After Joseph Smith's death in 1844, the largest faction of Mormons migrated west to Utah under Brigham Young's leadership. They took with them various writings in the handwriting of Joseph Smith and his scribes that include ancient Egyptian characters as well as English verbiage. These writings were all put into a box labeled "Kirtland Egyptian Papers", known now by the acronym KEP for short. The KEP box was put in the archive, the existence of those papers was unknown until word of their existence started to leak out by accident in the mid-20th Century. In the 1960s, it became known that the church had these papers.
These papers generally have an Egyptian character on the left hand side, and then a paragraph of English text to the right.
The order that these Egyptian characters appear is the same order found on a piece of the papyrus found in a museum basement in NYC in 1967, and given over to the church. The papyrus is torn and a piece of it missing, including a part of the first line of those Egyptian characters. The Egyptian characters as they appear on the torn papyrus are those on the left and right sides of the torn out part. The remaining characters--without any inserted in between--are those as listed--in the EXACT order--in some of the KEP.
The English verbiage correlates to the English text at the beginning of the Book of Abraham (the 'translation' product of Joseph Smith and his scribes).
It is therefore nearly a statistical impossibility that the KEP was not an attempt to correlate English passages to characters as appear on the 1967-found papyrus, or that the beginning of the Book of Abraham was not the resulting narrative from a cobbling together of the English paragraphs taken from the KEP. That is, the KEP inextricably ties the Book of Abraham to the papyrus found in 1967.
The problem for the authenticity and genuineness of the Booka of Abraham as perhaps being what it purports to be is that the characters on the 1967-found papyrus do NOT translate linguistically into what the Book of Abraham says. Despite Joseph Smith's proclamation, still found as part of the LDS introduction to the Book of Abraham (part of the LDS canonized scripture), it is not a translation.
Mormon apologists stretch and strain to try to disconnect the Book of Abraham from the 1967-found papyrus. Knowing how fruitless that likely is to an open-minded reader, those apologists have come up with a couple of other explanations. One collection of such explanations are part of a catalyst theory. That posits that Joseph Smith was not 'translating' as he thought he was, but the papyrus was just a prop used by God to dupe Joseph Smith into thinking he was translating so that Joseph Smith's mind would be fertile and receptive to God planting into Smith's mind the story of Abraham. Essentially, the catalyst theory boils down to: Joseph Smith was merely receiving revelation, even though he thought he was 'translating.'
So what then were the papers of the KEP that appear to have been work papers by Smith and his scribes to develop and expand English passages that ended up in the Book of Abraham? Proponents of the catalyst theory (the papyrus was just a prop so Joseph Smith would think he was 'translating' when all that was happening was that the story of Abraham was being magically imparted to Joseph Smith's mind) have to explain away the KEP. One of their pet postulations is that the AFTER the Book of Abraham, through revelation, was rendered in English, committed to paper, then Joseph Smith and his scribes decided to try to reverse engineer from the papyrus and the Book of Abraham as alphabet and grammar of the ancient English language.
Thus arises the question: what evidence is there in the historical record that (a) the KEP preceded the Book of Abraham (cuts towards the work papers notion--the KEP were notes made in the development of English paragraphs included in the Book of Abraham), (b) the KEP was developed contemporaneously with the Book of Abraham verbiage (also tends toward the work papers notion, or (c) the KEP was created only after the Book of Abraham was finished (i.e., it was just an after-the-translation effort to corollate an alphabet and grammar from the characters on the papyrus and the Book of Abraham, in the order that they appear).
In this vein, I found recently the following, a post entered at 7:15 am on Monday, March 4, 2013, at Mormoncurtain.infymus.com, which suggests (b), the KEP was developed contemporaneously with parts of the first book of the Book of Abraham and that the KEP are work papers--notes made in the development of English paragraphs included in the Book of Abraham--which ties the Book of Abraham to the 1967-found papyrus, which does not translate linguistically into the Book of Abraham:
In May 1835, W W Phelps wrote a letter to his wife. In that letter, Phelps included a table entitled "specimen of the pure language" that incorporated "explanations" text from JSJr's previous "revelations". As with the GAEL [part of the KEP entitled "Grammar and Alphabet of the Egyptian Language"] begun two months later, characters were listed by Phelps in the 'specimen' in the left-hand column, sounds in the next one, and then explanations in the right-hand column. Phelps had used JSJr's March 1832 Q&A on the 'pure language' in preparing the "specimen of the pure language" table.
