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Difference between revisions of "Detailed response to CES Letter, Book of Abraham"
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|claim=The author states, "Facsimile 2, Figure #5 states the sun gets its light from Kolob. We now know that the process of nuclear fusion is what makes the stars and suns shine. With the discovery of quantum mechanics, scientists learned that the sun’s source of energy is internal, and not external. The sun shines because of thermonuclear fusion; not because it gets its light from any other star as claimed by the Book of Abraham." | |claim=The author states, "Facsimile 2, Figure #5 states the sun gets its light from Kolob. We now know that the process of nuclear fusion is what makes the stars and suns shine. With the discovery of quantum mechanics, scientists learned that the sun’s source of energy is internal, and not external. The sun shines because of thermonuclear fusion; not because it gets its light from any other star as claimed by the Book of Abraham." | ||
|answer= | |answer= | ||
| − | * | + | *Here is the explanation offered for Figure #5 Facsimile 2: |
| − | *There are many scriptures or statements by the prophets that seem to have scientific implications. Unfortunately, they are never couched in modern scientific terms and their meanings are often very obscure | + | <blockquote> |
| − | + | Is called in Egyptian Enish-go-on-dosh; this is one of the governing planets also, and is said by the Egyptians to be the Sun, and to borrow its light from Kolob through the medium of Kae-e-vanrash, which is the grand Key, or, in other words, the governing power, which governs fifteen other fixed planets or stars, as also Floeese or the Moon, the Earth and the Sun in their annual revolutions. This planet receives its power through the medium of Kli-flos-is-es, or Hah-ko-kau-beam, the stars represented by numbers 22 and 23, receiving light from the revolutions of Kolob. | |
| − | + | </blockquote> | |
| − | + | *{{Incorrect}}The author claims that the Book of Abraham teaches that "the sun ''gets'' it light from Kolob." This is incorrect. The actual explanation offered by Joseph states that it "is said by the ''Egyptians'' to be the Sun, and to ''borrow'' its light from Kolob through the medium of Kae-e-vanrash." Joseph is claiming that the ''Egyptians'' believe this. It is nonsense to infer that Latter-day Saints believe or even ought to believe that Abraham taught that the photons leaving the surface of our sun originally came from Kolob. | |
| − | + | *There are many scriptures or statements by the prophets that seem to have scientific implications. Unfortunately, they are never couched in modern scientific terms and their meanings are often very obscure. The wording of Joseph Smith’s explanation of Figure 5 in Facsimile 2 of the Book of Abraham is, in fact, very difficult to interpret. Some of the challenges are: | |
| − | *And, finally, what are we to understand about the nature of Book of Abraham astronomy? Is it a revelation from God to Abraham explaining the structure of the universe as it would be seen by the astronomers of our day? Or should we remember that “The Lord said unto me: Abraham, I show these things unto thee before ye go into Egypt, that ye may declare all these words.” {{scripture||Abraham|3|15}}, so that, as John Gee has suggested ([http://www.fairmormon.org/perspectives/fair-conferences/2009-fair-conference/2009-the-larger-issue "The Larger Issue"]), this is simply the teaching that would be easiest for the Egyptians to understand — one that would teach them that Elohim, who dwells near Kolob, rules over than the sun-god, Amen-Re? | + | #To “borrow” means to receive with the intention of returning, especially said of a material object or substance. Does the Sun intend to repay the light it borrowed? |
| + | #What is meant by 'light' in this context? Is it the light of Christ? | ||
| + | #A “medium” can mean a material through which some signal propagates or a means or channel through which something is achieved. What does it mean here? Does it refer to a material or a means? | ||
| + | #What is Kae-e-vanrash? The Book of Abraham says that it is a “grand Key,” or “governing power.” What does that mean? Is Kae-e-vanrash a term for nuclear reactions, gravitation, cosmic rays? Or is it a more spiritual medium such as priesthood or faith, or an organizational structure, or a means used for administrative communications? | ||
