A: Folio from Papyrus 46, containing 2 Corinthians 11:33-12:9; part f the Chester Beatty Papyri; Greek; paleographically dated between 175 and 225; University of Michigan Papyrus Collection. B. Manuscript on vellum, written in sepia-coloured Hijazi script. An Early Qur'anic Manuscript (1st century Hegira). from the word tijarat in verse 282 to the words nasiynā aw in verse 286 of Sūrah al-Baqarah. Script: Hijazi. Location: The David Collection, Copenhagen. C. Revelation, Hiram Township, OH, 1 Nov. 1831. Featured version, titled “77 Revelation Given in Hiram Novm. 1st. 1831,” copied [between 12 and 20 Nov. 1831] in Revelation Book 1, pp. 125–127; handwriting of John Whitmer; CHL; “A Book of Commandments & Revelations of the Lord given to Joseph the Seer & others by the Inspiration of God & gift & power of the Holy Ghost which Beareth Re[c]ord of the Father & Son & Holy Ghost which is one God Infinite & eternal World without end Amen,” Revelation Book 1, [ca. Mar. 1831–July 1835]”; Joseph Smith Papers.
Where Science Meets the Doctrine and Covenants: Come Follow Me Lesson: January 6 – 12: Doctrine and Covenants 1
We are told in Doctrine and Covenants 1:2, 6: “For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated…Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth.”
The oldest copy of the entire Bible is the Codex Sinaiticus, dating from sometime in the 4th century AD. The Old Testament portion of the Codex is a copy of a Greek translation known as the Septuagint. The oldest extant copy of a Masoretic, Hebrew Text dates to the 9th century.1
Among the oldest fragments of the Bible is Papyrus 46 (P. Chester Beatty II), shown above, designated as siglum 𝔓46, an early Greek New Testament manuscript written on papyrus, one of the manuscripts comprising the Chester Beatty Papyri. It has been paleographically dated to between 175 and 225 AD. The fragment shown is from the Pauline letters: 2 Corinthians 11:33-12:9. There are no earlier extant copies of any portion of the Bible.
We have no extant copies of the original Book of Mormon (except for a tiny fragment on paper allegedly copied from the plates), as the Gold Plates were returned by Joseph Smith to the Angel Moroni.
By comparison, we have much of the original manuscript for the Doctrine and Covenants in handwritten form as dictated to scribes by the Prophet Joseph Smith, in English, with no translation necessary. The original handwritten, bound copy was separated, probably to facilitated the printing process from handwritten to type-set. The Joseph Smith papers state, “The current state of the volume makes it difficult to determine its original condition. Nine gatherings of the volume are currently accounted for, but additional gatherings may have existed.” Many of the pages are very faded, but direct comparison can often be made between the handwritten copy and the printed copy, and the fidelity can be verified.
No Christian writer since New Testament times has claimed to have received revelation that has been written down as scripture. Then in 610, Muhammad, an Arab aged 40, reported being visited by Gabriel in the Cave of Hira and receiving his first revelation from God. Three years later, in 613, Muhammad began teaching his revelations publicly. Muhammad proclaimed that “God is One,” that complete “submission” (Islām) to God (Allāh) is the right way of life (dīn), and that he was a prophet and messenger of God. Originally, Muhammad’s revelations were passed on orally. Scholars agree that Muhammad himself did not write down his revelations. The earliest written copies were recorded on tablets, bones, and the wide, flat ends of date palm fronds. The Qur’an was first available in book form at about the time of Muhammad's death in 632.2
The Qur’an 1:1-7 states, “In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful. Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment. It is You we worship, and upon You we call for help. Guide us to the straight path. The path of those You have blessed, not of those against whom there is anger, nor of those who are misguided.”
The Qur’an refers to Jesus in over 90 verses in 15 surahs. The Qur’an describes Jesus as the Messiah (al-Masīḥ) the “word of Allah” (Sura 3:39 and 45), as a prophet of God who performed miracles, such as healing lepers, giving sight to the blind, and raising the dead. The Qur’an says that Jesus was born to Mary, a virgin (see Qur’an 3:59), and that he was sinless and superior to other prophets. However, the Qur’an denies that Jesus was crucified, died on the cross, and was resurrected. Rather, he was raised to God alive before his enemies could kill him on the cross. Most Muslims believe that Jesus will return at the last days to help restore global peace and justice on earth. The Qur’an denies that Jesus was divine, the son of God. Instead, Jesus was created by a word of command from Allah.
