Pearl of Great Price Central

Book of Mormon Central is pleased to announce a new research initiative on the Pearl of Great Price that aims to make this book of Latter-day Saint scripture accessible, comprehensible, and defensible to the entire world.

Pearl of Great Price Central will, over time, centralize study resources and other material on the individual books of the Pearl of Great Price just as Book of Mormon Central has done for the Book of Mormon. At launch, Pearl of Great Price Central features the following content on the Book of Abraham:

• A newly reformatted study edition of the text.
• A (non-exhaustive) bibliography.
• The first 5 essays in a new series on the history and historicity of the text.

As explained further in the introduction to the Book of Abraham section of Pearl of Great Price Central:

Book of Mormon Central will be publishing a series of short essays as part of its new Pearl of Great Price Central research initiative. This series will (1) highlight some of the more noteworthy convergences between the Book of Abraham and the ancient world, (2) explore how Joseph Smith’s interpretations of the facsimiles harmonize with modern scholarship, and (3) provide an overview on what is known about the coming forth and translation of the Book of Abraham.

These short articles aim to provide readers with useful insights as they explore this rich and rewarding text and to bolster confidence in Joseph Smith’s claim to have translated the writings of Abraham. The articles have been kept deliberately short so as to not overwhelm readers with sometimes technical and arcane information about ancient languages and cultures. For those wanting to dive deeper into these matters, suggested readings will be provided at the end of each article.

In addition, a non-exhaustive bibliography has been assembled to provide readers with a sense of the scope of research Latter-day Saints have devoted to the Book of Abraham over the span of many years and to make this research readily accessible for interested readers of this book of scripture.

Finally, a newly reformatted study edition of the Book of Abraham has been prepared to help facilitate a close, engaged reading of the text. While paying attention to reliable scholarship is important in approaching the Book of Abraham “by study and also by faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:118), it is crucial not to overlook the text itself.

The Book of Abraham essays, forty initially, will be posted weekly for the remainder of 2019. Content for the Book of Moses, Joseph Smith–Matthew, Joseph Smith–History, and the Articles of Faith, as well as additional content for the Book of Abraham, will be posted and announced as completed. All new content for Pearl of Great Price Central will be announced on Book of Mormon Central’s social media channels. Readers wanting to stay informed on developments at Pearl of Great Price Central, including the publication of new content, are encouraged to follow Book of Mormon Central on its social media sites (principally Facebook and Twitter).

It is the sincere hope of the staff at Book of Mormon Central and other volunteers who have assisted in this new research endeavor that readers will be able to discover or rediscover the profound truths contained in the Pearl of Great Price and increase their faith in Jesus Christ. As Hugh Nibley put it, “The Pearl of Great Price is unique among scriptures in that its message is available only to that extent to which God’s children choose to make it so, but at the same time it is capable of conveying knowledge of undreamed of scope and significance.”

Visit Pearl of Great Price Central

Evidence Central

This new Book of Mormon Central initiative seeks to centralize evidences for the Book of Mormon. This new website will publish 100 evidences for the Book of Mormon in October 2019. More evidence articles will be continually published heading into the future. The Book of Mormon is beautiful, miraculous, and true. Evidence Central is an initiative meant to help learners and seekers of truth view the Book of Mormon in a faith-inspiring light. Time vindicates the prophets.