Book of Abraham 1:1 wrote:In the land of the Chaldeans, at the residence of my fathers, I, Abraham, saw that it was needful for me to obtain another place of residence;
Yeah, time to split because things weren't going so well with father Terah who had turned to idol worship. Time to pack the bags and head out.
Book of Abraham 1:2 wrote:And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.
Abraham sought the
"BLESSINGS OF THE FATHERS" and the right to be ordained to the priesthood and lucky for him he was ordained a High Priest. Mission accomplished!
Book of Abraham 1:3 wrote:It was conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundation of the earth, down to the present time, even the right of the firstborn, or the first man, who is Adam, or first father, through the fathers unto me.
This priesthood was purely patriarchal coming down from the fathers and it was conferred upon Abraham in that prescribed manner.
Book of Abraham 1:4 wrote:I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed.
Abraham sought an appointment to be ordained to the patriarchal priesthood of his fathers.
Book of Abraham 1:5 wrote: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;
Hold the press! We know that Terah had an idolatry problem and Abraham ran out on him but here Abraham said
"MY FATHERS" or in other words that seems to suggest his patriarchal lineage had become corrupt through apostasy! At least Terah went sour but who else does Abraham refer to? Abraham did say
"FATHERS" (plural).
Book of Abraham 1:6 wrote:For their hearts were set to do evil, and were wholly turned to the god of Elkenah, and the god of Libnah, and the god of Mahmackrah, and the god of Korash, and the god of Pharaoh, king of Egypt;
Abraham now tells us that his
FATHER'S "hearts were set to do evil" and became idol worshippers.
Book of Abraham 1:7 wrote: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. The priest of Elkenah was also the priest of Pharaoh.
Abraham's concludes that his fathers were wicked. But how can this be? What's wrong with this story? According to the Bible the only
fathers that had passed away before this time was his grandfather Nahor who died just a few years prior at the age of 148 (Gen 11:25) and Peleg having died a year earlier at age 239 (Gen 11:19). Recall that most of Abraham's patriarchs (fathers) were still alive at the time Abraham sought for the priesthood and received the Urim and Thummim whereby he learned astronomy (chapter 3) prior to going down into Egypt to sit on Pharaoh's throne.
According to biblical chronicles the following fathers in patriarchal order were still alive when Abraham sought the priesthood and condemned his patriarchal line for idol worship:
1. Noah
2. Shem
3. Arphaxad
4. Salah
5. Eber
6. Reu
7. Serug
8. Terah
HOLD THE PRESS, SHULEM WAS WRONG!
I suspect that when Joseph Smith compiled the Book of Abraham and composed the genealogical connections between Abraham and his fathers that he was not aware that almost all of Abraham's paternal fathers were still alive! Nonetheless, Smith's Book of Abraham brashly makes a blanket statement that Abraham's fathers had turned to idol worship although the only person mentioned specifically in the account is Terah. But what of the 7 grandfathers who were still alive -- were they idol worshipers? Noah? Shem? Where were they? Why didn't Abraham receive the priesthood from them?
I think the answer is obvious. Smith hadn't reasoned that they were alive and wrote them out of the script! It would have made a lot more sense if Abraham had been ordained by the grand patriarch Noah or the great high priest Shem. But not so. Instead, Smith deviates from rhyme and reason with the following:
D&C 84:14 wrote:Which Abraham received the priesthood from Melchizedek, who received it through the lineage of his fathers, even till Noah;
It makes no sense at all. The snippet in the D&C (given in 1832) makes it sound like the fathers were all dead!
Smith is caught with his pants down! Busted.