About the Project
During the life of Joseph Smith, he and his associates frequently came into contact with elements of Egyptian culture and language. The Book of Mormon, perhaps the first encounter for Joseph, was translated from reformed Egyptian. Later on he would receive the Egyptian Papyri that became the book of Abraham. Joseph Smith was an intellectual man despite his lack of formal education. He strived diligently to learn from other languages about the gospel. He studied Hebrew, Egyptian, Greek, and even the German bible.[1] Those around the prophet were also interested in ancient languages. There was an idea of a “Pure Language” or language of Adam among the early saints that they connected strongly to Ancient Egyptian.[2] For example, before the saints received the Egyptian Papyri, William W. Phelps had written to his wife about the pure language and sent her characters that he would later include in some of the Egyptian documents.[3] There are numerous instances of like characters and experiences popping up in the history of the early saints. Eventually, all such known characters will be digitized and hosted here for viewing and studying.
This website seeks to gather information about the Egyptian documents from early church history and present them in easily accessible formats with historical information for added context and understanding. This objective is important and relevant for members of and those learning about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Much is misunderstood about these documents because of a lack of information in the historical record. This lack has led to much speculation and assumption about the nature of these Egyptian documents. My hope is that by consolidating all of the Egyptian documents into an accessible digital format, learners will be able to see what information we have, discern what is speculation, and then to come to their own educated conclusions about these papers.
References
[1] Seariac, Hanna. “How Joseph Smith Learned Biblical Hebrew.” Deseret News. Deseret News, September 21, 2022. https://www.deseret.com/2022/9/21/23363784/joseph-smith-hebrew-school-of-the-prophets.
[2]”Sample of Pure Language, between circa 4 and circa 20 March 1832,” p. 144, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed April 10, 2023, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/sample-of-pure-language-between-circa-4-and-circa-20-march-1832/1
[3] William Wines Phelps letter to Sally Phelps; Vault MSS 810; William Wines Phelps papers; L. Tom Perry Special Collections; 19th Century Western & Mormon Manuscripts; 1130 Harold B. Lee Library; Brigham Young University; Provo, Utah 84602;