Book of Moses
Encyclopedia
The Book of Moses is part of the scriptural canon of Mormonism
dictated by founder Joseph Smith, Jr. It is an amalgamation of the "Vision of Moses," which Smith dictated in June 1830, the "Book of Enoch," dictated December 1830, and material deriving from Smith's revision
of the Book of Genesis in early 1831 which incorporated the Book of Enoch and treated the Vision of Moses as a prologue to the Bible. Its full title is Selections from the Book of Moses, implying that it is not a complete work. The vision of Moses and the Book of Enoch works were originally published separately by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in 1851, but later combined and published as the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price, one of the four books of the Mormon
scriptural canon
. The same material is published in different form by the Community of Christ
as part of its Inspired Version of the Bible
.
translation that was intended to restore “many important points touching the salvation of men, [that] had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled." The Book of Moses is an excerpt of chapters from the first part of what is now called the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. The chapters that now make up the Book of Moses were first published in the Latter Day Saint newspapers Evening and Morning Star
and Times and Seasons
in the 1830s and 1840s. These chapters were selected and included as a separate book within the Pearl of Great Price through a series of events subsequent to the death of Joseph Smith. For more details on this history and on the nature of the translation process, see Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible
.
Moses 2-8 generally follow the first chapters of the Book of Genesis, but often provide clarifications to the text or significant additional detail not found in the Bible
. Among the notable differences are the following:
and the Book of Abraham
that began to appear in the 19th century, explorations of the textual foundations of the JST began in earnest only in the 1960s, with the pioneering work of the RLDS
scholar Richard P. Howard and the LDS scholar Robert J. Matthews. A facsimile transcription of all the original manuscripts of the JST was at last published in 2004. Among other studies of the Joseph Smith Translation, Brigham Young University
Professor Kent P. Jackson
, a longtime student of these topics, prepared a detailed study of the text of the portions of the JST relating to the book of Moses in 2005.
Although several brief studies of the teachings of the book of Moses had previously appeared as part of apologetic and doctrinally-focused LDS commentaries on the Pearl of Great Price, the first detailed verse-by-verse commentary—and the first to incorporate significant amounts of modern non-LDS Bible scholarship—was published by Richard D. Draper, S. Kent Brown
, and Michael D. Rhodes
in 2005.
In 2009, a 1100-page volume by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw
was published, entitled In God's Image and Likeness, which contains a comprehensive commentary on Moses 1-6:12, and incorporates a wide range of scholarly perspectives and citations from ancient texts. The book features an extensive annotated bibliography on ancient sources and over a hundred relevant illustrations with detailed captions.
Some non-Mormon scholars have also signaled their appreciation of the significance of the Joseph Smith's translation efforts in light of ancient documents. For example, Margaret Barker has cited relevant passages from the Book of Mormon
and the Joseph Smith Translation in her discussions of Jewish and early Christian perspectives on Melchizedek
. Noted Yale critic of secular and sacred literature Harold Bloom, who classes these the book of Moses and the Book of Abraham among the “more surprising” and “neglected” works of LDS scripture, is intrigued by the fact that many of their themes are “strikingly akin to ancient suggestions” that essentially restate “the archaic or original Jewish religion, a Judaism that preceded even the Yahwist.” While expressing “no judgment, one way or the other, upon the authenticity” of LDS scripture, he finds “enormous validity” in the way these writings “recapture… crucial elements in the archaic Jewish religion.… that had ceased to be available either to normative Judaism or to Christianity, and that survived only in esoteric traditions unlikely to have touched [Joseph] Smith directly."
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
dictated by founder Joseph Smith, Jr. It is an amalgamation of the "Vision of Moses," which Smith dictated in June 1830, the "Book of Enoch," dictated December 1830, and material deriving from Smith's revision
Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible
The Joseph Smith Translation , also called the Inspired Version , was a revision of the Bible by Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Smith considered this work to be "a branch of his calling" as a prophet. Smith was murdered before he ever deemed it complete, though most of...
of the Book of Genesis in early 1831 which incorporated the Book of Enoch and treated the Vision of Moses as a prologue to the Bible. Its full title is Selections from the Book of Moses, implying that it is not a complete work. The vision of Moses and the Book of Enoch works were originally published separately by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in 1851, but later combined and published as the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price, one of the four books of the Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
scriptural canon
Standard Works
The Standard Works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the four books that currently constitute its open scriptural canon.* The Holy Bible * The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ...
