support. >> it's remarkable. i'll bring in kelly here. it's remarkable to watch the front row there and various presidents. we see vice president kamala harris in the same week that she presided over the certification of the election that she lost. >> reporter: something she called a sacred duty.forward wi that without any personal difficulty having to announce her own name and the fact she had fewer electoral votes. al gore did that as well. he of course is seated among this group. three presidents, bill clinton, george w. bush, and donald trump, were born in the same summer. the oldest among them is donald trump. he was born in june of 1946.

july 1946 was george w. bush. and august of that year, bill clinton. born in the same summer. their presidencies span decades of american life. and certainly span political thought. and incoming, the current president, born in 1942, of a somewhat different generation at the front end of that time. and you have what will be a unique moment because when they gather again at some point, one among them will not be present. that is how unique this moment is. this constellation of american leadership will be seen in this way only at this time. >> the picture is complete as president biden sits down with first lady jill biden. and we are moments away now. if you're just tuning in, top of the hour, 10:00 and the east coast, the state funeral for jimmy carter, the 39th president of the united states. former living presidents in attendance.

several vice presidents in attendance. president biden will deliver the eulogy as requested. it is always so interesting. these services, these moments has been planned for decades. the state funeral, this funeral week was in 1986. and these moments while fascinating to watch, every single meticulous detail has been selected, oftentimes, by the carters themselves. they chose rosalynn carter, jimmy carter's wife of 77 years, two of the hymns we will hear today. rth brooks to sing his beloved song imagine and we will hear that today. the personality of the former president will be visible in this next hour as we watch the service begin to unfold. >> yep.

evolving process as you talk about jimmy and rosalynn planning this particular moment as you see now. the casket being removed now as we wait for the service to begin at the national cathedral. you think about some of the music here. for example, a longtime flight attendant phyllis adams was performing. the former president was so impressed he said i would like you to perform at my funeral. you look at the pianist performing at this morning's service. someone who performed at a birthday party at various events for president carter and rosalynn carter over the years. they are part of their lives and they are here today. >> and underscoring that point, walter mondale was supposed to help eulogize president carter. savavannah anlester, it was expected he would outlive them and now his son will be delivering that eulogy . >> oldest living president jimmy carter passing away at the age of 100.

he was born in 1924. and let's watch as the ceremony begins to unfold outside the front. let's just pause here for this moment of oman. >> [ silence ] >> three.

four. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪

♪♪ >> march. and halt. ready. set up. ready set. ready. step. ready. step. and halt.

ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. ready. face. >> with faith in jesus christ, we receive the body of our brother james for burial. let us pray with confidence to god, the giver of life, that he will raise him to perfection in the company of the saints.

deliver your servant james, oh sovereign lord christ, and set him free from every bond that he may rest with all your saints in the eternal habitations where with the father and the holy spirit you live and reign one god forever and ever. >> let us also pray for all who mourn that they may cast their care on god and know the consolation of his love. oh, mighty god, look with peddy on the sorrows of your servants for whom we pray. remember them, lord, and mercy. nourish them with patience. come for them with a sense of your goodness. lift up your upon them and give them peace through jesus christ, our lord.

amen. >> ready. pace. ready. go. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. forward. march.

>> center. march.

♪♪ tell me where is my home my home as my home for he is here

as i have wanted there is so many in the world home. after wind, after rain when the dark is done as i wake from a

dream in the gold of day through the air there's a calling from far away there's a voice i can hear that will lead me home. ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo ooo- ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo rise up,

follow me come away, is the call with the love in your heart as the only song there is no such beauty as where you belong rise up, follow me i will lead you home . ooo-ooo- ooo-ooo ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo .

>> [ bell tolling ]

[ bell tolling ] [ ll tolling ] [ bell tolling ]

[ bell tolling ] [ bell tolling ] [ bell tolling ]

[ bell tolling ] [ bell tolling ] [ bell tolling ]

>> forward. march. >> [ bell tolling ] >> i am the resurrection and the life, saith the lord. he who believe us in me though he were dead yet shall he live. and whoever liveth and believeth in me shall never

die. i know that i redeem a live and that he shall stand that the latter-day upon the earth. and although this body be destroyed, yet shall i see god, whom i shall see for myself and mine eyes sha behold, and not as a stranger. for none of us liveth to himself. and no man dieth to himself. >> halt. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. ready.

step. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. ready. step. forward. march. forward. march. there is one. center. face. ready. down. >> for if we live and if we die, we die until the lord. >> ready. three.

ready. face. ready. up. ready. face. forward. march. forward. forward. >> for none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself. for if we live we liveth to himself. whether we live therefore or die we are the lord's. blessed are the dead who die and the lord, even so saith the

spirit. for they rest from their labors. may the lord be with you. let us pray. oh, god, whose mercies cannot be numbered, except our prayers on behalf of your servant, james. and grant him an entrance into the land of light and joy in the fellowship of your saints. through jesus christ, our lord, who lives and reigns with you and the holy spirit, one god now and forever. amen.

