Robbie Taggart presents a poignant poem exploring faith, loss, and healing, inspired by the biblical story set in Nain, inviting listeners into a deeply reflective and spiritual experience.

Read the full poem online.

Nicholas J. Frederick investigates the theological intersections between scriptural symbolism, Earth's age, and ongoing divine revelation, addressing some of the profound mysteries and debates within Church doctrine.

Read the full article online.

1. Love as a Law: Love is described as the substance of God’s law, not a reward to be earned. It is a commandment to love God and others unconditionally.

2. Parable of the Prodigal Son: Both sons in the parable misunderstand love as a reward. The younger son feels unworthy, while the elder son feels entitled. The father represents God’s unconditional love.

3. Perfectionism vs. Perfect Love: Perfectionism is seen as a backward approach to love, focusing on being lovable rather than loving perfectly. God’s perfect love is unconditional and not based on merit.

4. Righteous Judgment: True judgment is about how to love others, not about who deserves love. Love should be given freely, even to enemies.

5. Practical Application: The article encourages readers to stop treating love as a reward and start obeying it as a law, participating in the work of loving others without conditions.

For additional information see:https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/love-is-a-law-not-a-reward

Facsimile 3 of the Book of Abraham has been identified in the past as a scene of the judgment of the dead. This interpretation has been prevalent among Egyptologists. However, when compared to other judgment scenes or throne scenes, Facsimile 3 contains several anomalous elements that challenge this categorization.

Joseph Smith identifies figure 7 in Facsimile 2 as "God sitting upon his throne." The figure appears in other ancient Egyptian hypocephali (round amulets like Facsimile 2), and some Egyptologists interpret the figure as Min, one of the oldest Egyptian gods, associated with protection and fertility.

From⁠ BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

Joseph Smith's succinct interpretation of figure 6 in Facsimile 2 "converges nicely" with current Egyptological knowledge.

From⁠ BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

Figure 5 in Facsimile 2 of the Book of Abraham, a figure of an upside-­down cow, is identified by Joseph Smith with an elaborate explanation. From the viewpoint of current Egyptological knowledge, is Joseph Smith's explanation plausible?

From⁠ BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

One of the more puzzling comments in the Book of Abraham comes from the explanation given in figure 1 of Facsimile 2, which speaks of “the measurement according to celestial time [of Kolob], which celestial time signifies one day to a cubit.” Latter-­day Saint commentators on this passage have largely been at a loss to explain what this might mean. However, scientist Hollis R. Johnson proposes a straightforward scientific explanation that finds precedent in the ancient world.

From⁠ BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

Facsimile 2 of the Book of Abraham is a type of document called a hypocephalus, an amuletic disc placed beneath the head of the mummies of priests or their relatives. The contents of hypocephali have forerunners in earlier Egyptian texts, and intriguingly, an extrabiblical text about Abraham seem to make allusions to the hypocephalus in Facsimile 2.

From⁠ BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

The explanation accompanying figure 3 of Facsimile 1 of the Book of Abraham identifies it as “the idolatrous priest of Elkenah attempting to offer up Abraham as a sacrifice.” In order to gauge the validity of this interpretation from an Egyptological perspective, a number of factors need to be considered.

From⁠ BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

Facsimile 1 of the Book of Abraham visually depicts the narrative contained in Abraham 1:12–19. As interpreted by Joseph Smith, this scene depicts the attempted sacrifice of Abraham. Other Egyptologists have interpreted the scene differently, basing their interpretations on similar illustrations, but recent evidence of ritual violence in Egypt strengthens Joseph Smith's interpretation.

From⁠ BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

Latter-­day Saints have offered a number of different approaches to interpreting the facsimiles and the validity of Joseph Smith’s interpretations. One scholar, Kevin L. Barney, has articulated an insightful theory for interpreting the facsimiles that is worth careful consideration.

From⁠ BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

The facsimiles in the Book of Abraham attract attention as visual aides in our scriptures. What are some of the most common approaches to interpreting them?

From⁠ BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

This article wraps up this special issue of BYU Studies focusing on Latter-day Saints and perfectionism.

Read the article here.

Thanks to the work of Egyptologists over the past decades, in addition to knowing what texts the extant Egyptian papyri acquired by Joseph Smith in 1835 contain, we also know quite a bit about the ancient owners of the papyri, including a Theban priest named Hor (Horos in Greek).

From ⁠BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

Some might ask how likely it would have been for the ancient Egyptians to have known anything about the biblical figure Abraham. In fact, evidence survives today indicating that stories about Abraham were known to the ancient Egyptians as early as the time of the composition of the Joseph Smith Papyri (ca. 330–30 BC).

From ⁠BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

As a central figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, there are many extrabiblical traditions about the life of the patriarch Abraham. Much of the Book of Abraham's content that is absent from the Genesis account parallels the extrabiblical material from these religious traditions.

