Have you ever prayed to know if the book of abraham is true. Feb, 2018 obviously, justifying why the bible predicts the book of mormon had to come. The mormon use of abraham as precedent for plural marriage. Plural marriage is everywhere at hand in mormon history. Polygamy from late greek, polygamia, state of marriage to many spouses is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. However, in this book he equals if not surpasses that by bringing together. After reading jeremys letter, the director promised him a response. Museum walls proclaim fraud of mormon prophet early analysis of joseph smiths claim to translate an. Yet afterward, when she herself had a son, she induced abraham to drive out into the wilderness this concubine and her son. Joseph smith died with up to 34 plural marriages and denied all but his first to emma smith.
The problems produced by the polygamy of the patriarchs. These scriptures, found in the book of mormon and the doctrine and. Contrary to the suppositions many have accepted, god forbade itand punished for it. Carmon hardy, available from the library of congress. Abraham, who lived about 2000 bc, is the first righteous polygamist identified in the old testament. The book of abraham is a book of lds scripture that joseph smith translated from a collection of ancient egyptian papyri the church purchased. The book of abraham is part of the pearl of great price, which mormons consider scripture. G iven abrahams prominence in judeochristian and muslim faiths, one would expect that the book of abraham would be of great interest. Text from kep matches book of abraham verses actual egyptian meaning 1. The papyri which joseph smith said he translated the book of abraham from have been exposed to be nothing more than funeral texts from ancient egypt at least eight egyptologists and semitists have studied the papyri and. Now abraham was humane and kind, and it is said the thing was very grievous in abraham s sight genesis 21.
Although hagar became pregnant with ishmael at sarahs behest, sarah grew jealous and mistreated her, causing her to flee gen 16. The book of abraham supports the concept of polygamy as abraham took another wife as directed by the lord. Perhaps whats even more significant is that god actually instructs abraham to lie about it. Explores the joseph smith papyrus and demonstrates that joseph smiths claim that he had translated the book of abraham from it was a fabrication.
Carmon hardy university of oklahoma press, aug 30, 2017 history 452 pages. It is the word of the lord, and i wish to say to you, and all the world, that if you desire with all your hearts to obtain the blessings which abraham obtained, you will be polygamists at lest in your faith, or you will come short of enjoying the salvation and the glory which abraham has obtained. Includes color photos of the surviving joseph smith papyri, articles by mormon and nonmormon egyptologists, and free download of a 240page book that surveys the history of the book of abraham controversy. Plural marriage in the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. The book of mormon identifies one reason for god to command it. Jacob strongly condemns it as an abomination before god jacob 2. Abraham, jacob israel, moses, gideon, david, solomon, elkanah, and many other chosen, beloved patriarchs and servants of god saints had many wives. Hales is the author of seven books dealing with mormon polygamy. This article will do this specifically with regard to abraham and hagar, the prime example given by joseph smith of an old testament figure whose polygamy joseph claimed to be restoring in his practice of taking plural wives 2. When a man is married to more than one wife at a time, sociologists call this polygyny. How might readers make sense of this connection between polygamy and material wealth. Hudson was that i think she makes two very important points.
The book of abraham is a work produced between 1835 and 1842 by joseph smith based. In october of 1880, the book of abraham was included in the pearl of great price which was officially canonized at the churchs semiannual general conference in salt lake city. Abraham and hagar abraham took hagar as his wife after sarah, his first wife, could not conceive children. Jacob 2 describes how the prophet jacob condemned materialism and sexual immorality, including unauthorized plural marriage. The book of hebrews states that the world was not worthy of these greats the polygamists. First, section 2 draws a connection between abrahams sacrifice, surely a painful and confusing episode for abraham, with polygamy. May 24, 2011 historically, members of the latterday saints lds or mormons practiced polygamy, although the acceptance of the practice changed as new revelation was given to the prophets of the church. Plural marriage, practiced by ancient patriarchs like abraham, isaac, jacob. Abrahams sexual relations with his wife sarahs maid, hagar, while a case of adultery rather than polygamy, also led to serious trouble. You may be surprised to learn that abraham was not a polygamist that david completely repented of it that gods legal statutes made polygamy illegal in ancient israel. Bibliographic record and links to related information available from the library of congress catalog. Yet according to the bible, it was abrahams wife sarah, not god, who offered her.
There are three questions that need to be answered. Abraham, for example, was allowed to marry his half sister but the law would forbid this as incest leviticus 18. The book of abraham narrative clearly demonstrates the manner in which the lds church works diligently to massage or reinterpret inconvenient facts to continue to defend its most extraordinary truth. The context of this passage makes clear that gideons polygamy came in the setting of his apostasy later in life, in which he not only became polygamous but also idolatrous vv.
Second, god wants us to be happy and heaven is not a. God tells abraham that he must lie to the egyptians and tell them that his wife is really his sister so they wouldnt take her from him abraham 2. Mary jane woodger, abraham lincoln and the mormons, in civil war saints, ed. Mary jane woodger is a professor of church history and doctrine at brigham young university. F or many mormons, an examination of the book of abraham and its true history becomes the most significant stumbling block to joseph smiths claim as a prophetic translator of ancient languages. A close reading of the narrative in genesis 16 in the context of the rest of the book, then. G od did not sanction polygamy in old testament times. Disproves lds claims that joseph smith received the book of abraham through revelation and proves that joseph smiths source for his translation was a pagan egyptian text, the book of breathings. Jacob specified that plural marriage may be practiced when god commanded it, but insisted that monogamy was otherwise the norm. In the early 1830s, smith extended this view of the role of men to include polygamy as it was practiced by old testament prophets like abraham. Some of them were gods favorite people including abraham, jacob, gideon, solomon, and david. This book, a record of the biblical prophet and patriarch abraham, recounts how abraham sought the blessings of the priesthood, rejected the idolatry of his father, covenanted with jehovah, married sarai, moved to canaan and egypt, and received knowledge about the creation. He published the boa in part to serve as his scriptural prooftext for those items.