>> my grandfather started teaching sunday school when he was in shipment in the naval academy. he taught the bible every sunday from world war ii to covid. for all my grandfather's

travels, he structured his life that he was home in plains. central to his life. every time i went to the church with him, it was packed. the wind started before sunrise and i was always very thankful that i got to walk in with my grandmother. and as soon as we sat down, sunday school would star. sunday school would always begin by asking anybody if he had been in his church be far. my grandmother and i would raise our hands and almost no one else did. and then my grandfather pulled up the conversation and we quickly found out the church was full of people from all over the country of all different backgrounds and beliefs. and my grandfather addressed in those diverse sunday school classes very simple. again, before he delivered his bible lesson, my grandfather talked about his week. if he monitored an election, he would talk about it.

if he stopped a conflict, he would talk about it. if he eliminated a disease from a village or a country, he would talk about it. when my brother jeremy died, he announced that news in sunday school. in fact, remember that my brother died on a sunday because it was the only time my grandfather was ever late to teach. my grandfather won the nobel peace prize. his sunday school class learned first. at the end of his nobel peace prize lecture, he stated the most serious and universal problem on our planet is the growing chasm between the richest and the poorest people on earth. for the next two decades as a problem compounded, he returned with stories from the bible and stories from today. now, the richest people on the world using their enormous wealth to buy a nation's poverty.

many of the people my grandparents helped lived on less than one dollar a day. my grandfather spent the entire time i have known him helping those in need. he built houses for people who needed homes. he eliminated diseases in forgotten places. he waged peace. anywhere in the world. river he saw a chance. he loved people. and whenever he told these stories in sunday school, he always said he did it for one simple reason. he worshiped the prince of peace and he commanded it. the bedrock of my grandfather's faith came from the apostle paul's letter to the romans, chapter 8, 1-18, 38 and 39. therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in christ, jesus, because

christ jesus, because through christ jesus the spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. for what the law was powerless to do and that it was weakened by the simple nature, god did by sending his own son to be a sin offering. and so he condemned sin and sinful man in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met, and, us, to not live according to sinful nature but according to the spirit. those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires. but those who livein accordance with the spirit have their mind set on what the spirit desires. the mind of sinful man is death. but the mind controlled by the spirit is life and peace.

the sinful mind is hostile god. it does not submit to god's law. nor can it do so. those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please god. you, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by thspirit. the spirit of god lives in you. and if anyone does not have the spirit of christ, he does not belong to christ. but, if christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin but your spirit is alive because of righteousness. and if the spirit of him who raised jesus from the dead is living in you, he could raise christ from the dead and also give life to your immortal spirit that lives in you. therefore, brothers, we have an obligation. but it is not to the sinful nature to live according to it. for if you live accoing to the sinful nature, you will die.

but, if by the spirit you put the death and misdeeds of the body, you will live. because those who are led by the spirit of god are sons of god. for you to not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of sunshine and by him we cried, father. the spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are god's children. now, if we are children, then we are heirs. heirs of god and co-heirs of christ. if indeed we shared his sufferings then indeed we may also share in his glory. i consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with all that will be revealed in us, for i am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor

the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of god that is in christ, jesus, our lord. the word of the lord. >> we are going to hear now from stephen ford who will deliver a eulogy written by his father, president ford. >> they were political and close friends and that lifetime

bond, spent a lifetime together to get to know each other and distribute of honor that jimmy carter requested will be read by former president ford's sun. >> before i start, the carter

children, my wife and i were sitting several rows behind you and we were praying for you. and i was humbly reminded that it was 18 years ago, almost to the day, that our family sat in that very row and, supporting my mom, and it was your dad and his great faith that supported my mom and gave her hope. he traveled with us for several days and we were blessed, so thank you. god did a good thing when he made your dad. jack, chip, jeff, amy, mr. president, madam vice

president, former presidents, first ladies, members of the house of representatives and the senate, justices of the supreme court, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, in the twilight of my dad's life, dad and president carter spoke by phone, and dad asked president carter if he would do a eulogy at dad's funeral. president carter graciously agreed. and then he also asked if dad would deliver a eulogy at president carter's funeral. now, dad was thrilled to agree. after that call as you could imagine, both of them got off the phone and had a pretty good chuckle, considering which one

of them would return in person to deliver that second eulogy. as you know, dad died in 2006. and president carter's eulogy continues to bring comfort, smile, laughter, joy, pride, to our family, and us on behalf of my dad, it is an honor to share dad's eulogy to his old friend. i -- i can just see my dad getting his yellow pad out with his pen and writing this for his beloved friend. by fate of a brief season, jimmy carter and i were rivals. but for the many wonderful years that followed, friendship bonded us is no two presidents

since john adams and thomas jefferson. it is said that president adams last words were "thomas jefferson still survives." now, since jimmy has a good decade on me, i am hedging my bets by trusting my remembrances of jimmy to my son, steve. according to a map, it is a long way between grand rapids, michigan, and plains, georgia. but distances have a way of banishing when measured in values rather than miles. and it was because of our shared values that jimmy and i respected each other as adversaries, even before we cherished one another as dear friends. now, this is not to say that

jimmy never got under my skin. but has there ever been a group of politicians that didn't do that to one another? during our 1976 contest, jimmy knew my political vulnerabilities and he successfully pointed them out. now, i didn't like it, but little could i know that the outcome of that 1976 election would bring about one of my deepest and most enduring friendships. in the summer of 1981, the two of us found ourselves together again. this time, aboard air force one, bound for the funeral of the great peacemaker. there is an old line to the effect that two presidents in a room is one to many.

