Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 3 - January 3, 2022

 

1/3/2022 – Abraham 3

I discovered some interesting facts about the four mummies and the papyri that Joseph Smith had purchased. As he translated, Joseph would publish a few excerpts at a time in the Times and Seasons. His plan was to publish more of the book later, but he was martyred before he was able to do so. Oliver Cowdery was speaking of the writings that were on the mummies and the papyri, when he said that “volumes would be necessary to contain it (Messenger and Advocate, Dec 1835, 236). 

We know that after Joseph’s death, four mummies and the papyri became the property of Joseph’s mother, Lucy Mack Smith. After Lucy’s death in 1856, Emma Smith sold the collection to Mr. A. Combs. Several theories have been offered regarding what then happened to the mummies and the papyri. It appears that at least two of the mummies were burned in the great Chicago fire of 1871. In 1966 Dr Aziz S Atiya, a University of Utah professor, discovered several fragments of the book of Abraham papyri while doing research at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. These fragments were presented to the Church by the director of the museum. The fragments have now been analyzed and dated between 100 BC and AD 100. Abraham lived around 2000 BC. I find it very interesting that Joseph never claimed that the papyri were written by Abraham himself, nor that they dated from the time of Abraham. 

But now, on to the book of Abraham, chapter 3: I love the synopsis of this chapter! “The Lord reveals to him the eternal nature of spirits; He [Abraham] learns of pre-earth life, foreordination, the creation, the choosing of a Redeemer, and the second estate of man.”

V 1 tells us that Abraham had in his possession, the Urim and Thummin “which the Lord, my God had given unto me. “My study guide says that the words Urim and Thummim come from Hebrew words meaning “lights” and “perfections”, and is an instrument given by the Lord to assist man in obtaining revelation and in translating languages. Evidently the earliest use of the Urim and Thummim mentioned in the scriptures is associated with the brother of Jared [Ether 3:21-28]. We also learn there were more than one Urim and Thummim. The prophets of the Book of Mormon used one with a set of stones (Omni 1:2021, Mosiah 8:13-19; 21:26-28; 28:11-20) and the prophets of the Old Testament were using another (Exodus 28:30, Numbers 27:21, Deuteronomy 33:8; 1 Samuel 28:6; Ezra 2:63). 

The Lord spends the beginning of this chapter to tell Abraham about the Lord’s creations—the earth and so many other worlds---and about the Lord’s place of abode. In Moses 1:35-37, the Lord confirms that “There are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them…. The Heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine.” 

In v 18 the Lord teaches Abraham about our spirits who “have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after for they are…eternal”

The Lord explains that He knows each one of His spirits, and he knows what and how they are doing. He tells Abraham that He “sent his angel to deliver thee from the hands of the priest of Elkenah” (who was just about to kill Abraham as a sacrifice) (v20) And he reconfirms, “for I rule in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligences thine eyes have seen from the beginning.” (v 21)

Joseph Smith spoke of our premortal existence: “God himself finding he was in the midst of the spirits and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself. The relationship we have with God places us in a situation to advance in knowledge. He has power to institute laws to instruct the weaker intelligences, that they may be exalted with Himself, so that they might have one glory upon another, and all that knowledge, power, glory, and intelligence, which is requisite in order to save them in the world of spirits”. 

In v 24, the Lord tells Abraham about Christ who was “like unto God” and who took “of these materials” to “make an earth whereon these may dwell”. And v’s 27 and 28 explain why Christ had this assignment and not Lucifer.

President Ezra Taft Benson speaking of Abraham 3:25, said “The great test of life is obedience to God….We are not here to test or ‘prove’ God, but to be tested and proved ourselves. We are on trial, not God. “

Neal A Maxwell: “Premortality is not a relaxing doctrine For each of us, there are choices to be made, incessant and difficult chores to be done, ironies and adversities to be experienced, time to be well spent, talents and gifts to be well employed. Just because we were chosen ‘there and then’ surely does not mean we can be indifferent ‘hear and now’…