Journal of Discourses

Joseph Smith in the Journal of Discourses

All 3 of his sermons, 1855 to 1859 — what he returned to, and where each one is printed.

Founding prophet of the Latter-day Saint movement. The Journal reprints a small number of his Nauvoo discourses, reported before his death in 1844 and printed here years afterwards.

3 sermons by Joseph Smith appear in the Journal of Discourses — 0.2% of the whole series — printed across 2 volumes, 1855 to 1859.

In his own words

The tables below say what Joseph Smith preached about. This is what it sounded like.

I want to reason more on the spirit of man; for I am dwelling on the body and spirit of man—on the subject of the dead. I take my ring from my finger and liken it unto the mind of man—the immortal part, because it has no beginning. Suppose you cut it in two, then it has a beginning and an end; but join it again, and it continues one eternal round. So with the spirit of man. As the Lord liveth, if it had a beginning it will have an end. All the fools and learned and wise men from the beginning of creation, who say that the spirit of man had a beginning, prove that it must have an end; and if that doctrine is true, then the doctrine of annihilation would be true. But if I am right, I might with boldness proclaim from the housetops that God never had the power to create the spirit of man at all. God himself could not create himself.

Joseph Smith, The King Follett Discourse, Journal of Discourses, Volume 6

What the sermons cover

Indexed subjects, in order of how often they appear: Elijah, Premortal Spirits, Eternal Progression, Joseph H Reynolds, Religious Freedom, Harmon Wilson, Municipal Court, Nauvoo, Kirkpatrickites, Cyrus Walker, Mob Violence, Lee County.

Where they sit

Volume 2 (1855) holds 56 sermons by 15 speakers, of which 1 is his. Brigham Young carries that volume with 17. Volume 6 (1859) holds 66 sermons by 20 speakers, of which 2 are his. Brigham Young carries that volume with 15.

The Journal is overwhelmingly the work of a dozen men. The speakers who appear once or twice are the reason the series is worth indexing in full: they are printed at the same length and with the same care as the presidencies, and almost nowhere else.

Every sermon, in order

The complete list as the Journal prints them. Titles are the printed titles, which routinely name four or five unrelated subjects in one line — each one links to the discourse itself at journalofdiscourses.com.