frankly, i wondered how awkward that long flight might be to cairo, and it was a long flight. but the return trip was not nearly long enough. for it was somewhere over the atlantic that jimmy and i forged a friendship that transcends politics. vehemently decided to exercise one of the privileges of a former president for getting that either one of us had ever said any harsh words about the other one in the heat of battle. then we got onto much more enjoyable subjects, discussing our families, our faith, and sharing our experiences and discovering that there is, indeed, life after the white house. we commence a rate over the high cost of building

presidential libraries. and the even more garbled fact that most of the fundraising for these otherwise admirable institutions fell to us personally. on the spot, we agreed to participate in programs at each other's library, beginning with series of conferences on arms- control. and if that was not newsworthy enough , we told reporters on the plane the lasting middle east peace would require the united states to make tough decisions. like confronting the palestinian issue directly. thereby building on the work to which president sadat. had literally given his life.

ruffled feathers in the washington establishment. now, honesty and truth telling. synonymous with the name jimmy carter. those traits were instilled to him by his loving parents, lillian and earl carter. and the strength of his honesty was reinforced by his up bringing in the rural south, poised on the brink of social transformation. he displayed that honesty throughout his life as a naval officer, state legislator, governor, president, and world leader. for jimmy carter, honesty was not a aspirational goal.

it was part of his very soul. now, i think jimmy wrote more books than any former president. once asked if he really enjoyed writing, he replied with that familiar twinkle in his eye. it beats picking cotton. but i think he enjoyed writing for another reason. as an author, he was under no pressure to tailor his opinions to some political constituency or potential contributor. now, both of us had experienced a harsh reality that defeat at the polls can be painful. but we also came to know a more important consequence. political defeat and writing can also be literary . if it frees you to discuss topics that are not necessarily consistent with short-term

political popularity. now, jimmy learned early on it is not enough merely to bear witness. inspired by his faith, he pursued brotherhood across boundaries of nationhood, across nationhood of tradition, across boundaries of past. in america's urban neighborhoods and in rural villages around the world, he reminded us that christ had been a carpenter. and he and third world villages, he successfully campaigned not for votes, but for the eradication of diseases that shamed the developed world as they ravaged the undeveloped one. of course, not all of jimmy's time was spent building houses, eradicating disease, brokering

cease-fires, monitoring elections. while jimmy is probably the only former president to conduct a weekly bible class, i know for certain he is the only former president to perform a duet of "on the road again" with willie nelson. georgia wasn't just on jimmy's mind. it was in his blood. however far he traveled, he never forgot where he came home to or where now in the end he would finally come home to of the many things that jimmy and i had in common, the most important is this. we both married way above ourselves. way above. with jimmy, every step of the way was his first lady from

plains , in a life rich with blessings. none was greater for jimmy than his love he shared with rosalynn, and the love the two of them shared with their children, grandchildren, great- grandchildren. like jimmy, rosalynn was and is the symbol of american compassion. like no other first lady in our history, rosalynn carter was indeed a true citizen of the world. and she became a beloved friend to my wife betty and me and all of the ford family. while carter and ford men were decidedly mixed record when it came to lobbying congress, rosalynn and betty were unbeatable in their advocacy for millions of people whom they brought out of the shadows

of despair and shame. now, a time to say goodbye. a brief comforting of knowing the joy and thanksgiving of knowing this beloved man, this very special man. he was given the gift of years. and the american people and the people of the world will be forever blessed by his decades of good works. jimmy carter's legacy of peace and compassion will remain unique as it is timeless. the entire ford family, we extend our love to you. and we add our prayers to the prayers of tens of millions of people around the world.

may god bless and watch over this good man. may he grant peace to the carter family as they say goodbye to a man to a life whose was the fullest. as they demonstrate countless works, with a mission fulfilled, and a soul rewarded with everlasting life. as for myself, jimmy, i am looking forward to our union. we have much to catch up on. thank you, mr. president. welcome home, old friend. >> a moving tribute to

president carter from his former political rival. and then lifelong friend gerald ford. died 18 years ago in late december, as president carter did just a few weeks ago. and that eulogy, written decades ago and read eloquently by his son. and, coming up next, we are going to hear from ted mondale, the son of walter mondale. he also has written a eulogy that he did not live to liver himself but we will hear his words and the national cathedral as living presidents look on to this historic moment.

