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FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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==Did Joseph Smith use a patriarchal blessing written by Oliver Cowdery to render Abraham 1:2?== | ==Did Joseph Smith use a patriarchal blessing written by Oliver Cowdery to render Abraham 1:2?== |
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Critics of the Book of Abraham claim that an 1834 patriarchal blessing compiled by Oliver Cowdery influenced the rendering of Abraham 1:2.[1]
Abraham 1:2 reads:
The relevant portion of the patriarchal blessing reads:
This article seeks to address this criticism.
This article will approach response in two ways:
At the outset, we’ll assume that there is an authorial relationship between the two since the language does appear to be similar. We’ll also assume that Joseph would only have had access to the blessing after Oliver Cowdery compiled it, thus being fresh on Oliver’s mind and ready to be plagiarized from.
Scholars are unsure as to the dating of the translation of Abraham 1:1-3.Whether before September 1835 (when Oliver compiled the blessing into the book) or after makes no difference to the authenticity of the Book of Abraham. This claim seems to make the only possible date for rendering Abraham 1:2 after the compilation of the patriarchal blessings--a debatable assumption. John Gee, Megan Hansen, and Kerry Muhelstein place the beginning of translation of the Book of Abraham at the end of July 1835. Robin Jensen and Brian Hauglid make it "circa July-November 1835."[2] Cowdery did not copy the patriarchal blessings to the book/quote the Book of Abraham until September 1835.[3] If we are to trust the July 1835 dating, then this shouldn't pose a big problem. This would mean that the language of the blessing is more likely to have been revealed before it could have been on Oliver’s mind. If we accept a dating past September 1835, then perhaps we may accept the language of the blessing and it’s association with the Book of Abraham as an appropriation of language to describe an ancient concept. This is something found throughout the scriptures. New Testament writers frequently took ancient prophecies and expanded on them for their own purposes, using similar language but adding additional insight.[4]
The concepts expressed in the verse contain authentic traditions about the early life of Abraham. Following are the relevant quotes from Abraham 1:2 followed by traditions about the early life of Abraham reproduced from the 2005 FARMS volume Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham including the page number that the tradition may be found on in that volume:
“I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right unto I should be ordained to administer the same...I became a rightful heir, a High Priest...”
Abraham inheriting priesthood from fathers:
Abraham holding the priesthood:
"…and to be a father of many nations…”
Believers are seed of Abraham:
“...greater follower of righteousness...”
Abraham seeks a God earnestly:
There seems to be little evidence to support this argument unless one assumes (arbitrarily) that a) Joseph could not have rendered 1:2 until after September 1835, b) that the elements found in the Book of Abraham could have only stemmed from Oliver Cowdery, c) that reappropriating language can't be a valid way of expressing something authentic, and/or d) the elements found in Abraham 1:2 can't be authentic. In light of the preceding evidence, these assumptions are significantly weakened.
Notes
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