The CES Letter and the Book of Abraham

The Book of Abraham is a unique and sometimes controversial part of Latter-day Saint scripture. It tells the story of the biblical figure Abraham and includes additional details to teachings found in the Bible. Critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have frequently pointed to the history of its translation in their arguments. One of these critics is Jeremy Runnells, who wrote the CES Letter. Written in the early 2010s, the CES Letter is a long document of compiled criticisms aimed to discredit the Church. 

The Letter spends considerable time on the Book of Abraham. But can the book be debunked as easily as Runnells claims? Here is an explanation of another side of the story.

What is the Book of Abraham?

The Book of Abraham was first published in 1842 and later canonized as scripture by the LDS Church. It tells a first-person narrative of Abraham’s life—how he rejected idolatry, made covenants with God, and gained knowledge about the creation of the earth and the purpose of life. The text adds detail and context to the biblical account in the Book of Genesis. The doctrine taught in the Book of Abraham relates mainly to life before birth, the nature of God, and God’s plan for humanity.

The book came from Egyptian papyri that Joseph Smith, the founder of the LDS Church and translator of the Book of Mormon, acquired in 1835. Joseph Smith claimed he translated the papyri by revelation, similar to what he said about his process of translation of the Book of Mormon. However, unlike the Book of Mormon, some of the source material for the Book of Abraham still exists. While some of the papyri fragments can still be studied today, they do not seem to contain the exact writings found in the Book of Abraham—a point which the CES Letter claims to be surefire evidence that Joseph Smith was a fraudulent translator.

The Translation Process: More Than Just Language

Translation typically means converting words from one language into another by understanding that language. However, Joseph Smith did not claim to be an expert in Egyptian. In fact, Egyptology—the study of ancient Egyptian writing and culture—was very limited in Joseph Smith’s time. Key breakthroughs, like Champollion’s decipherment of hieroglyphics, were still new, not fully understood, and not widely available in the United States.

Joseph Smith’s translation may be better understood as a spiritual process, where the physical papyri served as a catalyst for revelation. He didn’t just read the papyri like a textbook; instead, he received inspired knowledge about Abraham’s life and teachings. This view is supported by how Joseph translated other texts, like the Book of Mormon and portions of the Bible, often relying on revelation more than direct linguistic expertise.

What About the Papyri Fragments?

Today, only small pieces of the original papyri Joseph Smith used remain. These fragments were preserved and eventually returned to the LDS Church. Egyptologists—both LDS and non-LDS—have identified these fragments as parts of common Egyptian funerary texts, unrelated to Abraham or his story.

This discrepancy is cited in the CES Letter Mormon as evidence against the Book of Abraham’s authenticity. However, some Latter-day Saint scholars point out that ancient records were often copied and passed down through many generations, with original documents lost or altered. The papyri Joseph Smith translated may have been from copies of copies, or only part of a larger collection that is now lost.

Furthermore, it’s important to remember that Joseph Smith’s translation may not have been meant to be a literal word-for-word rendering. Rather, the papyri may have inspired the revealed content in a way that transcended direct linguistic correlation.

The Book of Abraham and the Ancient World

When we look beyond the papyri fragments and focus on the content of the Book of Abraham itself, some interesting connections emerge. The text includes accurate details about the ancient Near East—like references to a place called “the plain of Olishem,” which corresponds to a town known from inscriptions discovered only in the 20th century.

The book also talks about Abraham rejecting idolatry, a practice known from ancient history and consistent with stories of religious conflicts at the time. It describes Abraham teaching astronomy to Egyptians, a detail that aligns with non-biblical ancient texts mentioning Abraham’s wisdom and role in Egyptian courts.

Moreover, some figures and symbols in the Book of Abraham’s illustrations (called facsimiles) relate closely to known Egyptian iconography. Though Joseph Smith’s explanations differ from modern Egyptologists’ interpretations, several aspects resonate with ancient beliefs and cosmology, such as the geocentric model of the solar system.

Why Does This Matter?

For many who have questions about the Book of Abraham’s translation, a critical approach like that in the CES Letter PDF can create doubt. From an academic viewpoint, the inconsistencies between the papyri and the text are hard to resolve definitively. But within the Latter-day Saint faith, the Book of Abraham’s value is not based solely on historical or linguistic evidence.

The book’s teachings about God, life, and human purpose offer spiritual truths that believers find life-changing. Latter-day Saints hold that the ultimate witness of the book’s truth comes through prayer and personal revelation, not just external proof. Like with all religious faith, spiritual searching is just as important as intellectual searching when forming one’s personal beliefs.

Studying With Faith

The story of the Book of Abraham is complex. It involves ancient artifacts, a unique translation process, and teachings that expand on biblical history. While the few surviving papyri fragments do not directly match the text, the LDS Church explains this through the realities of ancient record-keeping and the principle of revelation-based translation.

Whether one accepts the Book of Abraham as scripture depends largely on faith. But even for skeptics, understanding the historical context and translation process can lead to a more respectful and nuanced view than what strictly critical perspectives like the CES Letter present. If you want to explore the Book of Abraham further, consider reading it alongside scholarly articles and Church resources, such as the Church’s Gospel Topics Essays, the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, and BYU Religious Studies. Approaching this book with curiosity and an open mind can reveal much about how faith and history sometimes intersect in unexpected ways.

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Mormonism Explained is a resource that was designed to provide objective and factual information about Mormonism, its history, doctrines, and policies. Our team of researchers consults experts and primary sources to present factual information on a variety of topics relevant to the Mormon Church.

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