Talking to Mormons

What became of the papyrus scrolls – that the Book of Abraham was translated from.

Once Joseph Smith was killed in 1844, the papyri collection remained in the possession of his widow, Emma.  Remember she refused to follow the leadership of Brigham Young, and remained in Nauvoo with her children while the Saints moved west to the Utah Territory.

In October of 1880, the Book of Abraham was included in The Pearl of Great Price which was officially canonized at the Church’s semi-annual General Conference in Salt Lake City. 

The Introduction to the Book of Abraham reads, “The writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus.”

The original claim that the Book of Abraham had been translated from ancient egyptian papyri scrolls has been proven false when it was clearly shown that the scrolls where funeral text.

The Church allowed photographs of the papyrus to be published in the February 1968 edition of the Improvement Era magazine, along with an article explaining them.  Now that over a hundred years had passed since the book’s translation, there were many educated people both in and out of the LDS faith who understood the Egyptian language.

During this time, many articles ran in the Improvement Era from 1968 through 1970 regarding the translation.  However, the LDS experts completed work revealed – that not only did the papyri NOT contain the Book of Abraham – there was not even the slightest connection between their contents and Abraham. 

They were simply ordinary Egyptian funeral texts – prayers to pagan Egyptian gods – that had been buried with the mummies.

Unsatisfied with the outcome, LDS leaders extended the opportunity to several other non-LDS Egyptologists to examine and comment on the papyri.  Each one of them arrived at the same conclusion: the papyri were common funeral texts, all clearly dating 1500 years later than Abraham’s time – having no connection whatever with the biblical patriarch Abraham. 

What Joseph Smith claimed to be the Book of Abraham, was actually the Book of Breathings.  And, what was supposed to be the Book of Joseph of Egypt, was the Book of the Dead.  

Paul warns us that when we die, we will be judged not

Why does the lesson manual avoid certain teachings of the Savior?
Christ is teaching that in the resurrection, men and women will not be in a married state. In Luke 20:34-36, Jesus taught that the redeemed “…neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die anymore: for they are equal unto the angels: and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.” Nowhere in the Old Testament or the New Testament does it speak of eternal marriage or sealing for time and eternity.

When confronted by the religious leaders who were questioning His right and authority, Jesus tells them The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen.  It’s a shame that the lesson manual omits this parable – but I can see why!  It describes servants as prophets – who were sent throughout history to the nation of Israel.  One after another they were killed, until no more prophets were sent.  Then, finally “his son” was sent and they killed Him too.  Scripture is clear that men are no more needed as prophets because Christ is our Eternal Prophet – the Only One we need.  I think this parable is a powerful picture for the story and mission of Christ.  It begins in Mathew 21:33-44  I will fill in meaning as I read, “Hear another parable: There was a certain householder (God), which planted a vineyard (the earth and it’s people), and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower (so people could watch for enemies), and let it out to husbandmen (stewards who were suppose to take care of it), and went into a far country (heaven).  And when the time of the fruit (harvest time) drew near, he sent his servant

What became of the papyrus scrolls – that the Book of Abraham was translated from.

Once Joseph Smith was killed in 1844, the papyri collection remained in the possession of his widow, Emma.  Remember she refused to follow the leadership of Brigham Young, and remained in Nauvoo with her children while the Saints moved west to the Utah Territory.

In October of 1880, the Book of Abraham was included in The Pearl of Great Price which was officially canonized at the Church’s semi-annual General Conference in Salt Lake City. 

The Introduction to the Book of Abraham reads, “The writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus.”

What was the original meaning of marriage? And what was Jesus’ teaching on the, subject of divorce?

In Matthew 19 we read that Jesus is heading from Galilee and traveling towards Jerusalem. As He went, He continued performing miracles and healing people.  But the dreaded Pharisees were relentless in their efforts to trap Him so they could have him arrested.  Verse 3 “The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away (divorce) his wife for every cause?”  There were two major Jewish groups divided on the, subject of divorce and the Pharisees chose a topic that would serve to divide them even further.  Instead of picking sides, Jesus called their attention to the original meaning of marriage and pulled from an authority both groups acknowledged – the prophet, Moses.
Jesus responds in Verses 4 through 6 “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh.  What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”  Jesus refers back to Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:2-22.  We have no record of God performing any sort of marriage in the Garden.  There was no need because from the beginning Adam and Eve were one.  Jesus’s point to the Pharisees is that – when a couple come together, they come together in the model of Adam and Eve through marriage and – they become one in the same manner Adam and Eve were one.  When a man and woman come together in marriage, which is the sexual union of two bodies becoming one – they are like Adam and Eve – and nothing can break the union. 

