Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity International University, 2001. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 128-132).

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity International University, 2001. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 128-132).

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity International University, 2001. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 128-132).

Thesis (M.A.B.S.)--Multnomah School of the Bible, 1987. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-81).

That the many elements affecting this book may be studied, it is the purpose of this thesis:1. To give the essentials points in the history of the Book of Abraham;2. To present certain problems dealing with the translation;3. To review certain criticisms and apologetics of the book;4. To ascertain its major teachings – historical, theological and philosophical.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always possessed a vigorous concept of the value of education for its youth. Programs of religious instruction have encouraged the young people to further their understanding of religious concepts. In July, 1953, all of the Church educational institutions, except those in the islands of the Pacific, were combined into one organization and named The Unified Church School System. As of January 1, 1965 the Pacific Board of Education, which directed the Church schools in the Pacific Islands, was also incorporated into the aforementioned mother unit. One important department of continual research in this system is curriculum development. The development of teacher manuals for the instructors is a never-ending process. New manuals are needed as educational understanding progresses. New methods of presentation are under experimentation with the hope that the youth will more readily accept the religious instruction and put it into vital application in their lives. The purpose of this particular field project is to develop such a course of study for the teachers in one particular segment of this educational system.The Church Schools of the Pacific teach a class of religion each year in their junior and senior high schools, sometimes referred to as "Church Colleges." This necessitates the use of six different gospel subjects. They are generally arranged in this order: seventh grade: Book of Mormon; eighth grade, New Testament; ninth grade, Church History; tenth grade, Old Testament; eleventh grade, Modern Scripture; and in the twelfth grade, a special leadership and church service training program. The Church schools in the Pacific have had the use of the courses of study developed by the seminary program, a sister department in the school system for released time and non-released time junior and senior high school students. The first four courses mentioned are used quite successfully, with some adaptation, but a need has developed for a course for the eleventh graders in Modern L. D. S. Scripture on a par with those developed by the seminary department. It is the work of this field project to develop such an outline, field test it a year, then print it after evaluation as a course of study. The final draft printed for use in the schools of the Pacific would also be presented as partial fulfillment of the master's degree by the writer to the graduate department of religion at Brigham Young University.

The purpose of this study is to compare all the major printings of the texts of "The Book of Abraham" and the "Writings of Joseph Smith," both presently contained in "The Pearl of Great Price", to note the various changes in the texts and to evaluate the significance of those changes.

This thesis seeks to answer the question of how Joseph Smith—History found in The Pearl of Great Price developed into a part of the canon of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When the prophet Joseph Smith first dictated the text to his scribes it seems he had not intended for the work to become scripture, but simply to follow the Lord's divine mandate to keep a record. Additionally he provided the purpose in his document to "disabuse the public mind, and put all inquirers after truth in possession of the facts, as they transpired." The format he proposed for the Manuscript History illustrates how it was originally not purposed for scripture. The compiling of that history took the efforts of many men and women and spanned the length of almost twenty years to complete. Joseph Smith had begun the dictation to his scribe George Robinson in 1838, but it was unfinished. Joseph later began the dictation anew to his scribe James Mulholland, first having the man rewrite what he had told to Robinson and then picking up the dictation from there. While the prophet had started and stopped histories before, this particular dictation began the enduring effort. The Manuscript History was developed from the original 59 pages that were scribed by Mulholland. By the efforts of other scribes, but mostly Willard Richards, the history was completed. The official statement of Brigham Young and Orson Pratt upon its completion said nothing of extracting portions for canon. But Mulholland's work seemed destined for a different purpose than the rest of the Manuscript History. It was printed serially in the Times and Seasons, and a few apostles seemed to catch a vision of what the manuscript could do for potential converts and members of the Church. Orson Pratt was especially a proponent of communicating certain key events as illustrated in his missionary tract "Remarkable Visions." A later apostle, Franklin D. Richards, would see the benefit of using the official history to distribute the history of the restoration of the Church to others. He extracted portions from Mulholland's text that covered certain main events in Joseph's life and printed them in his missionary tract The Pearl of Great Price. This pamphlet would eventually be canonized by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1880. Joseph Smith-History's inclusion in the reclamation of revelation that occurred in 1880 was deserved. This is evidenced by examining the process of canonization and the guiding principles of canonization employed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was canonized at the same time as many other revelations and at a General Conference saturated with many important events. Consequently it is difficult to gauge the reaction to its inclusion in canon, except in how it has been used since its canonization. After its inclusion into scripture the text has become a foundational piece of literature for the Church. The impact the text has had can be seen in the culture, missionary work, and doctrine of the Church. The focus of this thesis is to map the text's journey from birth to canonization.