Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Latter-day Saint
On Justifying Racism from the Book of Abraham, plus Some Thoughts on the Constitution

On Justifying Racism from the Book of Abraham, plus Some Thoughts on the Constitution

Last updated on: December 8, 2022 at 9:56 pm by Dan Peterson

On Justifying Racism from the Book of Abraham, plus Some Thoughts on the Constitution 2022-12-08T21:56:26-07:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Joseph Smith Papyri were found not too terribly far from the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut which is also known as Deir el-Bahari. Located in Upper Egypt, across the Nile from Luxor, that temple is shown above. From a distance, at least, it has always struck me as remarkably modern in its appearance. Up close, though, the sculpted heads of Hathor and the other inscriptions and relief sculptures dispel that impression quite a bit.

A new article has appeared on the website of the Interpreter Foundation:

“Interpreting Interpreter: Inheriting a Curse,” written by Kyler Rasmussen

This post is a summary of the article ““Being of that Lineage”: Generational Curses and Inheritance in the Book of Abraham,” written by John S. Thompson, in Volume 54 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. An introduction to the “Interpreting Interpreter” series is available at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreting-interpreter-on-abstracting-thought/.

The Takeaway: Thompson argues that historical justifications of the priesthood ban that rely on passages in the Book of Abraham are based on modern assumptions rather than being present in the text itself. Those passages instead appear to align with an ancient understanding of legal inheritance (both by lineage and by covenant), as well as the natural consequences of failing to keep covenants. Thompson suggests that modern conceptions of race are not relevant to Abraham’s understanding of the priesthood, and emphasizes that a lost inheritance can be restored through the Atonement and through temple ordinances.

I’m rather fond of this quaint old document, and wish more people and more politicians were closely acquainted with it.
(Wikimedia Commons public domain image)

Some of you will recall that I’ve sworn off electoral politics here for the past several years, after having learned that at least two potentially substantial donors to the completely apolitical Interpreter Foundation had decided not to contribute to the Foundation because of my personal political views, as they had been expressed here. I’m not (alas!) backing away from my vow to eschew electoral politics on this blog. But the topic immediately below is, in my judgment, not a partisan matter — and it is too important to ignore:

“Then I have an Article 2 [of the Constitution], where I have the right to do whatever I want as president.” (Mr. Donald J.Trump, 23 July 2019)

“When Trump Promises to Be a Tyrant, Take Him at His Word”

“So, with the revelation of MASSIVE & WIDESPREAD FRAUD & DECEPTION in working closely with Big Tech Companies, the DNC, & the Democrat Party, do you throw the Presidential Election Results of 2020 OUT and declare the RIGHTFUL WINNER, or do you have a NEW ELECTION? A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” he wrote. “Our great ‘Founders’ did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!” (Mr. Donald J. Trump, 3 December 2022)

In response, here’s a deservedly famous passage from Robert Bolt’s classic play A Man for All Seasons:

WILLIAM ROPER: So now you’d give the Devil benefit of law!
THOMAS MORE: Yes. What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?
ROPER: I’d cut down every law in England to do that!
MORE: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned round on you — where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country’s planted thick with laws from coast to coast — man’s laws, not God’s — and if you cut them down — and you’re just the man to do it — d’you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I’d give the Devil the benefit of the law, for my own safety’s sake.

I follow it up with a passage from an even greater Author:

And again I say unto you, those who have been scattered by their enemies, it is my will that they should continue to importune for redress, and redemption, by the hands of those who are placed as rulers and are in authority over you—according to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles; that every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment. Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another. And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood. (Doctrine and Covenants 101:76-80)

The seat of the United States Supreme Court, located in Washington DC
(Wikimedia Commons public domain image)

And now I turn to a distinct issue that, to my mind, even more clearly transcends partisan electoral politics:

“The Supreme Court is hearing a case on LGBTQ rights and religion (again). Here’s what you need to know: Web designer Lorie Smith argues that a Colorado’s anti-discrimination law tramples her free speech rights”

“Alito Invokes Brief by Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty”

“Justice Gorsuch Accuses Colorado of Forcing Christian Baker to Undergo ‘Reeducation Program’”

I’m happy that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has filed an Amicus brief in this case, and it once again seems appropriate to me to quote a famous passage from the German Lutheran pastor and theologian Martin Niemöller (1892-1984). Pastor Niemöller was a prisoner between 1937 and 1945 at the Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps. In this passage, he is talking about the cowardice of German intellectuals following the Nazis’ rise to power and the subsequent purging of the Nazis’ chosen targets, one by one, group after group.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Religious liberty is a bedrock principle for me, as indeed it ought to be for anybody who affirms the Constitution of the United States of America and the first element of the First Amendment to that Constitution, which is the first part of the Bill of Rights.

This is fundamental.

And, if I see religious freedom seriously threatened — whether the threat be aimed at my own faith or at Muslims or at anybody else — trust me: I’ll be out on the barricades. (For an Amicus brief in a Supreme Court case connected with religious liberty that I did sign, please see here.)

Uncategorized

Alito

Book of Abraham

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Previous Post

December 4, 2022

Regarding Two Christmas Carols

Next Post

December 6, 2022 Things Done and Things to Do

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Paul instructs the Philippians to do everything without grumbling or arguing.

Select your answer to see how you score.

FALSE TRUE