>> my father wrote this in 2015 and clearly he edited it a couple times since then but here we go. today, we join in sadness to honor our dear friend president carter for his extraordinary years of principled and decent leadership and his courageous commitment to civil rights and human rights. i remember the emergence of jimmy carter on the national stage. in particular, his 1971 inaugural address. for the first time, a georgia governor called for a commitment to the traditions of martin luther king jr. and for

the decency that his leadership stood for over his lifetime. i was surprised when then- candidate carter joined me to his running mate in 1976. he amaze me then as he has every year since. he, of course, was brilliant. he also had a great sense of humor. and while we had only four years in the white house, he achieved so much in that time. it stood as a marker for americans dedicated to justice and decency. carter was a man of his word. i remember when he talked about the concept of the vice presidency. i told him i would like to do it, and had only two requests. i wanted to make a real contribution, and i didn't want

to be embarrassed as many of my predecessors have. he agreed. welcomed my full rticipation. and directed his staff to treat me as they would him. he was very careful to protect me from the frustration and too often humiliation that had cursed the lives of many vice presidents. i want to thank the president for the good choices he made with his key personnel. we don't have time to mention many of them, but stu isanstat comes as close as possible to rivavaling prident carter's work ethic. hamilton jordan blessings every day. to me, to the president, and to the nation. one of the things that donned on me during the course of our

time together is how well we work together and how well we understood each other. i think one of the realities was carter was a devout christian who grew up in a small town and was active in his faith for almost every moment of his life. i was also a small town kid who grew up in a methodist church where my dad was a preacher and our faith was core to me, as carter's faith was core to him..com and commitment to our faith created a bond between us that allowed us to understand each other and find ways to work together. he allowed me to take a leadership role on issues that never would have happened before. for instance, he directed and trusted me to take a central role in trying to bring decency to the vietnamese and southeast asian boat people who were

fleeing their country. by president carter's orders, the boat people were picked up and taken to safety. most became that american citizens working for a healthy and prosperous nation. joann loved her time as a second lady. and we have jimmy and rosalynn to thank for just being so kind to her. these were good years for joann and eye. president carter and i became very close friends . we often spend hours together throughout the day. we were working on real problems, not wasting time. the personal relationship we established while in office continued throughout her life.

carter was farsighted. he put aside his short-term political interests to tackle challenges that demanded sacrifice. to protect our kids and grandkids from future harm. very few people in the 1970s had heard the term climate change. yet carter put his presidency on the line to pass laws to conserve energy, deregulate new oil and gas prices, and invest in clean, renewable alternatives to fossil fuels. it wasn't a perfect program. but thanks to president carter, u.s. energy consumption declined by 10% between 1979 and 1983. in many ways, he laid the foundation for future presidents to come to grips with climate change. some thought he was crazy to

fight so hard to pass these laws. but he was dead right. and we know that now. we also know that president carter elevated humarights to the top of its agenda. sometimes, sometimes, we forget how seriously he pursued, he pushed to advance the rights of women. he proposed and signed the law extending the period for states to approve the equal rights amendment. he appointed women to head the departments of commerce, education, hud, and what is now h.e.w. women on his white house staff played crucial roles in environmental and energy s. and he dramatically increased the ranks of female circuit and district court judges. including ruth bader ginsburg. in all, in all, he appointed

five times as many women toto t federal bench as all of the previous presidents had from the beginning of our country. two decades ago, president carter said he believed income inequality was the biggest global issue. more recently, in a 2018 commencement address at liberty university, he said i think now the largest global issue is the discrimination against women and girls in this world. he concluded that, until stubborn attitudes that fostered dissemination against women change, the world cannot advance and poverty and income inequality cannot be solved. towards the end of our time in the white house, the president and i were talking about how we

might describe what we tried to accomplish in office. we came up with a sentence which remains an important summary of our work. we told the truth. we obeyed the law. and we kept the peace. that we did, mr. president. i will always be proud and grateful to have had the chance to work with you towards noble ends. it was then and will always be the most rewarding experience of my public career. thank you. >> we will hear next from

stuart eizenstat, chief domestic policy adviser to president carter. ♪♪ ♪♪ bless this place oh jesus christ believe for

those in peril on the sea. o christ, the winds and waves submissive heard, who walked upon the foaming deep, and calm amid the rage did sleep; o hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the sea.

o holy spirit, who did brood upon the waters dark and rude, and bid their angry tumult cease, and give for wild confusion peace; o hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the sea.

♪ o trinity of love and pow'r, your children shield in danger's hour; from rock and tempest, fire, and foe, protect them where-so-e'er they go; thus, evermore shall rise to thee glad hymns of praise from land , thee hymns of praise,

thee hymns of praise from land and sea. , from land and sea.

>> jimmy carter was as close to being a renaissance man as any president entering the oval office in modern times.

he was skilled in an astonishing array of activities. farmer. businessman. nuclear engineer. naval officer. woodworker. painter. music lover. poet. author. sunday school teacher. creator of the carter censure, and, yes, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great- grandfather and nobel peace prize winner. behind that toothy smile was a man of steel determination, discipline, and self- confidence. in 1974 when he was governor of georgia, i suggested if he ran for president and won a few southern primaries he might get lucky and be the vice presidential nominee for regional balance. with his broadest grin he said,

stu, i have already decided to run but i will be the democratic nominee for president, not vice president. for one of our nation's most religious presidents, it is appropriate to celebrate jimmy carter's remarkable life in this magnificent cathedral. his values gave him an unshakable sense of right and wrong. animating his support for civil rights at home and human rights abroad. and propelling him to major achievements as the only democratic president elected between 1968 and 1992. his faith brought integrity to the presidency after the watergate and vietnam eras. i will never lie to you, he

