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The Book of Moses and Philosophy of a Future State
Book of Moses | Philosophy of a Future State
The Book of Moses and Thomas Dick's Philosophy of a Future State
Summary: Thomas Dick was a minister, writer, astronomer, and philosopher born in Scotland. Dick published books in the early 1800s where he tried to make the claims of science and Christianity compatible. Critics believe that Joseph Smith took from Thomas Dick's book called "Philosophy of a Future State" to get ideas that appear in the Book of Abraham. We have responded to that claim in depth on another page. That page lays out the circumstantial evidence that Joseph Smith was aware of the book's existence during his lifetime.
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Dick's book came out in 1827, which was before 1830 when Joseph began his revision of the book of Genesis. Since Dick's book also talks about Moses, we have decided to compare what Dick said about the life of Moses with what's in the Book of Moses.
Philosophy of a Future State and the Book of Moses on the Prophet Moses
Just like with Abraham, Thomas Dick's book doesn't talk about the life of the prophet Moses in the same way the Book of Moses does.
Here's what Dick's book mentions about Moses:
- Moses believed in life after death and the future world[1]
- Moses died and was "gathered to his people"[2]
- "Holy intelligences" (angels or spirits) sing praises to God using the song of Moses[3]
- Moses might have been a messenger to John about the "New Jerusalem" mentioned in the book of Revelation[4]
- Moses and others could have possibly created "something approaching to a paradise on earth"[5]
None of these mentions are like what's in the Book of Moses.
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