Death Blow to Mormonism – The Book of Abraham is a Fake?

PomoTheo ^ | 2006 | Pomo

[delacoert]

First off, some information, what is the Book of Abraham? Well the book was derived from a set of Egyptian papyri purchased by the Joseph Smith in 1835 from a traveling mummy show. Although no formal training in Egyptology, Joseph Smith created a translation of part of the papyri, and the work was published called the The Book of Abraham. Today it remains a component of the Mormon quad--their canon of scripture. [The text is published as part of the Pearl of Great Price, one of the four canonical scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.]

Why is this important? Well firstly, Joseph Smith, the prophet, translated the papyri. Secondly, the book is part of the Mormon canon. Thirdly, the Book of Abraham provides justification for important Mormon doctrines, including the exaltation of man, plurality of gods, priesthood, and pre-mortal existence not found in any of the other canonized scriptures of the LDS.

So you're probably asking big deal, he translated some scrolls. Well not exactly. What if we had the exact same papyri that Joseph Smith used for his translation? Would the results be the same? Well get this, in 1966 some of the papyrus scrolls were found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Based on this rediscovered source material of the Book of Abraham, qualified Egyptologists can once again complete a translation. What they found is startling.

Using illustrations and the original text of the Book of Abraham it was found thedocuments are in fact funerary texts that describe events in the afterlife of deceased Egyptians that is consistent with other historical and archaeological evidence. Today we can prove that Joseph Smith incorrectly translated the papyrus.
Independent scholars, Egyptologists, are in agreement about the nature of the documents. Only church sanctioned Mormon Universities still try to claim the translation is still correct. Mormon scholars currently do not discuss the translation since it's not open to debate, the documents are clearly funerary in origin.
Why is this a death blow to Mormonism? As stated above, Joseph Smith is a prophet to the LDS church, but he states that the Book of Abraham is:

A Translation of some Ancient Records that have fallen into our hands, from the Catacombs of Egypt, purporting to be the writings of Abraham, while he was in Egypt.[1]

After closer examination, Smith also declared,

... with W. W. Phelps and Oliver Cowdery as scribes, I commenced the translation of some of the characters or hieroglyphics, and much to our joy found that one of the rolls contained the writings of Abraham, another the writings of Joseph of Egypt, etc. -- a more full account of which will appear in its place, as I proceed to examine or unfold them.[2]

Joseph claimed that he received divine inspiration in having discovered and translated an existing ancient work. Joseph claimed to be the prophet, seer, and revelator who could decipher it. Joseph Smith the prophet was wrong.

How can a prophet be wrong yet people still trust his other works? Well it doesn't stop there. For each of the facsimiles, Joseph Smith offered a detailed explanation or interpretation of various elements on the papyrus and fragments. Here is one of those facsimiles (number 3).

Smith 'translated' this image as such: a representation of Abraham sitting on the Pharaoh's throne teaching the principles of astronomy to the Egyptian court. The figure behind "Abraham in Egypt" is "King Pharaoh, whose name is given in the characters above his head." The figure before "Abraham" is "Prince of Pharaoh, King of Egypt". The dark character is "Olimlah, a slave belonging to the prince" and in between is "Shulem, one of the king’s principal waiters".

What do independent Egyptologists say? This is merely the judgment of the dead before the occupied throne of the Egyptian god, Osiris.[17] The picture of Osiris shows his typical headdress or crown and his arms are placed in a typical position in which he holds a sceptre and a flail. In front of Osiris, but with her face turned away, is Ma'at, the Egyptian goddess of justice, truth and order wearing her traditional feather on her head.

Unfortunately for Joseph Smith both the recovered papyri and the facsimiles published with the Book of Abraham bear no direct connection, either historical or textual, to Abraham. Abraham's name does not appear anywhere in the papyri or the facsimiles.

I've read some of the Mormon positions/rebuttals on the subject and let me say they are aren't well articulated and contain very poor scholarship. The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS), is trying in vain to respond to the material but again the scholarship is less than stellar.

How should we approach these conclusions? The theological implications are great, if you can't trust the Book of Abraham then plurality of gods, pre-mortal existence, and more, have zero validity in the LDS faith. Fact of the matter is you can't reason your way to convince anybody out of their particular faith even if there is damning evidence to discredit their most sacred prophet.