promised. it was a bow he fulfilled. his faith respected other religions as well. he was the first resident to light a hanukkah. he created the u.s. holocaust memorial museum which i have the honor of sharing. he had a kosher dinner for the israeli delegation. he came to our house for a passover, only weeks after he negotiated the treaty between israel and egypt. as we lay our 39th president to rest, it is time to redeem his presidents and also lay to rest the myth that his greatest achievements came only as a former president. the test of american presidents is not a number of years they serve, but the duration of their accomplishments. by this measure, jimmy carter

was among the most consequential one-trip presidents in american history. his inllect, penalty just work habits, mastery of details, were crucial to his success at home and abroad. president carter parked politics at the oval office door to do what he believed was the right thing. taking controversial challenges on, regardless of the polititic consequences, and frankly there were many. much of his agenda passed with bipartisan support, a quaint notion in today's hyperpolarized politics. independent surveys indicated he had one of the highest success rates in passing his major legislation of any american president. and he was remarkably accessible to the press and to

the american people. this president from the deepest part of the deep south champion civil rights, appointing more people of color and women to senior executive positions and judgeships than all previous 38 presidents before him. he created the department of education and dramatically increased funding for low and moderate income students. and we can thank him for all the ethics and government laws, comprehensive civil service reform, to the creation of fema to coordinate natural disaster relief and rebuilding what made a crucially important today and we see it today in los angeles. jimmy carter was also the greatest environmental president since theodore roosevelt. 80 million acres in alaska to the national park system. and his global 2000 report

forecast climate change. his energy bills were critical to move our country from dependence on foreign oil to energy superiority. we are now, as a result, the largest oil and gas producer in the world. he provided the first incentives for conservation and inaugurated the era of clean energy. and he symbolized it with solar panels he installed on the white house roof. underappreciated at the time, but now widely recognized by republicans and democrats alike, president carter was a great the regulator. winning battles to loosen the regulatory bonds and shackles on airlines, thereby democratizing air travel, on

trucking and rails, therefore helping our supply chains be more efficient, telecommunications, leading to the cable tv era. and even the beer industry. which encouraged local craft beers. and he did so without compromising health and safety. these length of foundations for today's innovative economy. nothing better embodies president carter and how he dealt with the inflation that the lingered the nation on their three presidents. two republican, nixon, ford, and himself, during the 1970s. however the objection of all of his advances, he chose paul walter to lead the federal advance, knowing that tough monetary policy would raise interest rates and unemployment

because paul told him that and would do so in a presidential election year. you take care of the economy, paul. i will take care of the politics. inflation indeed dropped like a rock after he left office. and remained low for decades. are broad, jimmy carter laid the building blocks for a better world. he was the first president to make human rights a priority for u.s. foreign policy. and this led directly to the release of thousands of political prisoners in latin america, and stimulated them to a lasting democratic transition. he ushered in a new era of hemispheric relations with the panama canal treaties, the toughest legislative battle of his presidency. uniquely combined the soft power of human rights,

championing freedom for the communist east bloc countries, and tripling the emigration of soviet jews. he combined that with hard power, rebuilding america's military strength after its post watergate the client. he negotiated a major nuclear arms treaty with the soviets, while at the same time, initiated every single weapons system that came online in the 1980s. those new weapons helped end of the cold war. you normalize relations with china. and even hicritics applauded his tough measures after the soviets invaded afghanistan. jimmy carter's most lasting achievement, and the one i think he was most proud of, was to bring the first piece to the middle east with the greatest act of personal diplomacy in

american history, the camp david accords. for 13 days and nights, he negotiated with israel's and egypt's, personally drafting more than 20 peace proposals and settling them between the israeli and egyptian delegations. and he saved the agreement at the 11th hour, and it was the 11th hour. by appealing to menachem's love his grandchildren. for the past 40 years, the treaty has never been violated and laid the foundation for the abraham accords. on the other side of the ledger was iran. jimmy carter did not lose iran. the shaw did. but the hostage crisis was a major factor in denying him a second term. despite his support.

because he placed the safe return of the hostages above his own political fortunes, he took full responsibility for the failure of the board hostage rescue mission and worked tirelessly, even after his bitter re-election defeat to ronald reagan, securing their release on the last day of his presidency. in the end, jimmy carter taught all of us how to live a life filled with faith and service. he said, i have one life to live. i feel like god wants me to do the best i can do with it to let me live my life so that it will be meaningful. well, mr. president, you have more than achieved that goal. he may not be a candidate for mount rushmore.

but he belongs in the foothills of making the u.s. stronger and the world safer. jimmy carter has earned his place in heaven. but just as he was free with sometimes unsolicited advice for his potential successors, it is the lower of all creation to be ready for jimmy's recommendations about how to make god's realm a more peaceful place. >> stuart eizenstat, the former senior adviser to president carter, with a eulogy, hoping to redeem some aspects of

carter's legacy. many people have talked about the significance of his post- presidency and his former top adviser domestic policy in the carter white house wanting to remind the audience of his many accomplishments while in office to include of course the camp david accords. >> there was certainly a frankness about some of the challenges of the carter administration. >> and we are going to hear from jason carter and the carter center board of trustees. >> in my church, we sing a song that says "from the moment that i wake up until i lay my head,

