Show THE BOOK OF ABRAHAM it un genuineness established u t BY ELDER GEORGE georae REYNOLDS CHAP vj VI traces of gospel aldeas ideas in persian greek and roman mythologies the ancient pagan mysteries itle itie circular t cut out in the book of abraham Aoraham its im import port poro etc from the egyptians we will turn to the persians the people next most likely to show traces in their religion of the influence left by the preaching of the gospel in patriarchal 7 days lays mr hyde in his lre religion JRe ligion of the persians 21 sr 11 points out how that as set bet forth in its sacred books taught that the human race sprang from a single pair that it bore testimony to the occurrence of the flood that it mention mentions noah sNoah and his bis sons that as far as abraham is concerned it declares him to have been its own ia author thor and that it makes mention also aiso aleo ot bt moses moreover it contains bains 0 predictions respecting the appearance on earth of a savior who would ultimately overthrow the kingdom of darkness and make 1 supreme bu p r I 1 and universal the kingi king kink aiom do n i of light and of gad lt jalo anlo 1 taught thu tho existence at of rood good and angels also a resurrection ion of the dead the religions of ancient greece A and ad rome were to a very great extent origin originally aly Uly drawn from those of egypt persia and many traces of gos goa pel pl can be found ln in them thein hid den don concealed under the gnass mass of filth and abomination ibao thao in in later ages disgraced the reli Tell gions of the kingdom of brass braks and iron still in all these nations ons ond it is admitted that so far from atheism and godless IrrOl klon kion being the luie rule I 1 belief in the divi divine ne koe hoever hoe vcr mistaken and vors worship hl p of twe two the Divine however superstitious everywhere prevailed s with regard to special gostol ideas pre pro i in all these nations it has been bien remarked that baptism was as completely a 0 portion of the primeval ceremonial worship as was the tenet of immortality and resu resurrection r a portion of the primeval creed s it is also noticeable that all the greek schools schoola of philosophy taught the doctrine pf af the eternity of matter and not only had these races a knowledge of things that occurred in antediluvian days but in their ways they recounted the history of the war in heaven when lucifer was cast out those curious cullous on this point can read their accounts ef of the war between the and beav heaven ell and odthe of the giants agal agai against 13 jupiter we now turn to another interesting feature of this phase of the subject in the explanation given by the prophet joseph of the aiso also or circular cut accompanying the bo book ok of abraham be hp states hig elg fig ais made to represent god bitting hitting upon his throne clothed with power and authority with ith alth a crown of eternal light upon his head representing 0 g also the grand keywords odthe of the holy holk priesthood as revealed to adam in the garden of bt aden eden as also aiso to belh noah and all to the priesthood ri tyka ivia waa reveal id fiks 7 also contains fethe the irand key words of the priesthood riest hood 11 bod god od having delivered these powers bf f tho the heavenly kingdo kingdom to all to horn the priest priesthood oo 00 was reveal tid iid d 11 until abrahams day it ouid be but natural toi to suppose hat as men gradually departed irom tha truth they would still en on d deavor eavor to retain these sacred trusts in their midst and however much they might depart from the purity of the faith proclaimed and practiced by the ancient patriarchs they would still strive to perpetu ate the knowledge these keys conveyed hat they might have a claim anthe on the blessings blessing of the world to come edme it is so natural to humanity to claim the blessings of gods word long jong after they have ceased to regard its obligations the abt fact of these things appearing in the book of abraham written in renders it very suppo ibie aible that at one time the import of these revelations was y tose lose yeb hira ilia egyptians who received the teachings of A abraham brabam and so far as jewish tradition is concer concerned ned nod it is full 0 of references to these matters though these latter perhaps more inor directly centre iu lu the rites of the at jerusalem it ia Is our province to show that the recoil ec tion of these things was sought 16 be perpetuated amongst the heath on originating aa as usual in egypt long after the greater portion f that which was pure and holy I 1 m the with which these things had been associated by the ministers of the word of jehovah was lost eight of in the teachings and practices of these gentile nations to do this we must call attention to the so called secret mysteries of the ancients ancient ss which i to ous us seem clearly in their origin to have been attempts to imitate the administrations of the heiy hely priesthood in the sacred rites appertaining to the falness of the gospel in the investigation of this point we are greatly indebted to M nabers fabera researches into the mysteries of the 2 and to other authors who have enlarged upon his researches according to ome of the genfi gentl men mea above referred to some of these mysteries were expressly instituted as there is good reason to believe to preserve in remember ance the remains of pure primeval faith and worship another states every ancient people possessed Ms mysteries which had for their object to uphold the reli tell religious giotis truths that ani animate matel matei the hope of immortality orin or in which were observed rites intended to explain and enforce the conduct suitable to those who cherished and wished to xea rea realized realize lizel that hope what took place in the administration of these mysteries Is very difficult for the enquirer to discover for tor they were conducted in secret and those who were permitted to take part in them were solemnly obliged not to divulge what they had seen and annd learned the word mystery itself being derived from a greek word signifying to shut the lips ipa however from what can be learia learned ed it Is believed that the initiated were powerfully appealed to by scenic or other