. The same material is published in different form by the Community of Christ
Community of Christ
The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...
as part of its Inspired Version of the Bible
Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible
The Joseph Smith Translation , also called the Inspired Version , was a revision of the Bible by Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Smith considered this work to be "a branch of his calling" as a prophet. Smith was murdered before he ever deemed it complete, though most of...
.
Origin
In June 1830, Joseph Smith, Jr. began a new BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
translation that was intended to restore “many important points touching the salvation of men, [that] had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled." The Book of Moses is an excerpt of chapters from the first part of what is now called the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. The chapters that now make up the Book of Moses were first published in the Latter Day Saint newspapers Evening and Morning Star
Evening and Morning Star
The Evening and the Morning Star was an early Latter Day Saint periodical published monthly in Independence, Missouri, from June 1832 to July 1833, and then in Kirtland, Ohio, from December 1833 to September 1834...
and Times and Seasons
Times and Seasons
Times and Seasons was a 19th-century Latter Day Saint periodical published monthly or twice-monthly at Nauvoo, Illinois, from November 1839 to February 15, 1846...
in the 1830s and 1840s. These chapters were selected and included as a separate book within the Pearl of Great Price through a series of events subsequent to the death of Joseph Smith. For more details on this history and on the nature of the translation process, see Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible
Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible
The Joseph Smith Translation , also called the Inspired Version , was a revision of the Bible by Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Smith considered this work to be "a branch of his calling" as a prophet. Smith was murdered before he ever deemed it complete, though most of...
.
Synopsis and ancient parallels
- Moses 1: The events described in Moses 1 are portrayed as taking place sometime after Jehovah spoke to Moses out of the burning bush but before Moses had returned to Egypt to deliver the children of Israel. The details of Moses’ experience in chapter 1 place it squarely in the tradition of ancient “heavenly ascentMerkabahMerkabah is the throne-chariot of God, the four-wheeled vehicle driven by four "chayot" , each of which has four wings and the four faces of a man, lion, ox, and eagle...
” literature (e.g., the pseudepigraphal Apocalypse of AbrahamApocalypse of AbrahamThe Apocalypse of Abraham is a pseudepigraphic work based on the Old Testament. Probably composed between about 70–150 AD, it is of Jewish origin and is usually considered to be part of the Apocalyptic literature...
) and its relationship to temple theology, rites, and ordinances. Following a brief prologue, Moses is given a description of God’s majesty and a confirmation of the work to which he had previously been foreordained as a "son of God." He is then shown the “world upon which he was created”—referring to the premortal spirit realm where the LDS believe that all men and women lived before birth—and “all the children of men which are, and which were created” (cf. Apocalypse of AbrahamApocalypse of AbrahamThe Apocalypse of Abraham is a pseudepigraphic work based on the Old Testament. Probably composed between about 70–150 AD, it is of Jewish origin and is usually considered to be part of the Apocalyptic literature...
21:7; 22:2, 5; and the LDS Book of AbrahamBook of AbrahamThe Book of Abraham is a 1835 work by Joseph Smith, Jr. that he said was based on Egyptian papyri purchased from a traveling mummy exhibition. According to Smith, the book was "a translation of some ancient records....purporting to be the writings of Abraham, while he was in Egypt, called the Book...
3:22-23). Then, having gone out the presence of the Father and no longer being clothed with His glory, Moses falls to the earth (cf. Apocalypse of AbrahamApocalypse of AbrahamThe Apocalypse of Abraham is a pseudepigraphic work based on the Old Testament. Probably composed between about 70–150 AD, it is of Jewish origin and is usually considered to be part of the Apocalyptic literature...