i will sing of the goodness of god." i don't know how many people in here can say that. i know i cant. but my grandfather certainly can. from the moment that he woke up until he laid his head, his life was a testament to the goodness of god. and i thank all of you for being here to celebrate this life. to the presidents and first ladies, it is a great honor to have you here. you know the human side of the american presidency like no others. and we appreciate you. to the vice presidents, other distinguished guests and friends of all kinds, thank you for being here. to those of you who came from

all across the world, thank you for being here to celebrate and pay tribute to my grandfather. i say grandfather, but we called him papa, as many of you know. we called my grandmother mom carrter. so we spent much time talking about mom and papa. they were regular folks. yes. th spent four years in the governor's mansion and four years in the white house, but the other 92 years they spent at home in plains, georgia. and one of the best way to demonstrate they were regular folks was to take them by that home. first of all, it looks like they might have built it themselves. second of all, my grandfather was likely to show up at the door in some '70s short shorts and crops. then you walk in the house and it was like thousands

of other grandparents' house all across the south. fishing trophies across the walls. the refrigerator of course was papered with pictures of grandchildren and great- grandchildren. their main phone, of course, had a cord. it was dr. the wall in the kitchen like a museum peace. and demonstrating their depression-era roots, they had a little rack next to the sink where they would hang ziploc bags to dry. and demonstrating that they change with the times, eventually he did get a cell phone and one time he called me, sort of early on in that process, and at that time it said papa mobile. i said, hey, papa. he said, hey, who is this? i said, this is jason. he said, what are you doing? i said, i am nodoing anything. you called me. he said, i did not call you. i am taking a picture.

he was a nuclear engineer. right? they were small-town people who never forgot who they were or where they were from no matter what happened in their lives. but i recognize that we are not here because he was just a regular guy. as you have heard, from the other speakers, his political life and his presidency for me was not just ahead of its time, it was prophetic. he had the courage and strength to stick to his principles, even when they were politically unpopular. as governor of georgia, half a century ago he preached an end to racial determination and an end to mass incarceration. as president in the 1970s, as you heard, he protected more land than any other president in history.

50 years ago, he was a climate warrior who pushed for a world where we conserve energy, limited omissions, and traded our reliance on fossil fuels for an expanded renewable source. and, by the way, he cut the deficit. he wanted to decriminalize marijuana and deregulated so many industry that he gave us cheap flights, and, as you heard, craft beer. basically all of those years ago, he was the first millennial. and he could make great playlists as we heard as well. maybe this is unbelievable to you, but in my 49 years, i never perceived a difference between his public face and his private one. he was the same person no matter who he was with her where he was. and, for me, that is the definition of integrity.

that honesty was matched by love. it was matched by faith. and in both public and private, my grandparents did fundamentally live their lives in an effort, as the bible says, to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with their god. sometimes, i feel and felt like i shared my grandfather with the world. today is one of those days. but, really, he shared the world with me. the power of an atom. the beauty and complexity of a south georgia . when we fished, he celebrated the majesty of everything from the smallest minnow to that grand circulation of waters. and he share this love with my boys. taking these atlanta public school kids out in the fields to show them wild plums. in the end, his life is a love

story. and, of course, it is a love story about jimmy and rosalynn, and their 77 years of marriage and service. as the song says, they were the flagship of the fleet. and rest assured in these last weeks, he told us that he was ready to see her again. t his life was also a broader love story. about love for his fellow humans and about living out the commandments to love your neighbor as yourself. i believe that that love is what taught him and told him to preach the power of human rights. not just for some people, but for all people. it focused him on the power and the promise of democracy. it's love for freedom. its requirement and found belief in regular people raising their voices and the requirement that you respect all of those voices, not just

some. that conviction made him a naval officer who believed in and demonstrated as you heard that the greatest power of america was not the military but it's values. and those values were personal to him and he lived them both publicly and privately. as you heard, he gave voice to dissidents. stood up to dictctators. brought countries together in peace. his heart broke for the people of israel. it broke for the people of palestine. and he spent his life trying to bring peace to that holy land. and he talked about it at the dinner table. it was the same in public as it was in private. and, for the last 40 years, as you have heard, he spent his time living out that love and that faith alongside the poorest and most marginalized

people in the world. and that work, again, has been based fundamentally on love and respect. the carter center has 3500 employees, but only a couple hundred in united states. the rest are spread throughout the countries where we work. ethiopia. south sudan. chad. bangladesh. and all the carter center's programs are based on a respect, that same respect, for the power of regular people. even if they are in tiny villages miles from anywhere else. to give one example, we have all heard a lot lately about disease. it is a debilitating disease of poverty, and that disease will have existed from the dawn of humanity until jimmy carter. when he started working on this disease, there were between happily in cases of in humans every year. last year, there were 14. and the thing that is

remarkable is this disease is not eliminated with medicine. is eliminated essentially by neighbors talking to neighbors about how to collect water in the poorest and most marginalized villages in the world. and those neighbors truly are my grandfather's partners for the last 40 years. and as this disease has been eliminated in every village in nigeria, every village in sudan or uganda, what is left behind in those tiny 600-person villages is an army of jimmy and rosalynn carter's have demonstrated their power to change the world and that is a fundamental truth about my grandfather. it begins where it ends. when he saw a tiny 600-person village that everyone else thinks of as poor, he recognized it. that is where he was from. that is who he was.

