Church History Matters

031 The Book of Abraham: Origins and Controversies

Oct 3, 2023

This episode delves into the fascinating story of how a 19th century grave robber in Egypt led to the expansion of the Latter-day Saint canon. It explores the origins of the Book of Abraham, theories on what source material Joseph Smith translated from, and the controversies surrounding the surviving papyri fragments. The significance of the book to different religious groups is also discussed.

56:20

Creator website

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The Book of Abraham is a controversial book in the Latter-day Saint canon due to the debates surrounding the source material and its translation.

There are three theories regarding the translation of the Book of Abraham: the fragments, the papyrus scrolls, and the catalyst theory.

Deep dives

The Importance and Controversy of the Book of Abraham

The Book of Abraham is one of the most controversial books of Scripture in the Latter-day Saint Canon. It expands on the life of Abraham and provides valuable teachings on various topics. The controversies surrounding the book stem from the source material, the fragments of Egyptian papyrus that Joseph Smith possessed. However, there are three theories regarding the translation of the Book of Abraham. The first theory suggests that the fragments are the source, but this view is highly unlikely. The second theory proposes that Joseph Smith translated from the papyrus scrolls, which were subsequently destroyed in the Chicago fire. The third theory, the catalyst theory, asserts that the papyrus served as an inspiration for Joseph Smith to receive a revelation about the life of Abraham. Eyewitness accounts support the claim that Joseph translated from the scrolls, but there is no available evidence to directly confirm this. The claims of Joseph's translation are in line with his methods of translation in the Book of Mormon and the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. The criticisms surrounding the facsimiles, especially facsimile three, will be addressed in the next episode.

Introduction

2min

The Significance of the Book of Abraham

10min

Origins and Controversies: Uncovering the Book of Abraham and the Connection to Napoleon Bonaparte

3min

Labolo, Grave Robbing, and the Spread of Egyptian Antiquities

2min

Origins and Controversies of the Book of Abraham

7min

The Journey of the Joseph Smith Papyrus

7min

The Connection Between Papyrus Fragments and the Book of Abraham

23min

The Complexities of the Facsimiles and Addressing Criticisms

3min

The book of Abraham, Joseph Smith’s final translation project, is easily one of the most controversial books of scripture in the Latter-day Saint canon. And we want to talk about it.

In this episode of Church History Matters, we dig into the fascinating story of how the exploits of a 19th century grave robber in Egypt ended up expanding our scriptural canon! We look at where in Egypt the papyri from which the Book of Abraham was purportedly translated came from and how Joseph Smith came to possess both this papyri and a couple pair of mummies. We examine three theories of what source material Joseph Smith translated from and how he did it. And we trace what we know of what happened to the papyri after Joseph’s death, how much has survived to this day, and what modern Egyptologists think about the surviving fragments—which is the source of the two biggest controversies regarding the Book of Abraham.

For show notes and transcript for this and other episodes go to https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/church-history-matters-podcast/

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.