Welcome back to Part 17 of our Joseph Smith Podcast series covering Dr. John Turner’s new biography on Joseph Smith titled: Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet. In this episode, we begin part one of our deep dive into the Book of Abraham –a controversial and fascinating text within Latter-day Saint history. We’ll trace its origins in 1835 Kirtland, explore Joseph Smith’s acquisition of Egyptian papyri and mummies, and discuss the Egyptomania of the time that fueled public curiosity. With guest scholar Dr. John Turner, we set the stage for how the Book of Abraham fits into the broader story of Mormonism, how Joseph Smith interpreted the papyri, and why questions of translation, sincerity, and inspiration still matter today. This is just the beginning of our discussion –the Nauvoo period will follow in later chapters! Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/origins-of-the-book-of-abraham/ Timecodes: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:04:56 Condolences to Charlie Kirk, the victims in Michigan, etc. 00:12:35 The worst impulses that we have -asking who do we blame? 00:24:44 John Turner setting the stage for the Egyptomania 00:32:33 Who is Michael Chandler and how does he end up in Kirtland? 00:41:34 We don’t know if Abraham even existed 00:45:12 Ego stroking on the part of Michael Chandler 00:51:54 Why did the members care so much about languages? 00:56:59 Joseph Smith probably knows that he can NOT translate these texts 01:03:36 What the texts say 01:09:52 What does Joseph say the scrolls are? 01:12:32 To those who say we have only fragments of the scrolls 01:21:26 They work on a Grammar and Alphabet of the Egyptian language 01:27:44 Joseph Smith could not produce scripture without talking about “dark skin” 01:43:17 Astronomy/Cosmology in the Book of Abraham 02:02:18 Joseph Smith’s first vision account and a developing theology 02:08:28 Why did Joseph Smith not feel confident in producing a sequel? 02:22:06 Closing remarks ___________________ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117