I think -- yeah, I know, who cares what I think? -- you will find the funerary texts to be just that: funerary texts. Abraham referred to them (or something like them) when he wrote his own writings.
The Egyptian texts we have today were like "postcards" to Abraham. He took them (or something like them) with him back home to Palestine, after his travels in Egypt. Those texts were meaningful to Egyptians (being written in "Egyptian"), but Abraham gave them "new" meaning: what he understood them to say and portray about the cosmos.
Writings back then were precious, even in foreign languages! Abraham used these (or similar) texts to teach truths to his children and to Pharaoh, who likely made a gift to Abraham of funerary texts like these. Abraham mentions this interaction with Pharaoh in his own writings.
Joseph Smith was positively stymied initially trying to "translate" the Book of Abraham (BoA) from the Egyptian papyri by "traditional" means. (He tried for weeks but couldn't do it!) Only after he abandoned that effort directly -- and relied upon "channeling" the Book of Abraham (as he had with the Book of Mormon, JST, Book of Moses, etc.) -- was Joseph able to "translate" the work. Only afterward did Joseph and his associates undertake to compose the Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar (EAG) -- a book intended to "reverse-engineer" the BoA and thus unlock to everyone the "secret" of Egyptian hieroglyphs. (They were unfamiliar with the Rosetta Stone at that time.)
But since the BoA wasn't derived from the funerary texts themselves, this effort proved unproductive as well.
Abraham's writings were something very different from what Joseph Smith and his companions held in their hands and perused. Abraham had written different documents.
Joseph Smith was positively stymied initially trying to "translate" the Book of Abraham (BoA) from the Egyptian papyri by "traditional" means. (He tried for weeks but couldn't do it!) Only after he abandoned that effort directly -- and relied upon "channeling" the Book of Abraham (as he had with the Book of Mormon, JST, Book of Moses, etc.) -- was Joseph able to "translate" the work. Only afterward did Joseph and his associates undertake to compose the Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar (EAG) -- a book intended to "reverse-engineer" the BoA and thus unlock to everyone the "secret" of Egyptian hieroglyphs. (They were unfamiliar with the Rosetta Stone at that time.)
But since the BoA wasn't derived from the funerary texts themselves, this effort proved unproductive as well.
Abraham's writings were something very different from what Joseph Smith and his companions held in their hands and perused. Abraham had written different documents.
In the same way, Denver Snuffer has recently "translated" the Testimony of St. John the Beloved. Does anyone imagine Denver has in his possession actual ancient texts? Denver has "channeled" this knowledge by faith, through the medium of the Holy Ghost, which testifies of all truth, as Joseph Smith did.
Even Joseph Smith thought he should be able to use the BoA (and the EAG derived from it) to read other Egyptian (even non-Egyptian!) texts. Joseph used the EAG to "successfully" interpret just one symbol from the (fake) Kinderhook plates! Joseph "translated" the only symbol he found on the plates that resembled something included in the EAG. In other words, Joseph Smith was as "duped" by the EAG -- and the "translation" process -- as anyone else!
Even Joseph Smith thought he should be able to use the BoA (and the EAG derived from it) to read other Egyptian (even non-Egyptian!) texts. Joseph used the EAG to "successfully" interpret just one symbol from the (fake) Kinderhook plates! Joseph "translated" the only symbol he found on the plates that resembled something included in the EAG. In other words, Joseph Smith was as "duped" by the EAG -- and the "translation" process -- as anyone else!
And that's astonishing! Because if Joseph KNEW he was an imposter, he wouldn't have been "taken in" by his own deception!
By all appearances, Joseph honestly thought the EAG was an accurate, reliable "translation" of real Egyptian hieroglyphics!
Funny...that God could give Joseph Smith the power to "re-create" actual writings of Abraham -- without documentation of any kind! -- but NOT the knowledge to know that what he did have in his possession wasn't what he thought it was!
By all appearances, Joseph honestly thought the EAG was an accurate, reliable "translation" of real Egyptian hieroglyphics!
Funny...that God could give Joseph Smith the power to "re-create" actual writings of Abraham -- without documentation of any kind! -- but NOT the knowledge to know that what he did have in his possession wasn't what he thought it was!
Joseph was a fool for Christ's sake! And yet he had the humility to become a fool. That's why Joseph never explained to anyone how he "translated" anything "by the gift and power of God" (even though others certainly saw him "looking" into his hat, etc.). Joseph didn't "understand" it himself! In short, he trusted in the Lord with all his heart and leaned not unto his own understanding; in all his ways he acknowledged God and God directed Joseph's paths.
The things of God are not to be understood by the "natural" man. (They are "foolishness" to him.) God works with power and by faith. (Is that faith "provable" to those who don't believe? Generally not. God mercifully withholds manifestations of "fact" from those who would reject them, for their own good.)
But there are those who know the "facts" -- who have seen and known for themselves, who have built the barges and the boats and have felt the wounds and wielded the swords -- those of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of righteousness.
Do not be dismayed that the Egyptian documents we see do not correspond to the BoA. They never did! They weren't supposed to! They "inspired" Joseph Smith -- just as Dumbo's feather "inspired" Dumbo -- to "see" things AS THEY REALLY WERE long ago. Just as Denver Snuffer has seen them.
Joseph was a seer. So is Denver.
Believe it or not.
But the "proof" is in the "pudding". (You'll just have to "taste" it for yourself.)
The things of God are not to be understood by the "natural" man. (They are "foolishness" to him.) God works with power and by faith. (Is that faith "provable" to those who don't believe? Generally not. God mercifully withholds manifestations of "fact" from those who would reject them, for their own good.)
But there are those who know the "facts" -- who have seen and known for themselves, who have built the barges and the boats and have felt the wounds and wielded the swords -- those of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of righteousness.
Do not be dismayed that the Egyptian documents we see do not correspond to the BoA. They never did! They weren't supposed to! They "inspired" Joseph Smith -- just as Dumbo's feather "inspired" Dumbo -- to "see" things AS THEY REALLY WERE long ago. Just as Denver Snuffer has seen them.
Joseph was a seer. So is Denver.
Believe it or not.
But the "proof" is in the "pudding". (You'll just have to "taste" it for yourself.)
Hadn't thought of it this way, William. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThank you SO much for writing this. I has really helped in my search for understanding. I pray for forgiveness for my "unbelief".
ReplyDeleteIt's "hard" for us to believe in things we don't "understand". But sometimes that's what we're called upon to do.
ReplyDeleteHowever the process of translation works, I'm still not persuaded that anyone has seen the actual papyri that Joseph translated. What managed to get preserved just doesn't match Joseph's or his contemporaries' descriptions of the very long scroll he translated. See DHC Vol 2., p. 348: "The record of Abraham and Joseph, found with the mummies is [1] beautifully written on papyrus, with black and [2] a small part red, ink or paint, [3] in perfect preservation." There are others that describe it. The descriptions just plain don't match the color facsimiles of the "The Hor Book of Breathings". An old ward-mate friend of mine, now at BYU, has put together a good couple of videos reviewing it from a scholarly angle. (http://bit.ly/2lBEVLV) That said, I believe the strongest secular evidence for the Book of Abraham is in its physics. I still need to write a couple of blog posts on the topic. I can't find anyone else who has yet.
ReplyDeleteI think Denver seconded your observation on the description of what Joseph had then and what we have today.
DeleteI was always fascinated how the Facsimiles describe our sun getting power from Kolob. I look forward to your description, Vaughn.