
FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
FAIR Answers Wiki Table of Contents
Summary: Latter-day Saints consider the Book of Abraham to be sacred text.
Video published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Book of Abraham. An inspired translation of the writings of Abraham. Joseph Smith began the translation in 1835 after obtaining some Egyptian papyri. The translation was published serially in the Times and Seasons beginning March 1, 1842, at Nauvoo, Illinois.
—Introduction, Pearl of Great Price (2013 edition). off-site
Summary: Joseph Smith had in his possession three or four long scrolls, plus a hypocephalus (Facsimile 2). Of these original materials, only a handful of fragments were recovered at the Metropolitan Museum. The majority of the papyri remains lost, and has likely been destroyed. There are a number of criticisms related to the recovered fragments of the Joseph Smith papyri. These criticisms are addressed below. [1]
Video published by the Church History Department.
Summary: Among the early Book-of-Abraham-related-manuscripts that have survived from the days of Joseph Smith are a number of papers collectively referred to as the "Kirtland Egyptian Papers" (KEP). These pages were written while the Saints lived in Kirtland, Ohio, and were recorded in the general time frame that Joseph was translating the Book of Abraham. They are in the same handwriting of several of Joseph's scribes.
Summary: It is claimed that contemporary sources were used by Joseph Smith as sources for the Book of Abraham.
Summary: The Book of Abraham makes several references to astronomy which draw criticism. These articles address specific issues related to Book of Abraham astronomical concepts.
Summary: Critics claim that a number of anachronisms present themselves in the text. These articles address such claims.
Summary: The claim is sometimes made by critics that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has hidden critical information on The Book of Abraham. The following chronological database demonstrates conclusively that this is simply not the case. The various claims about the Book of Abraham have been widely acknowledged in official, semi-official, and outside sources from the late 19th through 21st centuries.
The Book of Abraham: Dealing with the Critics, Michael Rhodes, 2003 FAIR Conference |
ABCs of the Book of Abraham, Michael Ash, Kevin Barney, 2004 FAIR Conference |
Authentic Ancient Names & Words in the Book of Abraham & Related Kirtland Egyptian Papers, John Tvedtnes, 2005 FAIR Conference |
Book of Abraham 201: Papyri, Revelation, and Modern Egyptology, Mike Ash, 2006 FAIR Conference |
Notes
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