The Book of Abraham, A Voice From the Dust
by Robert Rosskopf
Brief Synopsis of the Book of Abraham
The Book of Abraham starts with Abraham living in his father's house in the land of Ur of the Chaldees. The Lord appears to him and gives him a Urim and Thumim, with which Abraham learns of the Cosmos and the premortal spirits of men. Abraham's father, Terah, practices idolatry, and worships the god of Pharoah. Terah tries to sacrifice Abraham to the god of the pharoahs, but Abraham is rescued by an angel. The region suffers from severe famine. Abraham's brother Haran dies. Abraham leaves the land of the Chaldeans and settles in a land which they name Haran. Abraham teaches the gospel in Haran, until the Lord appears to him and commands him to leave Haran. Abraham then takes his family, and all those who were converted to the gospel, and travels to Canaan. They offer sacrifice in Canaan, but continue on to Egypt. Abraham is warned by the Lord that the Egyptians will seek to kill him, unless his wife tells them that she is his sister.Chart of Parallels
| There was a famine in Haran. | "Now the Lord God caused the famine to wax sore in the land of Ur..." - Abraham 2:1 |
"There was a great famine over the earth in the time of Terah..." - Extracts from Jacob of Edessa |
| Abraham's fathers were idol worshippers. | "My fathers, having turned from their righteousness, and from the holy commandments which the Lord their God had given unto them, unto the worshiping of the gods of the heathen, utterly refused to hearken to my voice;" - Abraham 1:5 |
...and they sojourned heretofore in Mesopotamia, because they would not follow the gods of their fathers, which were in the land of Chaldea. -Judith 5:7 |
| Terah repented of his idolatry, and then returned to it after they moved to Haran. | "And the famine abated; and my father tarried in Haran and dwelt there, as there were many flocks in Haran; and my father turned again unto his idolatry, therefore he continued in Haran." - Abraham 2:5 |
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| Human sacrifice was practiced in Egypt and surrounding countries in Abraham's day. | "Therefore they turned their hearts to the sacrifice of the heathen in offering up their children unto these dumb idols, and hearkened not unto my voice, but endeavored to take away my life by the hand of the priest of Elkenah." - Abraham 1:7 |
"And [there was] an altar opposite it and boys being slaughtered on it in the face of the idol." - Apocalypse of Abraham, ch. 25 |
| Abraham held the priesthood. | "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations." - Abraham 2:9 |
"Straightway it [the priesthood] was given to Abraham, as it is written, the Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool;...The Lord has sworn and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek." - Extracts from the Babylonian Talmud, Nadarim 32b |
| Abraham sought God earnestly. | "Now, after the Lord had withdrawn from speaking to me, and withdrawn his face from me, I said in my heart: Thy servant has sought thee earnestly; now I have found thee;" - Abraham 2:12 |