Book of Moses

Not to be confused with Five Books of Moses or Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses.

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The Book of Moses, dictated by Joseph Smith, is part of the scriptural canon for some denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement. The book begins with the "Visions of Moses", a prologue to the story of the creation and the fall of man (Moses chapter 1), and continues with material corresponding to the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible's (JST) first six chapters of the Book of Genesis (Moses chapters 2–5, 8),[1] interrupted by two chapters of "extracts from the prophecy of Enoch" (Moses chapters 6–7).[2]

The Book of Moses begins with Moses speaking with God "face to face" and seeing a vision of all existence. Moses is initially overwhelmed by the immensity of the cosmos and humanity's smallness in comparison, but God then explains that he made the earth and heavens to bring humans to eternal life.[3]: 37–38  The book subsequently provides an enlarged account of the Genesis creation narrative which describes God having a corporeal body,[3]: 73  followed by a rendering of the fall of Adam and Eve in celebratory terms which emphasize eating the forbidden fruit as part of a process of gaining knowledge and becoming more like God.[3]: 39–41  [dubious – discuss]The Book of Moses also expands the story of Enoch,[1] described in the Bible as being an ancestor of Noah. In the expanded narrative, Enoch has a theophany in which he discovers that God is capable of sorrow, and that human sin and suffering cause him to grieve.[3]: 47–48  Enoch then receives a prophetic calling, and he eventually builds a city of Zion so righteous that it is taken to heaven.[4]: 138–141  Enoch's example inspired Smith's own hopes to establish the nascent Church of Christ as a Zion community.[3]: 57–60  The book also elaborates some passages that (to Christians) foreshadowed the coming of Christ, into explicit Christian knowledge of and faith in Jesus as a Savior - in effect Christianizing the Old Testament.[4]: 133–134 

Portions of the Book of Moses were originally published separately by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in 1851, but later combined and published as the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price, one of the four books of its scriptural canon. The same material is published by the Community of Christ as parts of its Doctrine and Covenants and Inspired Version of the Bible.[5]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Enycyclopedia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Matthews, Robert J. (January 1986). "How We Got the Book of Moses". Ensign. LDS Church.
  3. ^ a b c d e Givens, Terryl; Hauglid, Brian M. (2019). The Pearl of Greatest Price: Mormonism's Most Controversial Scripture. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 47–48. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190603861.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-060386-1. OL 28940280M.
  4. ^ a b Bushman, Richard (2005). Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. New York City: Knopf Doubleday. ISBN 9780307426482 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Matthews, Robert J. (July 1982). "Plain and Precious Things Restored". Ensign. LDS Church.