Now abraham was humane and kind, and it is said the thing was very grievous in abrahams sight genesis 21. The proponents of those that say that polygamy was a sin say solomons life was a disaster and the kingdom of israel was torn and split because of his sins which included taking wives and concubines. Mar 28, 2016 jacob 2 describes how the prophet jacob condemned materialism and sexual immorality, including unauthorized plural marriage. For some reason, he also ordered a volume of victor hugo, in french, a language he could not read. Why do people criticize the mormons for practicing. Explaining polygamy and its history in the mormon church. 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. Obviously, justifying why the bible predicts the book of mormon had to come. Episodes of mormon miscellaneous, a talk show on mormon history, scripture, doctrine and many controversial topics, by lds host, van hale, now in its 38th year. Aug 30, 2017 doing the works of abraham provides the basic documents supporting and challenging mormon polygamy, supported by the concise commentary and documentation of editor b. This would be consistent with the book of mormon prohibition on polygamy except in the case where god commands it to raise up seed. However, in this book he equals if not surpasses that by bringing together in one volume, not only his own narrative on the. For if i will, saith the lord of hosts, raise up seed to me, i will command my people, otherwise they shall hearken unto these things jacob 2.
For example, the stories of abraham, jacob, david and solomon show the problems that come with having more than one wife. The papyri which joseph smith said he translated the book of abraham from have been exposed to be nothing more than funeral texts from ancient egypt. The churchs gospel topics essay on polygamy carefully suggests the. Its origin, practice, and demise kingdom in the west. The book of abraham is a work produced between 1835 and 1842 by joseph smith based, he said, on egyptian papyri purchased from a traveling mummy exhibition. But he was in the toils of polygamy, and it brought him pain and retribution. Jun 11, 2018 the criticisms usually have less to do with that they practiced it than because they lied about it.
Emma smith was publicly and privately opposed to the practice and joseph may have married some women without emma knowing beforehand. In april 1844, joseph smith referred to polygamy as john c. Actually, joseph smith had espoused his views on negroes, and had secretly begun teaching and practicing polygamy, long before he published his boa book of abraham in 1842. Abraham s great polygamy problem israel restoration. Polygamy shaped nineteenthcentury mormonisms relationship with the remainder of the world, and hardy has written numerous articles and books on the topic, including solemn covenant, named best book of the year for 1992 by the. Abraham, jacob, david, solomon, and others all had multiple wives. Joseph smiths polygamy toward a better understanding brian and laura hales duration. Polygamy and the law of sarah mormon women project.
He has presented at numerous meetings and symposia and published articles in the journal of mormon history, mormon historical studies, and dialogue, as well the persistence of polygamy series. Jeremy runnells was offered an opportunity to discuss his own doubts with a director of the church educational system ces and was assured that his doubts could be resolved. The historical authenticity of the book of abraham john gee. When the bible records episodes of polygamy, unhappiness was always the result. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines essentially wives of a lower status, according to 1 kings 11. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints embraces the book of abraham as scripture. Fourth, we learn that from hagar sprang many people and that one of the purposes of polygamy is, as jacob taught in the book or mormon is, to raise up seed unto god. Does the promise in the book of mormon to pray and ask god if it is true doesnt apply to the book of abraham. Why do people criticize the mormons for practicing polygamy. Ces letter is one latterday saints honest quest to get official answers from the lds church on its troubling origins, history, and practices. Hugh nibley, one of the lds churchs most prolific apologetic authors, ironically quipped, the air of mystery and romance that has always. For if i will, saith the lord of hosts, raise up seed to me, i will command my people, otherwise they. What the bible says about polygamy there are many polygamists in the bible. Similarly, the book of mormon lends little support for polygamy.
Lastly, this scripture tells us that hagars marriage to abraham was, fulfilling, among other things, the promises. Abraham, prophet, and patriarch to israel, islam and christian chapters 9 i have caused to come into thine hands a fragment of the writings of abraham in which he hath left a record of his sojourn among men and of the blessings of the lord unto him. Joining a significant topic with one of its preeminent scholars is a certain formula for an important book. What are we to do with these instances of polygamy in the old testament. A range of articles and resources to assist the investigation of joseph smiths controversial claim that he discovered and translated a lost record of the biblical patriarch abraham. The many wives of the holy men of god the polygamists. Sep 25, 20 join tom cantor, president and founder of scantibodies laboratory, inc. Nov 17, 2011 these included the book of mormon in its original 1831 edition, and three other early studies of the mormons, with extensive, lurid chapters covering their polygamy. The adamgod doctrine and the persistence of polygamy jstor. This book, a record of the biblical prophet and patriarch abraham, recounts how abraham sought the blessings of the priesthood, rejected the idolatry of his father, covenanted with jehovah, married sarai. Joseph smith took over 30 women as wives, and claimed abraham.
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