The Question
A listener asked about a statement quoted by Marion G. Romney in the October 1949 General Conference. Elder Romney said that Joseph Smith once described:
“One of the saddest things he had ever witnessed was the sorrow of members of the Church who came forth to a resurrection below that which they had taken for granted they would receive.”
The listener could not find this quote in the Joseph Smith Papers and asked whether it truly came from Joseph Smith and if there is an original source for it.
Joseph Smith’s Teachings on the Resurrection
Joseph Smith spoke often and in great detail about the resurrection. He even described a vision of it. In that vision, he said:
He saw people rising from their graves.
Families recognized one another and embraced.
He described the resurrection of the righteous as a moment of joy beyond expression.
He taught that all losses would be restored in the resurrection if the Saints remained faithful.
This vision focuses mainly on joy, family reunion, and hope.
Joseph Smith Also Taught About Disappointment at the Resurrection
There is a separate sermon Joseph gave in the October 1843 General Conference. The only record we have of this sermon is a third-person summary published in the Church newspaper Times and Seasons. We do not have a word-for-word transcript.
In that report, Joseph is summarized as teaching:
“The disappointment of hopes and expectations at the resurrection would be indescribably dreadful.”
He explained:
The heavenly world is governed by perfect order.
Individuals accept and “subscribe to” the laws of the glory they will inherit.
Therefore, people must embrace the principles of eternal truth in this life.
Understanding these truths comes through revelation and ordinances.
This teaching clearly suggests:
Some people will expect a higher glory than the one they actually receive — and the disappointment will be terrible.
This idea aligns closely with the concept Elder Romney expressed.
Did Joseph Smith Ever Say the Exact Words That Romney Used?
No. There is no existing document where Joseph Smith uses the exact wording quoted by Marion G. Romney.
However:
Joseph absolutely taught about the resurrection.
Joseph had a vision of the resurrection.
Joseph taught that some will experience terrible disappointment in the resurrection.
Elder Romney appears to have:
Combined Joseph’s vision of the resurrection, and
Joseph’s teaching about disappointment for some,
into a single pastoral, summarized statement.
Thus, the idea is doctrinally correct, even if the quotation is not Joseph Smith’s verbatim wording.
Why the Confusion? Historical vs. Homiletic Sources
Many General Authorities (including Romney) have historically paraphrased Joseph Smith’s teachings. This was common, especially before the Joseph Smith Papers provided complete and accurate source texts.
In this case:
Romney used Joseph’s ideas,
but expressed them in his own language,
giving the impression of a direct quotation.
This is why it cannot be found word-for-word in the Joseph Smith Papers.
How to Teach This Correctly Now
If you want to teach the principle faithfully and accurately:
Instead of saying:
“Joseph Smith said…”
You can say:
“Joseph Smith taught that disappointment in the resurrection will be indescribably dreadful for those who did not live according to the covenants they made (October 1843 sermon).
Elder Marion G. Romney later summarized this idea by saying that one of the saddest things Joseph had witnessed was the sorrow of members who received a lower resurrection than the one they assumed they would inherit.”
This keeps:
the doctrine accurate,
the history correct,
and avoids attributing a word-for-word quote to Joseph that he never wrote.
Final Summary
Joseph Smith did NOT say the exact wording quoted by Romney.
Joseph DID teach that some people will be terribly disappointed at the resurrection.
Joseph DID describe a vision of the resurrection filled with joy for the righteous.
Romney combined these ideas into a powerful teaching of his own.
Doctrinally, the principle is sound. Historically, the exact “sadness of members who expected a higher resurrection” wording is a Romney paraphrase, not a Joseph Smith quotation.
Listen to the full podcast here:
https://www.youtube.com/@standardoftruthpodcastllc