and he never saw it as a place to send pity. it was always a place to find partnership and power and a place to carry out the commitment to love your neighbor as yourself. essentially, he eradicated a disease with love and respect. he waged peace with love and respect. he lead this nation with love and respect. to me, this life was a love story from the moment that he woke up until he laid his head. conclude with this. as andy young told me, he may be gone, but he is not gone far. the outpouring of love and support that we have felt from you and around the world shows how many lives he has touched and how his spirit will live on in many ways for us. he will be in the kitchen

making pancakes. or in his wood shop finishing a cradle for a great-grandchild. standing in a trouts dream with mom carter. or, for me, just watching those georgia fields and forests, where he is from. thank you. >> a beautiful eulogy by jason carter. a stirring tribute to his grandfather. topping the casket as he returned to his seat. we will now here "amazing

grace." ♪♪ ♪♪ amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me i once was lt, but now i'm

found was blind, but now i see 'twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved how precious did

that grace appear the hour i first believed ♪♪ through many dangers, toils, and snares we have already come

'twas grace that brought us safe thus far and grace will lead us home when grace home.

>> a beautiful rendition of stark what amazing grace." we talked about the personal touches that the carters himself chose for the service. phyllis adams, the soprano, you see there, met the carters had a 2017 event. a longtime flight attendant. they were so impressed they asked her to sing at the president's funeral. now, the 44th president, a longtime friend and colleague, will now eulogize the 39th president of the united states. >> greeting to the clergy. distinguished guests. most importantly, the carter family. in april 2021, jill and i

visited jimmy and rosalynn on a warm spring day in the town of plains, georgia. we wanted to see them. rosalynn met us at the front door with her signature smile. together, rented a home that day and shared almost 77 years of marriagege. and unassuming ranch home. they flexed their modesty more than any trappings of power. we walked in the living room where jimmy greeted us like family. that day, just the four of us sat in the living room and shared memories that spanned almost six decades. a deep friendship that started in 1974. i was a 31-year-old senator.

and i was the first senator outside of georgia. maybe the first signature endorse his candidacy for president. with an endorsement based on a belief is jimmy carter's enduring attribute, character. character. character. because of that character, i believe, it was destiny, destiny in our lives, and, quite frankly, destiny for the life of the nation. as an accumulation of a million things built on character that leads to a good life and a decent country, life with purpose, a life of meaning. now, how do we find that good life? what does it look like? what does it take to build

character? to do the ends justify the means? jimmy carter through his life taught me the strength of character is more than title or the power we hold. it is the strength to understand that everyone should be treated with dignity, respect, and everyone, and i mean everyone, deserves an even shot, not a guarantee to the shot. you know? we have an obligation. to give hate no safe harbor. and to stand up to what my dad would say is the greatest sin of all, the abuse of power. that is not about being perfect. none of us are perfect.

we are all fallible. but it is about asking ourselves, are we striving to do things, the right things? what value? what are the values that animate our spirit? to operate from fear or hope lexi ego or generosity? to show grace? do we keep the faith when it is most tested? or keeping the faith with the best of humankind and the best of america is a story, in my view, from my perspective, jimmy carter's life. to state the obvious today. some great, great eulogies. who came from a house without running water or electricity and rose to the pinnacle of power. the story of a man who was, at

once, driven and devoted to making real the words of his savior. the ideals of this nation. the story of a man who never let the ties of politics divert him from his mission to serve and shape the world. the man had character. jimmy holiday deep christian faith in god. and his candidacy spoke and wrote about. faith as a substance of things. hope for and evidence of things not seen. faith founded on commandments of scripture. love the lord, thy god, with all thy heart, with all thy mind, and all thy soul, and i love thy neighbor as thyself.

easy to say, but very, very difficult to do. and his life, in this life, any walk of faith can be difficult. it can be lonely. but it requires action. to be the doors of the world. but in our commandment lies the essence in my view found in the gospel. found in many faith traditions. and found in the very idea of america. because the very journey of our nation is a walk of sheer faith. to do the work to be the country we say we are, to be the country we say we nt to be, a nation where all are created equal in the image of god, and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives.

we have never fully lived up to that idea of america. we have never walked away from it either because of patriots like jimmy carter. throughout his life, he showed us what it means to be a practitioner of good works and a good and faithful servant of god and the people. and, today, many think he was from a bygone era. but, in reality, he saw well into the future. a white southern baptist to lead civil rights a decorated navy veteran who brokered peace. a brilliant nuclear engineer who led a nuclear nonproliferation. a hard-working farmer who championed conservation and clean energy, and a president

redefined the relationship with a vice president. jimmy and i often talked about our dear friend, walter mondale, who we all miss very much. together, they formed a model partnership of collaboration and trust. both were men of character. and, as we all know, jimmy carter also established the model post-presidency by making a powerful difference as a private citizen in america. and, i might add, as you all know, around the world. through it all, he showed us how character and faith start with ourselves and then flows to others. at our best, we share the better parts of ourselves. joy.

