Abraham
Home > The Pearl of Great Price > Abraham
- Subpages: Chapters 1-2 • 3-5 • Abraham Facsimiles
This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.
Contents
Summary[edit]
This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →
Scope. The Book of Abraham covers much of the same ground as Genesis 1-2 and 11-12. This wiki page and its subpages are not intended, however, to address Genesis. They are intended only to address the book of Abraham. It is therefore suggested that readers consult the wiki pages that do address Genesis 1-2, Genesis 11-12 before viewing the pages that address Abraham. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that a reader should be able to find content about an original passage from Genesis on the wiki page addressing that passage. The wiki pages addressing Abraham should discuss added insights that come from the book of Abraham.
Relationship to Pearl of Great Price.
Story. Abraham consists of two major sections plus three facsimiles:
Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Abraham include:
Historical setting[edit]
This section should be brief and explain facts about the historical setting that will help a reader to understand the book. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →
The book of Abraham has two historical settings. It shares with Genesis an ancient setting discussed at Old Testament: Historical Overview, and it shares with the Doctrine & Covenants a modern setting discussed at Historical Overview of the Restoration Scriptures.
Discussion[edit]
This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →
Outline and page map[edit]
This section contains an outline for the entire book. Items in blue or purple text indicate hyperlinked pages that address specific portions of the book. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →
■ Abraham seeks the priesthood (Abraham 1-2 / Genesis 11:27-12:13)
- ● Abraham in Ur (Chapter 1)
- ● Abraham travels to Haran, Canaan, Egypt (Chapter 2)
- At this point the book of Abraham account of Abraham's travels ends, though the Genesis account continues.
■ Abraham receives revelation (Abraham 3-5)
- At this point the book of Abraham account of Adam and Eve ends, though the Genesis account continues.
Unanswered questions[edit]
This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →
Prompts for life application[edit]
This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →
Prompts for further study[edit]
This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →
Resources[edit]
This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →
Translations and Lexicons for Genesis.
- Interlinear text (English-Hebrew), (Hebrew-English)
Related passages that interpret or shed light on Abraham.
- Narratively, the book of Abraham covers much of the same ground as Genesis 1-2, Genesis 11-12. The relationship of Genesis 1-2, Genesis 11-12 to the rest of Genesis is discussed at Genesis.
- Doctrinally, the book of Abraham is related to the King Follett speech and some of the later sections of the Doctrine & Covenants.
References cited on this page.
Other resources.
Institute Manual
- Andrus, Hyrum L. Doctrinal Commentary on the Pearl of Great Price. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1972. (ISBN 0877470685).
- Clark, James R. The Story of the Pearl of Great Price. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1973. (ISBN ____).
- Doxey, Roy W. Walk with the Lord: Teachings of the Pearl of Great Price. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1973. (ISBN 0877475024).
- Draper, Richard D., S. Kent Brown, and Michael D. Rhodes. The Pearl of Great Price: A Verse by Verse Commentary. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 2005. (ISBN 9781590381878) (ISBN 1590381878) BX8629.P53D73 2005. - A recent and excellent verse by verse resource.
- Elieson, Marc S. Principles of the Pearl of Great Price: A Topical Commentary. Lubbock, Texas: Enterprise Books, 2001. (ISBN 0970516606).
- Fletcher, Allen J. A Study Guide to the Facsimiles of the Book of Abraham. Springville, Utah: Cedar Fort, Inc., 2006. (ISBN 9781555179312) (ISBN 1555179312).
- Gee, John. "Formulas and Faith." In Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture, 21/1 (2012): p. 60-65. Provo, Utah: BYU University: Neil A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. This article explores the relationship between the Joseph Smith papyri and the Book of Abraham.
- Gee, John. "Abraham and Idrimi." In Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture, 22/1 (2013): p. 34-39 Provo, Utah: BYU University: Neil A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Idrimi of Alalakh lived in Syria about a century after Abraham and left an autobiographical inscription that shares a number of parallel features and motifs with the Book of Abraham. Some of the parallels are a result of similar experiences in their lives and some are a result of coming from a similar culture and time.
- Johansen, Jerald R. A Commentary on the Pearl of Great Price: A Jewel Among the Scriptures, Bountiful, Utah: Horizon Publishers & Distributors, Inc., 1985. (ISBN 0882902695).
- Millet, Robert L. and Kent P. Jackson. Studies in Scripture, Vol. 2: The Pearl of Great Price. Salt Lake City, Utah: Randall Book Co., 1985. (ISBN 0934126747). - Long out of print and expensive on the used market, but has some good articles.
- Muhlestein, Kerry. "The Religious and Cultural Background of Joseph Smith Papyrus I." In Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture, 22/1 (2013): p. 20-33 Provo, Utah: BYU University: Neil A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship.
- Nibley, Hugh W. Teachings of the Pearl of Great Price. Provo, Utah: FARMS. - Transcripts of lectures to an Honors Pearl of Great Price class at BYU, winter semester 1986.
- Peterson, H. Donl. The Story of the Book of Abraham: Mummies, Manuscripts, and Mormonism. Springville, Utah: Cedar Fort, Inc., 2008. (ISBN 9781599551401) BX8629.P53P49 2008.
- Peterson, H. Donl. The Pearl of Great Price: A History and Commentary. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1987. (ISBN 0875790968) (ISBN 0875796656) BX8629.P53P48 1987.
Notes[edit]
Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.