From ⁠BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

A question that readers of the Book of Abraham might have is how a late copy of Abraham's record ended up in the possession of an ancient Egyptian living many centuries later. One plausible scenario is that ancient Israelites recopied the text over time and brought it into Egypt. Is there sufficient evidence to support this scenario?

From ⁠BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

An Egyptianism is a literary or linguistic feature of the Egyptian language. Since Egyptian was not well understood in Joseph Smith's day, it is thought that any knowledge of Egyptian that Joseph Smith may have possessed could only have come by revelation. What Egyptianisms are found in the Book of Abraham?

From ⁠BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

Chiasmus is a literary structure commonly found in the Bible, but does it also appear in the Book of Abraham?

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

Some have wondered how the papyrus acquired by Joseph Smith could have possibly been written by Abraham's "own hand" when it dates to circa 300 BC, many centuries after Abraham's lifetime. This episode investigates what the phrase "written by his own hand" would connote in an ancient Egyptian context and whether or not we know what Joseph Smith and early Latter-day Saints thought about the papyri's age and origins.

From ⁠BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

What does the Book of Abraham's Creation account have in common with creation myths from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia?

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

Traditional Christianity teaches that God created the universe ex nihilo, or "out of nothing." By contrast, Joseph Smith taught that God created the universe ex materia, or by organizing pre-existing materials, and this teaching is present in the Book of Abraham. The ancient cultures of Egypt, Syria-Canaan, and Mesopotamia also seem to envision creation as bringing order to a preexisting chaos.

From ⁠⁠BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠⁠.

The Bible and ancient extrabiblical texts sometimes make allusions to Lucifer's fall from heaven. Is the mythic archetype of a fallen angel also present in Near Eastern literature from Abraham's day?

From ⁠BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

1. Religious Teachings: Explores how religious teachings can influence perfectionistic tendencies, both positively and negatively.

2. Spiritual Perfectionism Differentiates between striving for spiritual growth and unhealthy perfectionism that leads to guilt and anxiety.

3. Role of Grace: Emphasizes the importance of understanding and accepting grace to counteract the negative effects of perfectionism.

4. Community Support: Highlights the role of religious communities in providing support and reducing perfectionistic pressures.

5. Balancing Effort and Faith: Encourages balancing personal effort with faith in divine assistance to achieve a healthier approach to perfectionism.

For additional information see:https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/religion-and-perfectionism

The Book of Abraham's passage about the premortal council identifies Jesus not with his name, but a title: "One answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me" (Abraham 3:27). What is the significance of this title?

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

The Book of Abraham clearly teaches the idea of a premortal existence and the divine foreordination of rulers. Do these teachings find a plausible context in the ancient Near East?

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

The Creation account in the Book of Abraham tells of a plurality of Gods who carry out the Creation. Significantly, these Gods are said to have taken "counsel" among themselves. After Joseph Smith's lifetime, archaeologists uncovering texts from Egypt, Syria-Palestine, and Mesopotamia discovered creation myths involving a group of divine beings collaborating as a heavenly council, or battling for power.

One of the more memorable contributions of the Book of Abraham is its depiction of Kolob—which, in recent years, some Latter-­day Saint scholars have sought to situate in the ancient world. This episode describes some of the tantalizing points that favor the authenticity of the name and concept of Kolob.

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

One of the astronomical terms defined in the Book of Abraham is Shinehah, which is said to be the sun (Abr. 3:13). What is the sun's significance in ancient Egyptian tradition? Is there evidence that Shinehah is an authentic ancient word?

From ⁠⁠BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠⁠.

The Book of Abraham is noteworthy for its description of what is sometimes called “Abrahamic astronomy.” Scholars looking at the astronomical portrait in chapter 3 have described at least three models for its interpretation.

From ⁠BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

A careful reading of the Book of Abraham reveals a recurring theme of Abraham as a seer, or someone who sees or otherwise has a visual interaction with divine manifestation. This episode reviews some of the overt and subtle ways that the text expands on this theme.

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

The Book of Abraham portrays God as instructing Abraham to call Sarai his sister when they came to Egypt in order to preserve his life. Was identifying her as his sister an outright falsehood or a misleading ambiguity? Do any other Abrahamic accounts include this detail?

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

The Abrahamic Covenant, as presented in the Book of Abraham, follows the pattern of other ancient treaties and covenants from Abraham's day. Recognizing the covenant's structure in the Book of Abraham not only helps ground it in the ancient world, but can increase our understanding of its content.

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

Scholars believe that the "plain of Moreh" found in the King James Version was a mistranslation by the original King James translators. It would be better rendered as the "oracle oak," an ancient Canaanite cult site. Although the Book of Abraham uses the mistranslated name from the KJV, the correctly translated name fits well into Abraham's account found in the Pearl of Great Price.

