Book of Abraham, Early 1842

In the land of the Chaldeans, at the  residence of my father, I, Abraham, saw  that it was needful for me to obtain anoth er place of residence, and finding there  was greater happiness and peace and rest  for me, I sought for the blessings of the  fathers and the right whereunto I should  be ordained to administer the same; hav ing been myself a follower of righteous ness, desiring also to be one who posses sed great knowledge, and to be a greater  follower of righteousness, and to possess  a greater knowledge, and to be a father  of many nations, a prince of peace; and  desiring to receive instructions, and to  keep the commandments of God, I became  a rightful heir, a high priest, holding the  right belonging to the fathers, it was con ferred upon me from the fathers; it came  down from the fathers, from the begin ning of time, yea, even from the begin ning, or before the foundations of the  earth, to the present time, even the right  of the first born, on the first man, who is  Adam, or first father, through the fathers,  unto me.

2. I sought for mine appointment unto  the Priesthood according to the appoint ment of God unto the fathers, concerning  the seed. My fathers having turned from  their righteousness, and from the holy  commandments which the Lord their God  had given unto them, unto the worship ping of the Gods of the heathens, utterly  refused to hearken to my voice; for their  hearts were set to do evil, and were whol ly turned to the God of Elkenah, and the  God of Libnah, and the God of Mahmack rah, and the God of Korash, and the God  of Pharaoh, King of Egypt; therefore  they turned their hearts to the sacrifice of  the heathen in offering up their children  unto their dumb idols, and hearkened not  unto my voice but endeavored to take  away my life by the hand of the priest of  Elkenah; the priest of Elkenah was also  the priest of Pharaoh.

3. Now, at this time it was the custom of  the priest of Pharaoh, the King of Egypt  to offer up upon the altar which was built  in the land of Chaldea, for the offering  unto these strange Gods, both men, wo [m]en and children. And it came to pass  that the priest made an offering unto the  God of Pharaoh, and also unto the God of  Shagreel, even after the manner of the  Egyptians. Now the God of Shagreel  was the Sun. Even the thank-offering of  a child did the priest of Pharaoh offer upon  the altar, which stood by the hill called  Potiphar’s Hill, at the head of the plain of  Olishem. Now, this priest had offered  upon this altar three virgins at one time,  who were the daughters of Onitah, one of  the Royal descent, directly from the loins  of Ham. These virgins were offered up  because of their virtue; they would not  bow down to worship Gods of wood or of  stone, therefore they were killed upon this  altar, and it was done after the manner of  the Egyptians.

4. And it come to pass that the priests  laid violence upon me, that they might  slay me, also, as they did those virgins,  upon this altar; and that you might have  a knowledge of this altar, I will refer you  to the representation at the commence ment of this record. It was made after  the form of a bedstead, such as was had  among the Chaldeans, and it stood before  the gods of Elkenah, Libnah, Mahmackrah,  Korash, & also a God like unto that of Pha raoh King of Egypt. That you may have  an understanding of these Gods, I have  given you the fashion of them in the fig ures, at the beginning, which manner of  the figures is called by the Chaldeans  Rahleenos, which signifies Hyeroglyph ics.

5. And as they lifted up their hands  upon me, that they might offer me up, and  take away my life, behold, I lifted up my  voice unto the Lord my God; and the  Lord hearkened and heard, and he filled  me with a vision of the Almighty, and the  angel of his presence stood by me, and im mediately unloosed my bands, and his  voice was unto me. Abram! Abram! be hold, my name is JEHOVAH, and I have  heard thee, and have come down to deli ver thee, and to take thee away from thy  fathers house, and from all thy kin-folks,  into a strange land, which thou knowest  not of, and this because they have turned  their hearts away from me, to worship  the God of Elkenah, and the God of Libnah,  & the God of Mahmackrah, & the God of  Korash, and the God of Pharaoh King of  Egypt; therefore I have come down to  visit them, and to destroy him who hath  lifted up his hand against thee, Abram,  my son, to take away thy life: Behold  I will lead thee by my hand, and I [p. 704]