The Qur’an mentions the Israelites, the ancestors of the Jews and Samaritans, around 43 times, the Land of Israel is considered to be the Jewish people’s homeland, and that God gave it to them as a place to live. The Qur’an refers to Israel as another name for Jacob, the son of Isaac, who was to inherit the land promised to Abraham. It states that the people of Moses were divided into twelve tribes. The Qur’an also says that the Jews will return to the Land of Israel before the Last Judgment. The Qur’an also includes verses that are considered to be negative or hostile, such as Surah Al-Isra 4, which warns the Children of Israel that they will cause corruption in the land twice and become extremely arrogant. In the end when all return to God, He “will tell you the truth in the matter of your differences” (Qur’an 5:48; see also 5:82).
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not accept the Qur’an as scripture, but some Latter-day Saint leaders have said that they value the truths taught by Muhammad and other religious leaders:
A 2022 pamphlet released by the Church states, “Some Latter-day Saints believe that Muhammad was a spiritual leader who received revelations from God and enlightened nations. For example, in 1855, Elders George A. Smith and Parley P. Pratt praised Muhammad’s teachings and morality. In 1978, the First Presidency called Muhammad one of the world's great religious leaders.” A 35-page pamphlet called “Muslims and Latter-day Saints: Beliefs, Values, and Lifestyles” is available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.3
“The Church has released a pamphlet that seeks to understand Islamic practices and beliefs, and to portray them in a positive way. The pamphlet also acknowledges commonalities between Islam and Latter-day Saint beliefs, such as the importance of family, chastity, and helping those in need.”
“The Church teaches that Latter-day Saints should seek to appreciate the virtuous aspects of other faiths, and to cultivate an attitude of gratitude toward them.”4
Muslims believe that the Qur’an is the word of God and His final revelation. It communicates God’s will, teaching how to stay on the path that leads to salvation. Though it was written over 1,400 years ago, its Arabic text has never been changed, setting it apart from other books of scripture. Muslims also believe in scriptures that preceded the Qur’an: the Torah and the Bible (see Qur’an 3:3).
Islam sees men and women as being equal, with complementary roles (see Qur’an 3:195). Women are the principal figures in the home and men in the outside world. Muslim women also play prominent roles in public life. The Prophet Muhammad encouraged female education: “each Muslim woman is under a moral and religious obligation to seek knowledge, develop her intellect, broaden her outlook, cultivate her talents, and utilize her potential to the benefit of her soul and her society.”
Muslims believe that people will be resurrected and held accountable for their actions. The Qur’an teaches, “On that Day, people will come forward … to be shown their deeds: whoever has done an atom’s weight of good will see it, but whoever has done an atom’s worth of bad will see that” (Qur’an 99:6–8). God is merciful, though, and He forgives those who truly follow Him. They believe that family members, if righteous, can be together in Paradise after the resurrection. Maintaining strong family ties is an obligation, “Our Lord! Grant us that our spouses and our offspring be a joy to our eyes” (Qur’an 25:74; see also 3:110). The Qur’an teaches that, “Whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity” (Qur’an 5:32) and “Indeed, God is with those who are of service to others” (Qur’an 29:69).
Abraham was not a Jewish or Christian prophet, nor was the brother of Jared —although they both prophesied of Christ. We are told in Mosiah 8:16-18, “And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God. But a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known. Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings.”
Matthew 7:7-8 states, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” These verses do not state any other qualifications to receive revelation.
Given that Muhammad apparently received revelations in the seventh century AD, and that those revelations were written down by his followers, around 632 AD, there was still a hiatus of nearly 1,200 years, until the first revelation was received, which became Doctrine and Covenants section 3, in July 1828. This “Dawning of a New Age of Revelation” is among the most significant events in all of history. I look forward to investigating and analyzing the science associated with those unique revelations over the next twelve months.
Trent Dee Stephens, PhD
Reference
1. Evans, Craig A., Introduction, In Evans, Craig A.; Tov, Emanuel (eds.), Exploring the Origins of the Bible: Canon Formation in Historical, Literary, and Theological Perspective, Acadia Studies in Bible and Theology, Baker Academic, Ada, Michigan, 2008
2. Al-A'zami, Muhammad Mustafa, The History of The Qur'anic Text: From Revelation to Compilation: A Comparative Study with the Old and New Testaments, pp. 26–27, UK Islamic Academy, 2003.
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