| + | *{{Answer}}And, finally, what are we to understand about the nature of Book of Abraham astronomy? Is it a revelation from God to Abraham explaining the structure of the universe as it would be seen by the astronomers of our day? Or should we remember that “The Lord said unto me: Abraham, I show these things unto thee before ye go into Egypt, that ye may declare all these words.” {{scripture||Abraham|3|15}}, so that, as John Gee has suggested ([http://www.fairmormon.org/perspectives/fair-conferences/2009-fair-conference/2009-the-larger-issue "The Larger Issue"]), this is simply the teaching that would be easiest for the Egyptians to understand — one that would teach them that Elohim, who dwells near Kolob, rules over than the sun-god, Amen-Re? | ||
}} | }} | ||
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===="There’s a book published in 1830 by Thomas Dick entitled 'The Philosophy of the Future State'"==== | ===="There’s a book published in 1830 by Thomas Dick entitled 'The Philosophy of the Future State'"==== | ||
{{CESLetterItem | {{CESLetterItem | ||
Revision as of 16:05, 2 March 2014
FAIR Answers—back to home page
Response to "Book of Abraham Concerns & Questions"
| [[../First Vision Concerns & Questions|First Vision Concerns & Questions]] | A FAIR Analysis of:
[[../|Letter to a CES Director]] |
[[../Polygamy & Polyandry Concerns & Questions|Polygamy/Polyandry Concerns & Questions]] |
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
- Response to section: "scholars have found the original papyrus Joseph translated and have dated it in first century AD, nearly 2,000 years after Abraham could have written it"
- Response to section: "It has absolutely nothing to do with Abraham or anything Joseph claimed in his translation for the Book of Abraham"
- Response to section: Facsimile 1
- Response to section: "The following image is what Facsimile 1 is really supposed to look like"
- Response to section: Facsimile 2
- Response to section: Facsimile 3
- Response to section: "the sun gets its light from Kolob"
- Response to section: "There’s a book published in 1830 by Thomas Dick entitled 'The Philosophy of the Future State'"
- Response to section: "Elder Jeffrey R. Holland was directly asked about the papyri not matching the Book of Abraham in a March 2012 BBC interview"
Response Section
"scholars have found the original papyrus Joseph translated and have dated it in first century AD, nearly 2,000 years after Abraham could have written it"
"It has absolutely nothing to do with Abraham or anything Joseph claimed in his translation for the Book of Abraham"
Facsimile 1
"The following image is what Facsimile 1 is really supposed to look like"
The Charles Larson restoration of Facsimile 1
Facsimile 2
Facsimile 3
"the sun gets its light from Kolob"
"There’s a book published in 1830 by Thomas Dick entitled 'The Philosophy of the Future State'"
"Elder Jeffrey R. Holland was directly asked about the papyri not matching the Book of Abraham in a March 2012 BBC interview"
== Notes ==
- [note] Hugh Nibley, An Approach to the Book of Abraham, edited by John Gee, Vol. 18 in the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley (Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah: Deseret Book / FARMS, 2009), 546. ISBN 1606410547.
- [note] Michael Ash, “Book of Abraham 201: Papyri, Revelation, and Modern Egyptology”, presented at the 2006 FAIR Conference. FAIR link (Accessed 29 August, 2009).
- [note] Robert K. Ritner, “The Breathing Permit of Hor Among the Joseph Smith Papyri," Journal of Near Eastern Studies, (University of Chicago, 2003), p. 162, note 4. Dr. Ritner is one of Dr. John Gee's former professors at Yale. Ritner's article in the Journal of Near eastern Studies is highly critical of his former student's involvement with any LDS apologetic effort on the part of the Book of Abraham, specifically because he was not included in a peer review.
- [note] Larry E. Morris, "The Book of Abraham: Ask the Right Questions and Keep On Looking (Review of: “The ‘Breathing Permit of Hor’ Thirty-four Years Later.” Dialogue 33/4 (2000): 97–119)," FARMS Review 16/2 (2004): 355–380. off-site
- [note] Larry E. Morris, "The Book of Abraham: Ask the Right Questions and Keep On Looking (Review of: “The ‘Breathing Permit of Hor’ Thirty-four Years Later.” Dialogue 33/4 (2000): 97–119)," FARMS Review 16/2 (2004): 355–380. off-site