by Stephen E. Thompson

The book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price consists of an account of Abraham's experiences with the Lord in four lands: Chaldea, Haran, Canaan, and Egypt. This observation is consistent with the work's opening phrase, "In the land of." Except for events chronicled in the first chapter, Sarai (Sarah) shared fully the vicissitudes and triumphs of her husband.

As the work opens, Abraham is living among an idolatrous people in Chaldea (Abr. 1:1, 5-7). But because of severe persecution (1:12, 15) after having preached against their wickedness, he decides to emigrate. Resulting official opposition almost costs Abraham his life, as a human sacrifice (1:12-15). When he prays for divine help, an angel rescues him, promising that he will be led to a new land and receive the priesthood (1:15-19).

When the famine prophesied by the angel comes to Chaldea (1:29-30), Abraham departs with Sarai, his nephew Lot, and his family, with his father, Terah, following the company (2:4). After they settle in Haran, the Lord commands Abraham to continue on to Canaan and reveals to him the founding elements of the Abrahamic Covenant (2:6-11). Because of famine, Abraham goes to Egypt, where the Lord commands him—a feature absent from Genesis 12:11-13—to introduce Sarai as his sister so that the Egyptians will not kill him (2:21-25).

In the third chapter, Abraham describes a vision that he received through a Urim and Thummim concerning the worlds created by God, the premortal spirits of people, and the Council in Heaven wherein the gods (cf. John 1:1-4, 14; Heb. 1:1-3) planned the creation of the earth and humankind. The fourth and fifth chapters recount the completion of these plans and the placing of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

By the book's account, Chaldea was under Egyptian hegemony during Abraham's lifetime. Local religion included Egyptian solar worship, the worship of Pharaoh, and human sacrifice. The discovery of the land of Egypt is attributed to Egyptus, daughter of Ham and Egyptus; her eldest son, whose name was Pharaoh, established its first government.

Doctrinal contributions of the book include a fuller explanation of Abraham's covenant and its relationship to the gospel (2:6-11), and a better understanding of premortal life (3:22-28). Concerning astronomy, it names the celestial body nearest God's abode, Kolob (3:2-4), and details the creation of the earth by a council of Gods in the fourth chapter. Abraham 1:26-27 has been interpreted by some as the scriptural basis for previously withholding the priesthood from blacks.

Concerning biblical connections, the idolatry of Terah (cf. Josh. 24:2) and the Lord's rescue of Abraham (cf. Isa. 29:22) are spelled out in the book of Abraham and in other ancient Abraham texts.

Many themes of the book appear in other ancient literatures, including Abraham's struggle against idolatry (Jubilees 12; Charlesworth, Vol. 2, pp. 79-80), the attempted sacrifice of Abraham (Pseudo-Philo 6; Charlesworth, Vol. 2, pp. 310-12), and Abraham's vision of God's dwelling place, events in the Garden of Eden, and premortal spirits (Apocalypse of Abraham 22-23; Charlesworth, Vol. 1, p. 700). God's instruction to Abraham to introduce Sarai as his sister is echoed in the Genesis Apocryphon (column 19) as having come through a dream. Abraham's teaching astronomy to Egyptians (Book of Abraham Facsimile 3) is described in Pseudo-Eupolemus 9.17.8 and 9.18.2 (Charlesworth, Vol. 2, pp. 881-82) and in Josephus (Antiquities 1.8.2).

(See Basic Beliefs home page; Doctrines of the Gospel home page; Scriptual Writings home page; Book of Abraham home page)

Bibliography

Charlesworth, James H., ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, 2 vols. Garden City, N.Y., 1983, 1985.

Millet, Robert L., and Kent P. Jackson, eds. Studies in Scripture, Vol. 2. Salt Lake City, 1985.

Peterson, H. Donl, and Charles D. Tate, eds. The Pearl of Great Price: Revelations from God. Provo, Utah, 1989.

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 1, Book of Abraham, Contents

Copyright © 1992 by Macmillan Publishing Company