Have you ever prayed to know if the Book of Abraham is true?

Does the promise in the Book of Mormon – to pray and ask God if it is true – doesn’t apply to the Book of Abraham?

How can you trust that the Book of Abraham is the word of God?

Latter Day Saints believe they have to have faith that Joseph Smith is a prophet and that he had the gift to translate.

From ancient Egyptian into 16th-century Kings James English, no less. 

Are you aware that – what Joseph Smith claimed to be a correct translation of the Book of Abraham – has since been proven to be a fraud?

Let me begin, by sharing with you some of your own church history.

In 1835 a traveling showman – Michael Chandler – brought an exhibit of Egyptian artifacts to the Mormon town of Kirtland, Ohio.  Those artifacts consisted of four ancient Egyptian mummies and two papyrus scrolls.  Because the Latter-day Saints believed their prophet Joseph Smith had the gift to translate the Book of Mormon gold plates that were inscribed in “reformed Egyptian”, those same Mormons believed Joseph might want to see if the papyri were of any religious value. 

Joseph examined the hieroglyphics on the scrolls and declared them to be the writings of Abraham and the writings of Joseph, who was sold into Egypt. 

Despite the severe financial, problems the church was suffering at that time, the Mormons purchased the scrolls for $2,400 – a large sum of money in those days. 

Joseph immediately began the translation of the first scroll.  He stated, “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.” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, vol. 2:235-236)

Consequently, he never began the tra

As Luke chapter 12 begins, we see a warning to avoid hypocrisy. Jesus likens hypocrisy to leaven because, although it may seem insignificant initially, it becomes puffed-up eventually. Perhaps you have noticed that the Savoir came down hard on hypocrites but, was gentile to those caught-up in other types of sin.
Jesus starts in verse 1, telling His disciples “Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” “leaven” was yeast which is put in bread dough to make it rise. As the leaven works its way through the entire lump of dough, it affects everything. Jesus compares leaven to the evil doctrines of the Pharisees – the Jewish religious leaders – who are influencing everything in Jewish society. Jesus warns the disciples in verse 2 “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.” In other words, God knows all things and in the final day of judgment the true attitude of these hypocrites will be exposed.

Jesus then makes a beautiful promise to his disciples in Verse 8 “Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:”  However, He warns in Verse 9 “But he that denieth (or rejects) me before men shall be denied (or rejected) before the angels of God.”  Each person’s standing before God is based on his or her relationship with Jesus Christ.  Then Jesus says, in verse 10 “And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man (Jesus), it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost (denies the Holy Ghost) it shall not be forgiven.”  This ve

If Jesus alone was from above – where did, we come from?  The answer may surprise you.

Welcome to the – Come Follow Me – podcast.

While Jesus was in the garden it says in Luke 22:43, God sent “an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.”  What do you make of that?

In the garden, Jesus was preparing to face the most extreme and ultimate suffering imaginable – being separated from His Father on high.  Satan was not about to leave our Lord alone when He was about to embark on the only act that would overcome the devil and its powers, once and for all. 

THIS was the trial of the garden – Jesus overcoming the very natural temptation to let this cup pass.  It says in Matthew 26:39, 42-44 that Jesus prayed to have the human strength to endure the brutal beatings and torture of the cross. 

So, the moment Jesus relinquished Himself into the hands of sinful men, the atonement began?

Precisely!  The binding, the slapping, the spitting, the mockery, and the scourging – all fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 53:5 “he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities…with His stripes we are healed.”  Therefore, the beatings, the torture, the fatigue, and humiliation all culminated in His crucifixion and death on the cross, which were all part of His atonement for our sins.  Hebrews 12:2 tells us that for our sins Jesus “endured the cross, despising the shame.”

before Jesus was put upon that cross, only the most vile and abhorrent men hated by society hung there.  Anyone who was crucified was, seen as the lowest of low.

What you just described is a perfect picture of the state of our lives in sin.

It should disturb us when religious leaders, who call themselves prophets and apostles, distract our attention from Christ’s suffering atonement on the cross – causing people to focus on things that are not right or true. 

LDS Church leaders got their inspiration on this doctrine from two p

Matthew chapter 18, Jesus has been teaching the twelve about His Kingdom.  Jesus has gone to great lengths to show that His Kingdom is not of this world and those who will be “greatest” in it will be servants who frankly will suffer.  He came to save us from sin and death and hell.  Then He leads us through continued living in this world.  Scripture promises two sure things for those who are His – otherworldly peace and suffering of some sort.  How this plays out is dependent on the Lord and the persons involved.  Kind of a frightening concept, isn’t it?  But the biblical formula is ever present – believers will have peace, John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  And, then believers will suffer 2 Timothy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”