funeral Sermon?

The report of this sermon by Joseph Smith has long been the source of controversy for two reasons. The first has to do with Joseph purportedly teaching the concept of many Gods, as the following extract demonstrates:

You have got to learn how to be gods yourselves; to be kings and priests to god, the same as all Gods have done; by going from a small degree to another, from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you are able to sit in glory as doth those who sit enthroned in everlasting power. (Times and Seasons, Vol. V, p. 614)

There are several problems surrounding this sermon. The first is that the excerpt just quoted is contrary to the established word of God in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and the revelations approved by the church during the life of Joseph Smith. The second problem has to do with when the sermon was first published. Joseph was to have preached this sermon on April 7, 1844. Joseph Smith was killed in June of 1844, and the first printing of this sermon occurred in August of 1844, two months after Joseph’s death. As a result, he was not in a position to either affirm or deny its contents. The third problem centers around a statement found in the history as recorded by the Utah Church which states:

It must be remembered that the above report of the Prophet’s remarks, as also the report of the King Follett sermon (preached in April, 1844, and which will appear in Volume V of this history)...were reported in long hand and from memory, so that they are very likely to contain inaccuracies and convey wrong impressions. (History of the Church, Vol. IV, p.556)

The fourth and final problem has to do with the testimony of James Whitehead, Joseph Smith’s personal secretary who was in the congregation when this sermon was preached. He testified that:

I heard what is known as the "King Follett" sermon preached. That sermon was published. Joseph Smith did not in that sermon teach the plurality of gods. (Complainant’s Abstract of Pleading and Evidence, Herald Publishing House, Lamoni, IA, 1893, p. 37)

When all of this information regarding the King Follett is considered, it would be suspect at best to consider this a an authoritative teaching of Joseph Smith.