Does The Book Of Abraham Pass This Test?
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. (Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 4:1)
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things both in heaven and in earth; (Mosiah 4:9 LDS; 2:13 RLDS)
It should be obvious from this simple example that the teaching of the Book of Abraham is diametrically opposed to that of the Bible and the Book of Mormon. As we have previously established beyond a doubt, the testimony of the established scriptures is that there is only one God. In regard to the Book of Abraham this dichotomy of the teaching concerning God in relation to the Bible and the Book of Mormon is amplified when the history of the Book of Abraham is considered.
The Book of Abraham first appeared in print in 1842, in the March 1 and 15th Times and Seasons, Vol. III, pp. 703-706; 719-722. The most noteworthy aspect of this printing is the fact that Joseph Smith himself did not in any way claim that the Book of Abraham was divinely translated or intended to be included in the canon of scripture. In this vein, it is interesting to note the differences between the introduction to the Book of Abraham as found in Vol. III of the Times and Seasons and in the Pearl of Great Price:
Times and Seasons |
Pearl of Great Price |
| 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...(Times and Seasons, Vol. III, p. 703) | A Translation of some ancient Records, that have fallen into our hands from the catacombs of Egypt.---------The writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt...(Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 1) |
Do you see a significant difference?
It should be further noted that in this same Vol. III of the Times and Seasons Joseph also published the basic beliefs of the church, which were later to be named as the Articles of Faith, with the following as part of the first paragraph:
We believe in God, the Eternal Father...(Times and Seasons, Vol. III, p. 709)
Because this was all published when Joseph was the editor of the Times and Seasons, don’t you think that he would have given at least some endorsement to the teachings of many gods as found in the Book of Abraham? This question is further compounded when it is realized that the Pearl of Great Price did not appear until 1851, when Mormon Apostle F.D. Richards published it in England, seven years after Joseph Smith’s death. In addition, the Pearl of Great Price was not canonized by the Mormon until 1880, thirty-six years after Joseph’s death! When all of these indisputable facts of history are considered, it is plain to see that the Book of Abraham is not in harmony with the scriptures as published and accepted by the church during the life of Joseph Smith, nor did Joseph ever claim divine authority for the translation.