Just two months later [Joseph Smith first acquired the papyrus with Egyptian characters]...On the 3rd of July [1835], Michael H. Chandler came to Kirtland to exhibit some Egyptian mummies. There were four human figures, together with some two or more rolls of papyrus covered with hieroglyphic figures and devices. As Mr. Chandler had been told I could translate them, he brought me some of the characters, and I gave him the interpretation, and like a gentleman, he gave me the following certificate:This is similar to how after translating just a character grapheme from the Kinderhook Plates almost 8 years later that the GAEL key indicated to be referring to descendant of Ham, JSJr was recorded by his diarist William Clayton as those plates including a 'history' of such Ham descendant and was recorded by apostle Parley P Pratt as those plates including a 'genealogy' all the way back to Ham.
KIRTLAND, July 6, 1835. This is to make known to all who may be desirous, concerning the knowledge of Mr. Joseph Smith, Jun., in deciphering the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic characters in my possession,
which I have, in many eminent cities, showed to the most learned; and, from the information that I could ever learn, or meet with, I and that of Mr. Joseph Smith, Jun., to correspond in the most minute matters. MICHAEL H. CHANDLER,
Traveling with, and proprietor of, Egyptian mummies.
Sunday 5.--I preached in the afternoon. Michael H. Barton tried to get into the Church, but he was not willing to confess and forsake all his sins--and he was rejected.
Soon after this, some of the Saints at Kirtland purchased the mummies and papyrus, a description of which will appear hereafter, and with W. W. Phelps and Oliver Cowdery as scribes, I commenced the translation of some of the characters or hieroglyphics, and much to our joy found that one of the rolls contained the writings of Abraham, another the writings of Joseph of Egypt, etc.,--a more full account of which will appear in its place, as I proceed to examine or unfold them. Truly we can say, the Lord is beginning to reveal the abundance of peace and truth.
Sunday, 19th [July 1835].--Our public meeting was attended by more than a thousand people, and during our conference nine were baptized. ORSON HYDE, WM. E. M'LELLIN, Clerks.
The remainder of this month, I was continually engaged in translating an alphabet to the Book of Abraham, and arranging a grammar of the Egyptian language as practiced by the ancients.
The production of the alphabet itself was an act of 'translation.'
And Chris Smith [Christopher C. Smith, "The Dependence of Abraham 1:1-3 on the Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar," John Whitmer Historical Association Journal 29 (2009): 38-54] makes a strong case that this alphabet and grammar preceded, or was at least developed concurrently with, the development of the Book of Abraham 1:1-3 text.
I was at home on the 30th [September 1835], and was visited by many who came to inquire after the work of the Lord.It was while laboring on the alphabet, and during that research, that Abraham's astronomy was 'unfolded' to JSJr's, Cowdery's and Phelps' understanding. The particulars did appear later: Abraham's astronomy is set forth in Book of Abraham 3. This shows that the alphabet was not merely a human derivation, a reverse engineering from the revealed text of Book of Abraham; the alphabet constitutes 'work papers' [begun at least by July 19, 1835, see above] from which their laboring on and researching led to the 'unfolding to their understanding' [on September 30, 1835], revelation of Abraham's astronomy that then later appeared, i.e., as Book of Abraham 3. This defies the apologetic claim that the GAEL was merely a human derivative, reverse engineered from a divinely inspired text known as the Book of Abraham.
This afternoon I labored on the Egyptian alphabet, in company with Brothers Oliver Cowdery and W. W. Phelps, and during the research, the principles of astronomy as understood by Father Abraham and the ancients unfolded to our understanding, the particulars of which will appear hereafter.
This afternoon [October 7, 1835] I re-commenced translating the ancient records.
JSJr exhibited the alphabet to strengthen the faith of others, such as Erastus Holmes, who had been excommunicated from the Methodist Church for accepting Mormon Elders into his home.
Saturday, 14 [November 1835].-- * * * This afternoon, Erastus Holmes, of Newbury, Ohio, called on me to inquire about the establishment of the Church, and to be instructed in doctrine more perfectly.
I gave him a brief relation of my experience while in my juvenile years, say from six years old up to the time I received my first vision, which was when I was about fourteen years old; also the revelations that I
received afterwards concerning the Book of Mormon, and a short account of the rise and progress of the Church up to this date.
Tuesday 17 [November 1835].--Exhibited the alphabet of the ancient records, to Mr. Holmes, and some others. Went with him to Frederick G. Williams', to see the mummies. We then took the parting hand, and he started for home, being strong in the faith of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and determined to obey its requirements.
At home in the morning. Weather warm and rainy. We spent the day [November 20, 1835] in translating, and made rapid progress.