10:1-3)—meaning, first, that he collapsed in weakness, and, second, that he descended again to the relative darkness of the telestial world. He is then left to himself to be tested in a dramatic encounter with Satan (cf. Apocalypse of AbrahamApocalypse of AbrahamThe Apocalypse of Abraham is a pseudepigraphic work based on the Old Testament. Probably composed between about 70–150 AD, it is of Jewish origin and is usually considered to be part of the Apocalyptic literature...
13-14). Having banished Satan through the power of the Only Begotten (a motif linked to baptism), Moses is “filled with the Holy Ghost.” Continuing to press forward, he “calls upon the name of God” in sacred prayer, and is answered by a voice from behind the veil enumerating specific blessings. While “the voice is still speaking,” Moses looks at the veil and beholds every particle of the earth and all of its inhabitants (cf. Apocalypse of AbrahamApocalypse of AbrahamThe Apocalypse of Abraham is a pseudepigraphic work based on the Old Testament. Probably composed between about 70–150 AD, it is of Jewish origin and is usually considered to be part of the Apocalyptic literature...
21:1). The culminating sequence begins in verse 31 when Moses, having continued to inquire of the Lord, comes to stand in His presence (cf. the corresponding illustration in the Codex Sylvester, the oldest complete account of the Apocalypse of AbrahamApocalypse of AbrahamThe Apocalypse of Abraham is a pseudepigraphic work based on the Old Testament. Probably composed between about 70–150 AD, it is of Jewish origin and is usually considered to be part of the Apocalyptic literature...
). God then speaks with Moses face to face, describing His purposes for this earth and its inhabitants ("this is my work and my glory: to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man"). Finally, the chapter closes with an allusion referring to Joseph Smith's restoration of the lost words of scripture (echoing a similar prophecy in the pseudepigraphal 2 EnochSecond Book of EnochThe Second Book of Enoch is a pseudepigraphic of the Old Testament. It is usually considered to be part of the Apocalyptic literature. Late 1st century CE is the dating often preferred...
35:1-2), and stating that these words are to be shown only to those that believe (paralleling the pseudepigraphal 4 Ezra 14:6, 45-47). Then follows a vision outlining the Creation, the Fall, and subsequent events in the lift of to Adam and Eve and their descendants (cf. Apocalypse of AbrahamApocalypse of AbrahamThe Apocalypse of Abraham is a pseudepigraphic work based on the Old Testament. Probably composed between about 70–150 AD, it is of Jewish origin and is usually considered to be part of the Apocalyptic literature...
21:3-5, 23:1-14). This is consistent with ancient Jewish sources which affirm that Moses saw these events in vision.
Moses 2-8 generally follow the first chapters of the Book of Genesis, but often provide clarifications to the text or significant additional detail not found in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. Among the notable differences are the following:
- Moses 2 (cf. Genesis 1): A brief prologue affirming that the account derives from the words of God directly to Moses is added in verse 1. The repetition of the phrase “I, God” throughout the chapter also emphasizes the purported firsthand nature of the account. The idea that all things were created “by mine Only Begotten” (i.e., Jesus Christ, in his premortal state) is made clear, as is the Son’s identity as the co-creator at the time when God said “Let us make man.” Otherwise, the structure and basic premises of the Genesis account of the Creation were left intact. Note that, while following generally similar schemas, the two later versions of the Creation story given in the Book of AbrahamBook of AbrahamThe Book of Abraham is a 1835 work by Joseph Smith, Jr. that he said was based on Egyptian papyri purchased from a traveling mummy exhibition. According to Smith, the book was "a translation of some ancient records....purporting to be the writings of Abraham, while he was in Egypt, called the Book...
and in modern LDS templesTemple (LDS Church)In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
are replete with additional changes—some subtle and others stunning—that give new perspectives on the events portrayed. - Moses 3 (cf. Genesis 2): The book of Moses clarifies the meaning of verse 5 in terms of the LDS idea of a spiritual creation. God explains that He: "created all things… spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth. For I, the Lord God, had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth. And I, the Lord God, had created all the children of men; and not yet a man to till the ground; for in heaven created I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water, neither in the air (additions italicized; see also vv. 7, 9). Consistent with this concept, some ancient sources assert that the heavenly hosts—variously described as including the angels, the sons of God, and/or the souls of humanity—were part of the light that appeared on Day One of Creation. Verse 17 is expanded in a way that reinforces the LDS teaching that AdamAdamAdam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...
