The Book of Abraham is the most damaging piece of evidence against Mormonism, and it's not even close. Why? Because unlike the golden plates (which conveniently "disappeared"), the original papyri that Joseph Smith claimed to translate into scripture were rediscovered in 1967, and they prove without a shadow of a doubt that Joseph Smith was not translating anything. He was making it all up.
What Is the Book of Abraham?
The Book of Abraham is part of the Pearl of Great Price, one of Mormonism's four "standard works." Joseph Smith claimed he purchased Egyptian scrolls in 1835 from a traveling mummy exhibit and began "translating" them by the gift and power of God. What came out of that? A new book of scripture with:
A story of Abraham almost being sacrificed in Egypt
Teachings about Kolob, the planet closest to God
A "pre-mortal existence" of souls
The idea that some spirits were more valiant than others (used to justify racist priesthood bans)
Sounds pretty deep. There's just one small issue...
The 1967 Discovery: Papyrus Exposed
In 1967, the original papyri Joseph Smith used were rediscovered in the LDS Church archives and made available to scholars. What did Egyptologists find? They were common Egyptian funerary texts, not written by Abraham, not unique, and not sacred scripture. Specifically, they were from the Book of Breathings, a standard text buried with the dead to guide them in the afterlife.
Joseph Smith's "Book of Abraham" was a complete fabrication.
Joseph Smith included three facsimiles in the Book of Abraham, ancient Egyptian illustrations with his own interpretations. Here's one of the worst examples:
Facsimile 1
Joseph's Explanation:
The man with the knife is "the priest of Elkenah attempting to offer up Abraham as a sacrifice."
The reclining figure is "Abraham fastened upon an altar."
The bird is "the angel of the Lord."
Actual Egyptologists:
The man with the knife? Anubis, god of embalming.
The reclining figure? The dead person being prepared for burial.
The bird? A representation of the soul or ba of the deceased.
Joseph couldn't have been more wrong if he tried.
What Scholars, Including LDS Ones, Say:
"There is absolutely no way that the Book of Abraham can be the translation of the papyri we have."
— Dr. Robert Ritner, Egyptologist, University of Chicago
"As a Latter-day Saint, I believe in Joseph Smith's prophetic calling. As an Egyptologist, I recognize that the Joseph Smith papyri have nothing to do with Abraham."
— Dr. John Gee, LDS Egyptologist (yes, even he admits it)
So even LDS scholars admit: the papyri do not contain the writings of Abraham.
Joseph's "Translation" Process According to LDS history:
He didn't use the Urim and Thummim or seer stones this time.
He looked at the actual Egyptian characters and claimed to translate them.
He even created the Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar, a document trying to match Egyptian symbols to long English phrases.
Egyptologists reviewing the document today?
"Completely nonsensical. Gibberish. There is no correlation between the symbols and what Joseph said they meant."
If he couldn't translate real Egyptian, how did he translate the Book of Mormon?
Why This Destroys His Prophetic Credibility
Unlike the golden plates, the papyri still exist. We have the source. We have the translation. And we know he got it all wrong. This isn't a spiritual matter. It's a testable historical claim, and Joseph Smith fails completely.
Biblical Standard for Prophets
"When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken..."
— Deuteronomy 18:22
Joseph Smith didn't just make a few mistakes, he fabricated an entire book of scripture, passed it off as divine, and got every piece of it wrong. That's not revelation. That's deception.
Common Mormon Responses (And How to Clap Back)
"We don't have the original scrolls."
Wrong. We have the exact scroll that matches Facsimile 1 and the notes Joseph used to "translate" the text. It's the same document. Scholars agree.
"It's not a translation, it's a revelation."
Then why did Joseph call it a translation and produce a grammar document? You can't rewrite the process after the fact.
"The papyri are a catalyst for revelation."
That's like saying a cereal box is a catalyst for writing the Book of Romans. It's damage control, not doctrine.
The Fallout
Once this evidence became public, even former LDS Egyptologist Grant Palmer admitted:
"This was the final straw for me. Joseph Smith failed the test. I could no longer believe he was a true prophet."
The Book of Abraham isn't a side issue. It's a core test of Joseph's prophetic gift. And he fails it in front of a worldwide audience.
The Book That Buried the Prophet
The Book of Abraham is not scripture. It's not even close. It's the smoking gun of Joseph Smith's fraud, with hard, physical evidence to prove it. And the fact that the LDS Church still includes it in their canon says more about their priorities than their commitment to truth. When a prophet invents scripture from a pagan funeral scroll, you don't need another witness. You just need to walk away.