solidarity. love. commitment. not for reward. but in reverence with an incredible gift of life we will all have been granted. to make every minute of our time here on earth count, that is the definition of a good life. the life jimmy carter lived during his 100 years. to young people, to anyone, in search of meaning and purpose, study the power of jimmy carter's example. i miss him. but i take solace in knowing that he and his beloved rosalynn are reunited again . and to the entire carter family, thank you. and i mean this sincerely. for sharing them both with

america. and the world. we love you all. jill and i will cherish our visits with them, including the last one in their home. we saw jimmy as he always was. at peace with a life fully lived. a good life. of purpose and meaning. of character. driven by destiny. and filled with the power of faith, hope, and love. say it again. faith. hope. and love. as he returned to plains, georgia, for his final resting place, we can say goodbye in the words of the prophet micah, who jimmy so admired. jimmy carter did justly, loved

mercifully, walked totally. may god bless a great american, a dear friend, and a good man. may he be raised up on eagle's wings and buried on the breath of dawn, and make it a shine like the sun and hold you in the palm of his hand. god bless you, jimmy carter. >> president biden, speaking of the moral goodness of jimmy carter. in a moment, we will hear from james carter, the grandson of the late president. he will then deliver a reading from the book of matthew.

>> a reading from the gospel according to st. matthew. now, when jesus saw the crowns, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. his disciples came to him and he began to teach them saying, blessed are the poor in spirit. for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see god. blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of god. blessed are those who are persecuted because of

righteousness. for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven. for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you, you are the salt of the earth. but if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? it is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men. you are the light of the world. a city on a hill cannot be hidden. neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. instead, they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house.

in the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven. the word of the lord. >> gospel reading from james carter, the grandson of president carter. most famous passages from the bible. and these verses and hams, again, chosen by president carter and former first lady was lynn carter. the reverend andrew young, the former united states ambassador to the united nations, preaching today.

>> the apostle paul, in writing to the ephesians , the fourth chapter of the 32nd verse. be kind and compassionate to one another. forgiving each other, just as in christ god forgive you. jimmy carter, for me, was something of a miracle. i was born in the deep south, shortly, a few years after him. and it was always a place of

miracles. i couldn't see how we could have had the differences in background. coming from different places on the planet. the experiences of slave and slave owner. the diversity of color and creed. and national origin. and still become the great nation that we are in the united states of america. it was something of a miracle. and i don't mean this with any disrespect.

but it is still hard for me to understand how you could get to be president from plains, georgia. i knew plains for mypastorate in thomasville, georgia, about 60-70 miles south of there. and i was even nervous driving through plains. and plains and sumter county gave us one of the meanest experiences that we had in the civil rights movement. so much so that martin luther king said the sheriff of sumner county, he really thought was the meanest man in the world. and when i first met jimmy

carter running for governor, and said the only thing i know about plains and sumner county is bridge chappel and he said, yes, he is one of my good friends . and that is the last thing i wanted to hear. and yet time and time again i saw in him the ability to achieve greatness by the diversity of his personality and his upbringing. dr. king used to say that greatness is characterized by antitheses strongly marked. you have got to have a tough mind and a tender heart.

and that was jimmy carter. and he grew up in the tremendous diversity of the south and he embraced both sides. he was a minority in sumner county. just about 20-25% of the population was white. but growing up as a minority, he became the friend of the majority. and when he went to the naval academy, he asked that his roommate be the first black shipment to come to annapolis. and he said i know minorities. i have been a minority most of my life.

and he went out of his way to embrace those of us but that was a sensitivity, the spirituality james earl carter was truly a child of god. not only a good farmer, but a nuclear physicist. chosen by admiral cova to assist him in developing a nuclear navy.

peace and goodwill towards all men, and especially towards women and children. i know president carter i never cease to be enlightened. i never cease to be inspired. by the little deeds of love and mercy that he shared with us every day of his life. it was president james earl carter. but, for me, simply the greatness of the united states of america. ani am truly grateful for him because in spite of the harshness of the depression and the explosions of inflation, he

never wavered for -- from his commitment to god almighty. and his love of all of god's children. jimmy carter was a blessing that helped to create a great united states of america. and, for all of us, and many who are not ablele to be here, want to say thank you. you have been a blessing from god, and your spirit will remain with us. as jason said, you may be gone, but he ain't gone far. thank you, president carter, and thank you, almighty god.

>> andrew young, former mayor of atlanta, and u.n. ambassador under president carter. the musical selections have been nothing less than eclectic today. e have described it we next expire expect to hear from garth brooks and patricia singing "imagine."

♪♪ >> imagine there's no heaven it's easy if you try no hell below us above us, only sky imagine all the people livin' for today ah imagine there's no countries it isn't hard to do nothing to kill or die for and

no religion, too imagine all the people livin' life in peace you you may say i'm a dreamer but i'm not the only one i hope someday you'll join us and the world will be as one imagine no possessions i wonder if you can

no need for greed or hunger a brotherhood of man imagine all the people sharing all the world you you may say i'm a dreamer but i'm not the only one i hope someday you'll join us and the world will live as one .

>> garth brooks and trisha yearwood who befriended the former president working for habitat for humanity thingy one of his favorite songs, "imagine." piece in a vision for a better world, that of course jimmy carter dedicated his life to. as we watch the service in its final moments, we will are the final prayer. >> oh, father, who art in heaven, here my name. kingdom come. i will be present. as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread and forgive us as we give those. deliver us. resign thy kingdom and the