Many Mormons value their faith, value their experiences, and as such will not 'convert' as a result of a scientific debunking of one of their scriptures. In the very least I hope it makes everyone dig a little deeper when learning about their own faith.

1. See History of the Church, vol. 2, pp. 235, 236, 348-3512. History of the Church, Vol. 2, Ch. 17, p. 236. July 1835

17. See for example The Judgment of the Dead. Retrieved on 2006-08-07.

25. Richard A. Parker, "The Joseph Smith Papyri: A Preliminary Report", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Summer 1968, p. 98.

32. Stephen E. Thompson, "Egyptology and the Book of Abraham", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 28/1 (Spring 1995): 148-152. See also the translations in the Analysis of the Joseph Smith papyri section of this article.

33. The Joseph Smith Hypocephalus ... Twenty Years Later. Retrieved on 2006-08-07. In this article, Michael D. Rhodes examines facsimile 2, the hypocephalus, and notes that the four sons of Horus (figure 6) plausibly fits with Joseph Smith's explanation that the figure "represents this earth in its four quarters".

Many sources from Wikipedia

 

[ejonesie22]

One problem with your argument.

Christians have never claimed the Nicean Creed (or an other Creed for that matter) to be Scripture, otherwise it would inserted in to the Bible. They are simply statements that define what is believed.

So there really is no “big problem” logically or otherwise...

At least among Christians...

[Elsie]

Hey PD.

Does any of your links have the instructions on what to do during the MORMON Temple rituals?

I’ll bet LURKERS would REALLY like to read them themselves; instead of just HEARSAY from ex-mormons.

[Elsie]

                            

[BlueMoose]

Thanks for the links. They were helpful in finding information on the Book of Abraham.

[greyfoxx39]

The major problem Christians; have with Mormons is

.....well, here's just ONE example!

After almost 180 years of mormons and mormon leaders demeaning Christians and Christianity...

Apostle Bruce R. McConkie (1915 - 1985):


"...the Book of Mormon remains secure, unchanged and unchangeable, ...But with the Bible it was not and is not so....it was once in the sole and exclusive care and custody of an abominable organization [Christianity], founded by the devil himself, likened prophetically unto a great whore, whose great aim and purpose was to destroy the souls of men in the name of religion. In these hands it ceased to be the book it once was."

- Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, The Joseph Smith Translation, pp. 12, 13

“Believers in the doctrines of modern Christendom will reap damnation to their souls.”

- Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, see pp. 45-46

“... all the millions of apostate Christendom have abased themselves before the mythical throne of a mythical Christ.... in large part the worship of apostate Christendom is performed in ignorance, as much so as was the worship of the Athenians who bowed the Unknown Gods.”

- Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 269, 374-375

 

NOW, mormons demand to be called "Christian" and spend millions on a PR campaign towards this goal.

At the same time, see below the kind of false "Christianity" that is coming from the mormon church.

The mormon church is out to completely falsify our God and His Son, Jesus Christ..."premortal", "restoration"...just in time for Easter. Click on the image for the REAL truth.

[greyfoxx39]

We could probably all post some salacious fact about a former Pope. We could point a finger at the strange ways of the Amish or Mennonites. We might be able to dig up some disgruntled ex-born again evangelicals if desired. SO WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT MORMONS? Why single them out for threads like these?

The Mormon Christ

The following are actual mormon beliefs.

Mormon Teachings on Jesus Christ

The Son Was Made by a Divine Man and Woman

According to Mormons, Jesus Christ is their elder brother, since he was the firstborn in the spirit world. That is, God the Father and one of his heavenly wives begot Christ's spirit at some point in the eternity before earthly creation. This was made possible because the Father, who had previously lived, died, and was resurrected in some other world, had finally attained divinity for himself. As part of the blessings of godhood, he was given an eternal wife or wives with whom to procreate spirit children.

The Son-and All Created Things-Pre-Existed from All Eternity

The Mormon church correctly teaches that the Son exists from all eternity. It makes two mistakes, however. First, it holds that the Son's pre-existence was only as vague, unformed matter until his heavenly parents begot his spirit. Second, Mormons believe that his pre-existence-as they define it-is the pattern for all created beings. Thus, for Mormons, every person has existed from eternity; each spirit came into being in heaven by the union of God the Father and one of his heavenly wives. That spirit is eventually placed into the human body created by earthly parents.