and Eve were placed in a situation where they were required to exercise freedom of choice in order to continue their progression through the experience of earth life: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." As in the Qur'anQur'anThe Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, the transgression of Adam and Eve that led to their coming to earth is seen as a positive and necessary step that would provide the preparatory schooling they needed for an eventual glorious return to heaven. - Moses 4 (cf. Genesis 3): Four verses are added to the beginning of the Genesis version of this chapter, interrupting the flow of the story to give an account of heavenly councils where the nature and purposes of Creation were discussed and decided. These verses echo stories in Jewish midrash recording that God "took counsel with the souls of the righteous before creating the world" A summary of the story of Satan's fall from heaven is also given. Like the Qur’an, and in contrast to Genesis, the corresponding accounts of Satan’s rebellion and Adam and Eve’s Fall form a "single, continuous story."
- Moses 5 (cf. Genesis 4): The book of Moses adds fifteen verses to the beginning of the Genesis account. Vv. 1-6 highlight the obedience of Adam and Eve by enumerating their faithfulness to each of the commandments they had been given. Adam, with his fellow-laborer Eve, began to “till the earth, and to have dominion over all the beasts of the field, and to eat his bread by the sweat of his brow.” Likewise Eve fulfilled the commission she had received in the Garden of Eden and “bare… sons and daughters, and they began to replenish the earth.” Moreover, “Adam was obedient to the commandments of the Lord” to “offer the firstlings of their flocks” for “many days,” despite the fact that he did not yet fully understand the reason why he had been thus commanded. The period of testing for Adam involving “many days” mentioned in the book of Moses corresponds to the "testing" of the first couple described in pseudepigraphal accounts such as the Life of Adam and EveLife of Adam and EveThe Life of Adam and Eve, also known, in its Greek version, as the Apocalypse of Moses, is a Jewish pseudepigraphical group of writings. It recounts the lives of Adam and Eve from after their expulsion from the Garden of Eden to their deaths. It provides more detail about the Fall of Man, including...
. Also recalling parallels in these ancient stories is the book of Moses account of how Adam and Eve's enduring obedience is rewarded by the announcement of their redemption through the eventual sacrifice of the son of God (vv. 6-13). In light of this extended prologue extolling the virtue of obedience and the promise of redemption, the book of Moses' expanded story of Cain's rebellion and murder of his brother Abel appears in even starker relief. Cain's murderous pact with Satan is portrayed as the foundation of "secret combinations" that later flourish among the wicked, and provide a plausible context for the more fragmentary Genesis account of Lamech's slaying of his rival. The chapter ends with the declaration that "all things were confirmed unto Adam, by an holy ordinance, and the Gospel preached, and a decree sent forth, that it should be in the world, until the end thereof." - Moses 6 (cf. Genesis 5): Expansions in the early part of the chapter further describe the story of the righteous Seth. The "genealogy" of his descendants are said to be kept in a "book of remembrance." Jewish and Islamic sources describe a similar book, intended to preserve “the primordial wisdom of paradise for Adam and his generations” and also “the genealogy of the entire human race" Described elsewhere in the LDS canon (D&C 107:53-56) is the story of how Adam gathered his posterity three years prior to his death, and “predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation.” Though unknown in the Bible, similar stories are told in several ancient pseudepigraphal sources. Moses 6 contains one of the most remarkable additions to the Genesis account: the story of the call and preaching of Enoch. Though the biblical account of Enoch's life occupies only two verses, his story fills most of chapter 6 and all of chapter 7 of the book of Moses. Extended accounts of the experiences of Enoch, containing striking parallels with the book of Moses, also circulated widely in Second Temple Judaism and early Christianity.
