How we got the Book of Abraham
FEATURES
- Who Is a Mormon? by Christopher D. Cunningham
- You Mormons Are Ignoramuses: Appreciating the Restoration Doctrine That Adam and Eve “Fell Up” by H. Craig Petersen
- Shamar: What It Means to “Keep” the Commandments in Hebrew by Steve Densley, Jr.
- An Experiment in Prayer: Ocean to Ice by Mike Loveridge
- What Joseph Smith Saw in Exodus That We’ve Been Missing by Alvin H. Andrew
- When Symbols Become Idols: Remembering What Points Us to Christ by Spencer Anderson
- (Re)Discovering Lorenzo Ghiberti’s “Gates of Paradise” at the BYU Museum of Art by John Dye
- Currents: Marie Osmond on Alan Osmond’s Death; Most of the Cast of “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County” Are Not Members; Radical Left Podcaster Justifies Murder and Looting; and More by Meridian Magazine
- “All Things Point Us to the Savior’s Atonement”–Come Follow Me Podcast #19: Exodus 35-40; Leviticus 1; 4; 16; 19 by Scot and Maurine Proctor
- Your Hardest Family Question: Our kids don’t connect with my wife by Geoff Steurer, MS, LMFT
















Comments | Return to Story
David SmithJanuary 8, 2026
Your article missed the $64,000 question. Does modern analysis of the remains of the Joseph Smith scrolls match up with what is published in the Book of Abraham in any respect?
L. ReyesJanuary 8, 2026
Enjoyed the article and will read your book
Terry AndersonSeptember 1, 2014
I've seen examples of lion couch scenes which critics claim are representing embalming or resurrection scenes and in which the legs are raised, but Facsimile one differs from them in two ways. Firstly, there is no resting arm. in our facsimile, while all the others show one arm at the side of the deceased in the foreground and one arm raised. Secondly, our facsimile shows the priest between the lion couch and the raised legs of the reclining person, as opposed to the priest being behind the lion couch. So our facsimile is not as typical as some may suggest.
VardellAugust 4, 2014
Kerry, Yes, thank you and thanks to Meridian for publishing this. Many LDS have questions about doctrine and history so it is good to see these things addressed by the Church and by scholars such as yourself. And I'm glad you will be objective in your article. No one wants a white washed story.
ShareeJuly 30, 2014
I look forward to the rest of your articles. I think the Book of Abraham is a profound book of scripture. I also look forward to hearing your presentation next week at the FAIR Conference.
Tom JohnsonJuly 30, 2014
Kerry, I am very happy you are undertaking to explain this subject and that Meridian is publishing it.
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