Jesus Christ can be called the "firstborn" only because his was the first "spirit body" formed by his heavenly parents. There then followed the "spirit bodies" of all other rational beings.

Yet Scripture clearly states the Son created all things and is himself uncreated: "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist" (Col. 1:16-17).

We do well to remember the distinction presented earlier between Christ's divine and human natures. As the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son of the Father, Christ exists eternally. There never was a time when he was not. Because God is perfect and therefore changeless (change implying a movement either toward or away from some ideal or perfection), the Son did not undergo a "reformation" of component elements, bringing him into self-awareness or personhood. Jesus possessed both a divine and a human nature from the moment of his earthly conception. He did not grow into divinity either before or while living a mortal life among men.

Mormons admit Christ became God before he took on a mortal estate. Sometimes, though, their terminology is reminiscent of Greek or Roman mythology. One Mormon writer phrased his view this way:

"Mary, heavy with child, traveled all that distance on mule-back, guarded and protected as one about to give birth to a half-Deity. No other man in the history of this world of ours has ever had such an ancestry-God the Father on the one hand and Mary the Virgin on the other. . . . Jesus lived in a lowly home, the only man born to this earth half-Divine and half-mortal" (The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, 10).

From Catholic Answers, which is in line with many other Christian's view of the Real Christ and the mormon Christ.

NOW, the mormons have produced a video in which they claim "this seven-part documentary series stands to affirm His divinity by reconciling the historical Christ (read the mormon Christ) with the Christ of religious tradition" (read the Christ of Christian belief)

Behold the Lamb of God is the first documentary that covers all phases of the Savior's life's spanning His premortal existence to the "restoration of the gospel" all told from a mormon perspective."

THAT, is just one reason that mormons, in your words ARE SO SPECIAL. There are many other reasons. If you follow these threads, you will likely see them presented.

[Elsie]

Jesus lived in a lowly home, the only man born to this earth half-Divine and half-mortal" (The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, 10).

Except for the FACT that Jesus was FULLY mortal and is FULLY divine!

[greyfoxx39]

On Alchemy: An Appreciation of its Religious Ideals-Kerry Shirts

This is an astonishing conglomeration of religious and philosophical symbolism which taps into the root and runs into the branches of religious belief the world over. It is always delightful to study someone’s other faith on its own grounds giving it serious attention, respect, and the benefit of the doubt, instead of trying to show why it is inferior to our own. True, other’s faiths are inferior to our Mormonism… in some respects, but they are equally superior to our Mormonism in other respects. This, I cannot help but think, would have made Brigham Young smile. He said we want the truth no matter where it is nor who has it, implying that truth has been scattered all over the world for us to search for, find, and enjoy. Herein is my appreciation of Alchemy as a fantastic symbolic system of divine ennobling truths for us to benefit from. These are obviously not a replacement of our own sacred truths as we find in our churches or temples in the Endowment. There are truths of Gods children from other areas of the world, and from other cultures, equally as important to God, and hence equally as important and true for God’s children.

After all, we Mormons do, indeed, teach that God is the God of the whole world, not just Salt Lake City.   [snicker]

[Godzilla]

This is unFREEKING believeable GF - this guy is nutz.

[greyfoxx39]

This is unFREEKING believeable GF - this guy is nutz.

LOL...tell that to Blue Moose..he keeps posting links to Kerry's YouTube videos.

I may have to name BM "Player of the Week"!

[ejonesie22]

When Shirts is you best defense, you a pretty much toast.

[ejonesie22]

Taht is “When Shirts is your best defense, you are pretty much toast”

Bloody glasses.

[Elsie]

True, other’s faiths are inferior to our Mormonism… in some respects, but they are equally superior to our Mormonism in other respects.

But; I am NOT at liberty to divulge which ones are which.

You'll have to find out for yourselves using PD's Links...

--KSWannaBee(the truth IS out there...)

[RC51]

You act as if the Catholic divinity is the same as the Baptist Christ or the Jehovah’s Witness’ Christ.

Why do you single out the Mormons?

I go to one church, there is a different church across the street. I don’t go to that one because their beliefs don’t ring true to me; but I don’t begrudge them for it, we are both Christians and I’m OK with that.