modes of representing the condition odthe good and bad 1 according to a writer in the amer american they consisted I 1 in go general noral of rites of purification and expiation of sacrifices and anspro pro ecstatic or orgiastic astle bongs songs and of nocturnal festivals fit to impress the imagination and of spectacles aclei designed to excite the most diverse emotions terror and trust and knot and joy oy hope and despair the celebration was chiefly by symbolical acts and spectacles yet sacred mystical words formulas mul mui as fag fragments ants of liturgies or hymns wro wre also aiso employed there were likewise chilain certain objects with which occult meanings meaning sj that were imparted Impart pd to the initiated were associated socia ted or which were used in the var various lotis ceremonies in the ascending scale of initiation the sacred phrases ph raees concerning which silence was imposed were themselves symbolical legends and probably not statements of speculative truths ste croix on this subject writes the germ of the mysteries 19 13 is 19 us tra tion or purification by water gand and land expiation the doctrines taught taugh were the necessity of repentance pen tance and confession the immortality of the soul and a future state of re rewards wards and punishments the br sr de do sacy bacy adds OC ertain certain rites and symbols were secret and these it was sacrilege to reveal s baur states the fundamental idea of the mysteries is that of a god who buffers suffers and dies and afterwards triumphs over death and has A a glorious resurrect resurrection ioia regarding the persian mysteries of Mv My thras it has been written the initiation was protracted and severe the neophyte was baptized anointed on the forehead and received bread and wine a crown was placed on his head s with regard tp to the preparation needed from horn those who asked admission to these rites the very remarkable statement is made it is js quite undoubted respecting them that as a necel necessary sary condition to admission and as ael an important part of two things were imperatively necessary namely a confession of sins a promise of amendment of life followed fol foi lowid by baptism in bome form more or less complete faber states baptism continued to be handed down in bli ail the mysteries whilst another writer affirms that continence fasting and lust rations viero viere wera n necessary e prerequisites requisites pre before the ap could enter the sacred doors it is arad a fact fael worthy or or consideration that in a list of furty five sacred greek words gat gut gathered hired by M baber faber there is scarcely one which does net not resemble liae heme hehe hen heb rew term for the same or a similar As the ages rolled round these mysteries degenerated into the moat most licentious orgies where re excesses ces es of a disgracer disgraceful iii character cha yvere ivere were BO so shamelessly practiced that in some bomb cases eases they fell under the ban a portion of the worship of the gods As an example of this thia we will take the mysteries of dionysus these were originally celebi celebrated cited by women alone inthe lathe in thel temple tempie of dionysus they were presided oven over by the wife bf tha the acl aci archon ia 11 king kins basi lissa assisted by rou fou fourteen arteen nese nest esses to took aji an oath bath that she sho wab was wa pura pure and it jwj audith and with Ith who mAhe d offered fri ened ered mystic n vs v 10 sacrifices for rhe the welfare 1 re loft of the heity pity when these mysteries were introduced into speedily degenerated into shameful tle inen mien As as well ag hs I 1 initiated iti a and nd such wera were the crimes and excesses committed that thai they were at length suppressed by a sen ailua consult B C livy 8 18 it has been urged as as argument against the veracity of the translation by the prophet joseph smith af of the circular cut or disc but why we nye cannot comprehend that numerous copies of it exist scattered amongst air bir angst the museums of europe these copies have been found buried with mummies in the same game why way as theone the one that fell into the prophets hands instead of being an argument against the truthfulness of the translation given by joseph smith we consider it a one in its favor for thit this reason acknowledge that some bome peculiar po potency was ascribed to it by the lanci ancient ent egyptians but their ideas ar aro are very vague tague aa as to in wh that power consisted it wa wat waed was eg customary with the ancient inhabitants ot of the nile y to 16 thel dead in hwo wrappings rapp 1 I on oni which various facts re relating abing to tha the life of the deceased were narrated this writing was addressed 16 osiris the chie chief lord of Amen amentia iid the land jand of oy taa tle the dp departed parted and amongst other things it that the acts odthe of the osin tho deceased had bad been boon nihed by the seven inquisitors inqui an appointed to investigate the lives ilves of men and that he was found worthy to pass by those who guarded the gates of the eternal worlds and partake of the blessings of the saved accompanying the mummy is also often found this sacred diso disc or hy by poci philas as the learned term it which if we was usually placed under or near fhe the head of the mummy the translations s given by the professedly learned convey pa 9 idea why this waa was so placed but the revelation through our martyred marty red prophet that it contains the keywords key worda words of the holy priesthood at once makes the reason plain the egyptians buried this disc containing these sacred words with their dead for very much the same reason that the saints bur buy bury y their dead in the robe robes 8 of the holy holi pries priesthood t hood no doubt the true meaning paean ng of these thebe key words was soon boon lost from amongst the egyptians but they knew enough to understand something of their value and as ages rolled on their apostate priesthood doubtlessly invented some myth to take their place that these priests did claim to hold such keys ia is clearly shown in a photograph in the deseret museum of the walls of the temple e at on which the god goda a are r 0 represented each holding a key in his hand |