🚨 5 Things the Book of Abraham Gets Completely Wrong (and Why It Still Matters)
Introduction: How a 19th-Century Grifter Fooled Millions With a Mummy Scroll
In 1835, Joseph Smith bought a few Egyptian mummies and papyrus scrolls from a traveling showman. Instead of displaying them like any sane person would, he claimed the scrolls were sacred writings by Abraham himself, dictated while chilling in Pharaoh’s court.
The result? The Book of Abraham—a core Mormon scripture that’s still in their holy canon, despite being debunked harder than flat Earth theory.
Family, Faith, and Folk Magic: The Early Influences on Joseph Smith and Mormonism
Joseph Smith Jr., founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), was shaped profoundly by the socio-economic challenges, religious experimentation, and cultural dynamics of early 19th-century America. His formative years were marked by his family’s financial struggles, immersion in folk magic, and participation in the spiritual experimentation that characterized the Burned-over District of New York. To fully grasp the emergence of Mormonism, it is essential to explore these influences in depth, understanding how they converged to inspire Joseph Smith’s prophetic claims and the foundation of a new religious movement.