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

What influence does religion have on toxic perfectionism? Michael A. Goodman explores research findings in this important article.

Read the full article online.

The Book of Abraham's account of Abraham's sojourning speaks of the souls that Abraham and his family had "won" in Haran (Abraham 2:15). These souls may be converts who pledged, or covenanted, to follow Abraham—thus portraying him as an exemplary missionary.

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

On two occasions in the Book of Abraham, the Lord reveals to Abraham his true name: Jehovah. Why is it significant that the Lord twice revealed his true name to Abraham, and why is there a running motif on the importance of names throughout the text? Reading these passages in an ancient Near Eastern (and especially ancient Egyptian) context helps answer this question.

View the full article in ⁠BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

The Book of Abraham describes how “the land of Egypt [was] first discovered by a woman, who was the daughter of Ham, and the daughter of Egyptus” (Abr. 1:23). This genealogy reflects the names of the characters as printed in the March 1, 1842, issue of the Times and Seasons. However, in the Kirtland-era Book of Abraham manuscripts, Ham’s wife is named Zeptah, and his daughter is Egyptes. This episode further explores this situation and the meanings of the names themselves.

The first chapter of the Book of Abraham contains a short detail about Pharaoh, the king of Egypt being "a descendant from the loins of Ham, and a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites by birth” (Abr. 1:21). This detail may appear odd at first glance but might make some historical sense for Abraham’s time and circumstances.

From ⁠BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

In the first chapter of the Book of Abraham, the priest of Pharaoh offered sacrifices on an altar "by the hill called Potiphar's Hill" (Abraham 1:10). This episode discusses the site of Potiphar's Hill as a cult center. Sites like this are known to have existed across the ancient Near East, and the little we know about Potiphar's Hill from the Book of Abraham appears to fit the pattern of ancient ritual complexes.

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

The opening chapter of the Book of Abraham mentions a location called "the plain of Olishem" (Abraham 1:10). Was Olishem a real place?

From ⁠BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4⁠.

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

The opening chapter of the Book of Abraham identifies "the god of Pharaoh" as being one of the idolatrous gods worshipped by Abraham's kinsfolk. In figure 9 of Facsimile 1 of the Book of Abraham, this god is depicted as a crocodile. Is there any evidence for who this god might have been and whether he was worshipped in Abraham's lifetime?

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

As told in the Book of Abraham, Abraham was nearly sacrificed by a "priest of Elkenah" before he was saved by the angel of the Lord (Abraham 1:6). Does Elkenah correspond with a Canaanite deity? This episode reviews archaeological evidence for Elkenah's worship.

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

The Book of Abraham begins with an account of Abraham nearly being sacrificed to the idolatrous gods of his kinsfolk. The form of sacrifice was said to be "after the manner of the Egyptians" (Abraham 1:11). This episode talks about archaeological evidence for human sacrifice in Egypt.

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

Abraham was not the only author of an autobiographical text in the ancient Near East. A first-person narrative about a ruler named Idrimi shares similar features to the text of the Book of Abraham. In this episode, the authors compare the Book of Abraham with Idrimi's autobiography and other ancient biographical texts.

This article by Mark D. Ogletree was published in BYU Studies 63, no. 4 (2024).

Key points from this article:

1. Types of Perfectionism: Adaptive (positive outcomes) vs. Maladaptive (negative mental health outcomes).

2. Mental Health Impact: Maladaptive perfectionism increases anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout in adolescents.

3. Influences: High parental expectations and societal pressures contribute to perfectionistic traits.

4. Interventions: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness can help manage perfectionism.

5. Supportive Environment: Creating a supportive environment and encouraging balance can mitigate negative effects.

To read this article online for free, go to https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/perfectionisms-influence-on-adolescent-mental-health

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

This episode discusses how additional information from the Book of Abraham gives us a potentially more accurate idea of where the city of Ur (Abraham’s homeland) was located.

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ, including prominent members, have attempted to justify the former policy preventing Black Latter-day Saints from receiving the priesthood or temple ordinances by appealing to the scriptures, including the Book of Abraham. There is, however, no known evidence that suggests that Joseph Smith or Brigham Young used the Book of Abraham to justify their beliefs about race. Today’s podcast episode explores this topic further.

In 2013 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints explicitly disavowed “the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects unrighteous actions in a premortal life; that mixed-race marriages are a sin; or that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else. Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and present, in any form."

From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.

It is clear that Joseph Smith’s inspired translation of the Book of Abraham was connected to the Egyptian papyri he acquired in summer 1835. However, less clear is the precise relationship between the Book of Abraham text and the papyri. There are three main theories, which are summarized in this episode: (1) Joseph Smith used the papyri fragments which survive today, (2) he used papyri that we no longer have, or (3) he worked without the aid of any of the Joseph Smith papyri.