* * *
In the afternoon [of November 24, 1835] we translated some of the Egyptian records.
* * *
Wednesday, 25 [November 1835].--Spent the day in translating. * * *
Thursday, 26 [November 1835].--Spent the day in translating Egyptian characters from the papyrus, though severely afflicted with a cold.
Thursday, 31 [December 1835],--* * *
In the afternoon I attended at the chapel to give directions concerning the upper rooms, and more especially the west room, which I intend occupying for a translating room, which will be prepared this week.
We are occupying the translating room for the use of the school, until another room can be prepared. It is the west room in the upper part of the Temple, and was consecrated this morning by prayer, offered up by Father Smith. This is the first day [January 4, 1836] we have occupied it.
Tuesday, 16 [February 1835].--Attended school at the usual hour. Resumed our translating, and made rapid progress. Many called to see the House of the Lord, and the Egyptian manuscript, and to visit me.
Many references to translating Hebrew, particularly chapters of the OT, but the Egyptian translation next mentioned months later:
[November 2, 1836]The Church in Kirtland voted to sanction the appointment of Brother Phinehas Richards and Reuben Hedlock by the Presidency, to transact business for the Church in procuring means to translate and print the records taken from the Catacombs of Egypt, then in the Temple.
Saturday, 12 [May 1838].-- President Rigdon and myself attended the High Council
for the purpose of presenting for their consideration some business relating to our pecuniary concerns.
We stated to the Council our situation, as to maintaining our families, and the relation we now stand in to the Church, spending as we have for eight years, our time, talents, and property, in the service of
the Church: and being reduced as it were to beggary, and being still detained in the business and service of the Church, it appears necessary that something should be done for the support of our families by the
Church, or else we must do it by our own labors; and if the Church say to us, "Help yourselves," we will thank them and immediately do so; but if the Church say, "Serve us," some provision must be made for our
sustenance.
The Council investigated the matter, and instructed the Bishop to make over to President Joseph Smith, Jun., and Sidney Rigdon, each an eighty-acre lot of land from the property of the Church, situated adjacent to the city corporation; also appointed three of their number, viz., George W. Harris, Elias Higbee and Simeon Carter, a committee to confer with said Presidency, and satisfy them for their services the present year; not for preaching, or for receiving the word of God by revelation, neither for instructing the Saints in righteousness, but for services rendered in the printing establishment, in translating the ancient
records, etc., etc. Said committee agreed that Presidents Smith and Rigdon should receive $1,100 each as a just remuneration for their services this
year.
Memorial of Joseph Smith, Jun., to the high Council of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, June 18th, 1840. The Memorial of Joseph Smith, Jun., respectfully represents--That * * * Under the then existing circumstances, your Memorialist had necessarily to engage in the
temporalities of the Church, which he has had to attend to until the present time:--That your Memorialist feels it a duty which he owes to God,
as well as to the Church, to give his attention more particularly to those things connected with the spiritual welfare of the Saints, (which have now become a great people,) so that they may be built up in their most holy
faith, and go on to perfection:--That the Church have erected an office where he can attend to the affairs of the Church without distraction, he thinks, and verily believes, that the time has now come, when he should devote himself exclusively to those things which relate to the spiritualities of the Church, and commence the work of translating the Egyptian records, the Bible, and wait upon the Lord for such revelations as may be suited to the conditions and circumstances of the Church. And in order that he may be enabled to attend to those things, he prays your honorable body will relieve him from the anxiety and trouble necessarily attendant on business transactions, by appointing some one to take charge of the city plot, and attend to the business transactions which have heretofore rested upon your Memorialist: That should your Honors deem it proper to do so, your Memorialist would respectfully suggest that he would have no means of support whatever, and therefore would request that some one might be appointed to see that all his necessary wants may be provided for, as well as sufficient means or appropriations for a clerk or clerks, which he may require to aid him in his important work.
On March 1, 1842, the Book of Abraham was published in the Times and Seasons.
April 19, 1842: the Greek Psalter fiasco, where JSJr proclaimed an old book to be a "Dictionary of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics", but then secreted himself from the scene when Caswall explained to the assembled that it was just a centuries old Greek Psalter. Not Egyptian.
April - June, 1843, the GAEL is used by JSJr to translate a boat-shaped grapheme in a character on the Kinderhook Plates.
Wednesday, 15 [November 1843].--Mayor's court in the office. "Erskine versus Pullen." Nonsuit.
P. M. At the office. Suggested the idea of preparing a grammar of the Egyptian language.
