Gospel Topics Essays
Joseph Smith & Scripture
What the Church teaches about the First Vision, the Book of Mormon, and the Book of Abraham.
The concern
No one in modern history brought forth scripture the way Joseph Smith did. He testified that he saw the Father and the Son in the First Vision, translated the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God, and produced the Book of Abraham as inspired scripture. People sometimes hear that there are different First Vision accounts, that the Book of Mormon was translated using a seer stone in a hat, that DNA evidence doesn't look the way some assumed, or that the Egyptian papyri don't match the Book of Abraham. The Church has published essays on each of those, in plain language.
Joseph told the First Vision story several times to different audiences. He focused on different details each time — which is how anyone tells a big experience to different people. The Church's essay walks through every known account. They line up on the main thing: God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him.
First Vision Accounts
The Church's walkthrough of every known First Vision account.
churchofjesuschrist.org ↗
Joseph translated the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God using both the Urim and Thummim and a seer stone — sometimes placed in a hat to block out light. The Church teaches this openly. The real story is that a 23-year-old farmer with very little schooling produced a 500-page ancient record in about 65 working days.
Book of Mormon Translation
How the Book of Mormon was translated.
churchofjesuschrist.org ↗
DNA tests can't really prove or disprove the Book of Mormon — the population it talks about was small and ancient, and the text never says they were the only people in the Americas. The Church's essay walks through this. The way to know it's true is what Moroni said: read it and ask God.
Book of Mormon and DNA Studies
What DNA studies can and can't tell us about the Book of Mormon.
churchofjesuschrist.org ↗
The Book of Abraham came through Joseph Smith's prophetic gift. The papyri fragments rediscovered in 1966 don't match his translation, which is one reason scholars think the part he actually translated from is missing. The Church's essay lays out a few faithful ways to think about it. Like all scripture, the Spirit is the surest witness.
Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham
The Church's essay on the Book of Abraham and the surviving papyri.
churchofjesuschrist.org ↗
These essays exist because the questions are real and so are the answers. Don't be afraid to read them. Read the Book of Mormon. Pray about it. The Spirit will witness it's true.
Still have questions? Talk to your parents, your bishop, or a trusted leader. Questions are part of faith, not the opposite of it.
Other essay topics