What is the Book of Abraham controversy?
The Book of Abraham controversy
The controversy concerns how the Book of Abraham came to Joseph Smith, especially the Egyptian papyri associated with its publication in 1842. Critics argue that the surviving papyri do not translate into the Book of Abraham and that some surviving fragments date from later than Abraham’s lifetime. The Church acknowledges that the surviving fragments are connected with the illustrations known as Facsimiles 1 and 3, while also explaining that the original collection may have been larger and that the relationship between the surviving fragments and the revealed text is not fully settled.
The central issue is therefore not whether the Book of Abraham contains meaningful doctrine—it teaches profound truths about God, premortal life, the Creation, agency, and the purpose of mortality—but how Joseph received and produced the text. The book presents Abraham’s account in ways that expand the biblical record, including teachings about the covenant, the stars, and the Creation (Abraham 1:2; Abraham 3:22-28; Abraham 4:1-2). Latter-day Saints accept it as inspired scripture revealed through Joseph Smith, while recognizing that some historical and documentary questions remain unresolved.
A careful study should examine both the papyri evidence and the text itself, distinguish established facts from inference, and seek spiritual confirmation through prayer and the Holy Ghost (James 1:5; Moroni 10:3-5).
And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.
1. And then the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth. 2. And the earth, after it was formed, was empty and desolate, because they had not formed anything but the earth; and darkness reigned upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of the Gods was brooding upon the face of the waters.
22. Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; 23. And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born. 24. And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; 25. And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them; 26. And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever. 27. And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first. 28. And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed after him.
3. Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. 4. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 5. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
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