Threads like this one, posted solely for the sake of persecuting a person’s religious beliefs, reflect poorly on FREE REPUBLIC. You can take the gloves off when Mormons begin committing suicide, blowing themselves up, crashing hijacked planes into buildings or preaching the overthrow of the US Government.

[RC51]

“.... why the traditional Christian Church does not consider LDS to be Christian”

What is this traditional Christian Church you speak of? Does it include Catholic & Protestant denominations? Which Protestant ones?

You must admit that the Mormons are not the only Christians who preach that Jesus & God are not the same entity. There are also many others that preach the soul exists eternally (both before & after life). Some Christians believe solely in grace, other solely in works & repentance and some a combination like I think Mormons might follow.

What is the point of coming on FREE REPUBLIC and persecuting a specific Christian denomination? I’m sure atheist lurkers from Daily KOS love threads like these.

[Religion Moderator]

This thread is posted in the Religion Forum.

If you do not wish to see RF posts, do NOT use the "everything" option on the browse. Instead, browse by "News/Activism." When you log back in, the browse will reset to "everything" - so be sure to set it back to "News/Activism."

[rickomatic]

What is this traditional Christian Church you speak of? Does it include Catholic & Protestant denominations? Which Protestant ones? You must admit that the Mormons are not the only Christians who preach that Jesus & God are not the same entity. There are also many others that preach the soul exists eternally (both before & after life). Some Christians believe solely in grace, other solely in works & repentance and some a combination like I think Mormons might follow. What is the point of coming on FREE REPUBLIC and persecuting a specific Christian denomination? I’m sure atheist lurkers from Daily KOS love threads like these.

The historic Catholic Church and the mainline Protestant denominations such as Baptists, Methodist, Presbetyrian, Lutheran, Assembly of God, etc. While all those denominations might have slight differences in doctrine, they all share the same beliefs about the nature of God, and being saved by grace through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross and his rising from the dead. Mormons simply do not believe this. That's not propaganda, that's plain fact that even the Mormons will admit. It wasn't until recent history that the Mormons even tried to align themselves with mainline Christianity. For some unseen reason, they were surprised by the push back.

I dismiss your premise that Mormons are even Christian. The simple fact that they put the name of Jesus in their title means nothing. It is their doctrines which define them. I can wear a Chevrolet emblem around my neck, write Malibu accross my forehead, and sleep in my garage, but none of those things makes me an automobile. What those of us here on FR say and do in these threads is not persecuting at all. If you were familiar with their doctrines you would know that. What we are doing is contending for the faith, something which we are commanded to do. I could care less what the Daily KOSites think about that. I answer to the Lord Jesus Christ, not them.

One question I have for you, RC, is how come you're so concerned about this? Are you LDS?

[Hegewisch Dupa]

well said

[RC51]

Nope - not LDS. However it’s my belief that Catholic doctrine is just as weird as Mormon doctrine, to me.... However I believe both are my Christian brothers and I wish peace and good-will upon them both.

Specifically, I find Baptizing babies as abhorrent as baptizing or “sealing” dead people.

My beef is with any self-proclaimed Christian quick to cast the first stone, at their fellow Christians none-the-less. Jesus set a better example than that - have you prayed about your hatred towards Mormons? And our Father told you to go forth upon thy Internets and persecute them?

[rickomatic]

Jesus set a better example than that - have you prayed about your hatred towards Mormons? And our Father told you to go forth upon thy Internets and persecute them?

If I hated Mormons, as you say, then I'd be perfectly happy in watching them all drive off the wrecked bridge of Mormonism into the river of hell. The doctrines of Mormonism leads to destruction. The Lord told us to preach the Gospel and contend for the faith. The Bible is filled with warnings about false prophets and teachings, and our charge is to know the truth and to point out error. To be luke warm about those things, and accept anyone and everyone's doctrines that lead to destruction is the very thing we are told NOT to do.

I have pointed out the 2 very important distinctions between Mormonism and true Christianity to you. If you can't see the severity of those differences and the eternal consequences of Mormonism's error, then I don't know what else to say. Better yet, why don't you tell me why those differences don't matter in your mind. Perhaps that would illustrate your position more clearly.