- Moses 7: This chapter continues the story of Enoch's preaching, including a vision of the "Son of Man"—a favorite motif in pseudepigraphal book of 1 EnochBook of EnochThe Book of Enoch is an ancient Jewish religious work, traditionally ascribed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. It is not part of the biblical canon as used by Jews, apart from Beta Israel...
. While the identity of the "Son of Man" in 1 Enoch has been a matter of debate, in Moses 7 the title is clearly understood to refer to Jesus Christ. Moses 7 concludes with the story of how Enoch gathered the righteous into a city he called Zion. The city became so righteous that "God received it up into his own bosom." - Moses 8 (cf. Genesis 5-6): Additional details are given about the story of Methuselah and the preaching of Noah, again stressing the coming of Jesus Christ and the necessity of baptism. The Book of Moses ends abruptly just before the flood of Noah, but the story continues in the remainder of the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis.
Scholarship
In contrast to numerous scholarly analyses of Joseph Smith's translations of the Book of MormonBook of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
and the Book of Abraham
Book of Abraham
The Book of Abraham is a 1835 work by Joseph Smith, Jr. that he said was based on Egyptian papyri purchased from a traveling mummy exhibition. According to Smith, the book was "a translation of some ancient records....purporting to be the writings of Abraham, while he was in Egypt, called the Book...
that began to appear in the 19th century, explorations of the textual foundations of the JST began in earnest only in the 1960s, with the pioneering work of the RLDS
Community of Christ
The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...
scholar Richard P. Howard and the LDS scholar Robert J. Matthews. A facsimile transcription of all the original manuscripts of the JST was at last published in 2004. Among other studies of the Joseph Smith Translation, Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
Professor Kent P. Jackson
Kent P. Jackson
Kent P. Jackson is a professor of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University who has written on Joseph Smith, Jr.'s translation of and commentary on the Bible....
, a longtime student of these topics, prepared a detailed study of the text of the portions of the JST relating to the book of Moses in 2005.
Although several brief studies of the teachings of the book of Moses had previously appeared as part of apologetic and doctrinally-focused LDS commentaries on the Pearl of Great Price, the first detailed verse-by-verse commentary—and the first to incorporate significant amounts of modern non-LDS Bible scholarship—was published by Richard D. Draper, S. Kent Brown
S. Kent Brown
Scott Kent Brown is an American professor of ancient scripture and the director of ancient studies at Brigham Young University.-Biography:...
, and Michael D. Rhodes
Michael D. Rhodes
Michael Dennis Rhodes is an associate professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University . Rhodes is an Egyptologist who has published a translation of some of the extant Joseph Smith papyri....
in 2005.
In 2009, a 1100-page volume by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw is a Senior Research Scientist at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition , where he leads the research group developing the KAoS policy services framework....
was published, entitled In God's Image and Likeness, which contains a comprehensive commentary on Moses 1-6:12, and incorporates a wide range of scholarly perspectives and citations from ancient texts. The book features an extensive annotated bibliography on ancient sources and over a hundred relevant illustrations with detailed captions.
Some non-Mormon scholars have also signaled their appreciation of the significance of the Joseph Smith's translation efforts in light of ancient documents. For example, Margaret Barker has cited relevant passages from the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
and the Joseph Smith Translation in her discussions of Jewish and early Christian perspectives on Melchizedek
Melchizedek
Melchizedek or Malki Tzedek translated as "my king righteous") is a king and priest mentioned during the Abram narrative in the 14th chapter of the Book of Genesis....
. Noted Yale critic of secular and sacred literature Harold Bloom, who classes these the book of Moses and the Book of Abraham among the “more surprising” and “neglected” works of LDS scripture, is intrigued by the fact that many of their themes are “strikingly akin to ancient suggestions” that essentially restate “the archaic or original Jewish religion, a Judaism that preceded even the Yahwist.” While expressing “no judgment, one way or the other, upon the authenticity” of LDS scripture, he finds “enormous validity” in the way these writings “recapture… crucial elements in the archaic Jewish religion.… that had ceased to be available either to normative Judaism or to Christianity, and that survived only in esoteric traditions unlikely to have touched [Joseph] Smith directly."