Some people have questioned whether the Book of Abraham was actually translated from ancient Egyptian papyri the Saints had purchased. The answer can be found in one of the new entries in the Topics and Questions section of the Gospel Library, Origins of the Book of Abraham.

What we do know is that the book of Abraham is a book of inspired scripture given by revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith. It follows the biblical account of the ancient patriarch in some respects and adds important information about his life and teachings. It contains profound truths about the nature of God, His relationship to us as His children, and the purpose of this life.

This book of scripture was revealed to Joseph Smith beginning in 1835 at a time when he was studying some ancient Egyptian papyri the Saints had purchased. Many people saw the papyri, but no eyewitness account of the translation process exists. Only small fragments of the long papyrus scrolls once in Joseph’s possession exist today. The relationship between the Egyptian writings on those papyri and the scriptural text we have today is not known.

Joseph Smith may have translated the book of Abraham from portions of the papyrus that are now missing, or his study of the papyrus may have served as a catalyst leading to a revelation about Abraham. In either case, Joseph did not translate the book by conventional means. Speaking of the translation of the Book of Mormon, the Lord said, “You cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me.” The same principle applies to the book of Abraham.

The truth and value of the book of Abraham cannot be settled by scholarly debate. Its status as scripture lies in the eternal truths it teaches and the powerful spirit it conveys. Each of us can study its teachings and pray for confirmation from the Holy Ghost that its message is from God.

The section “Exploring Your Questions” answers the following questions:

• How did Joseph Smith translate the book of Abraham?
• What is the relationship between the book of Abraham and the Egyptian language documents?
• Does the book of Abraham use language from the King James Version of the Bible?
• What do we know about Joseph Smith’s explanations of the book of Abraham facsimiles?
• Has the Church been transparent about what we know about the papyri and their contents?
• How many of the papyrus fragments are missing today?
• Why does the book of Abraham claim to be written by Abraham’s own hand?
• Is the book of Abraham consistent with what we know about the ancient Near East?
• How can I gain a testimony of the book of Abraham and other scriptures revealed to Joseph Smith?

Read the entry Origins of the Book of Abraham.

The Topics and Questions section of the Gospel Library has an alphabetical list of hundreds of topics of potential interest. It also has two helpful the sections: Seeking Answers to Questions and Helping Others With Questions.