The Book of Abraham-It's Genuineness Established (George Reynolds - Millennial Star 1879)

The Pearl of Great Price was originally published in 1851, in London, England, by Apostle Franklin D. Richards.  It wasn't until 1878 that it was printed in the United States, and subsequently canonized by the church in 1880. In connection with the republication of the book in 1878, Elder George Reynolds wrote a book offering "a few chapters written to prove its genuineness and divine origin."  This was believed to be beneficial as "very little has ever been said by the Elders of the Church in advocacy of its claim as an inspired record..." Additionally, Elder Reynolds stated that "while the people of God have said or written little in its defense, there have been those opposed to the revelations of God in these days, who have vigorously attacked it, who have styled its language "gibberish," and classed it among the "pious frauds" that have so often disgraced the history of religion, Christian and heathen."1 Elder Reynolds' response to these accusations forms the first apologetic and scholarly approach to discussing the Book of Abraham and Joseph Smith's translation thereof. 

His response was published piecemeal in London, England, in the Latter-Day Saints' Millennial Star.  During that same year, it was published as a booklet in Salt Lake City, Utah; all this amongst his legal difficulties relating to the practice of plural marriage. In 1878, Reynolds noted in his journal that he was studying outside "authorities" in relation to Abraham and other subjects.2  On January 6, 1879, Elder Reynolds was convicted in the famous Reynolds v. the United States case;3 the same day the first issue of Reynolds treatment on the Book of Abraham appeared in the Millennial Star.  The publication of his book in the Millennial Star is provided below.

Jules Remy - A Journey to Great Salt Lake City

As related by Elder George Reynolds in the Millennial Star in 1879, Jules Remy and Julius Brenchley visited Utah in 1855. On their return home to Paris, France, they brought with them a copy of The Book of Abraham,1 "which they placed in the hands of "a young savant of the Museum of the Louvre, M. Theodule Deveria," with the request that he would translate it. This he attempted to do. Messrs. Remy and Brenchley afterwards published an account of their travels, and embodied therein M. Deveria's soi-disant translation."2 This translation of the facsimiles into French was published by Jules Remy in 1860 in Paris, France, being his second volume relating to his "Journey to the Land of the Mormons." The next year an English addition appeared in print, "scrupulously revised," and retitled, A Journey to Great Salt Lake City.3

The first LDS response to the French publication came from Louis Bertrand, the LDS Mission President over France at that time. Bertrand was converted to the Gospel through John Taylor, and Bertrand substantially assisted Elder Taylor in translating the Book of Mormon into French. Bertrand's response to Remy was included in his book entitled Memoire's D'un Mormon [Memoirs of a Mormon], published in Paris, France, in 1862.

The extent of Remy's publication seems to have had limited circulation among the Latter-day Saints because this issue wasn't addressed again in print until George Reynold's response was published in 1879, six years following T.B.H. Stenhouse's publication of The Rocky Mountain Saints.4 Stenhouse plagiarized Remy's book by reproducing Deveria's translation of the Book of Abraham facsimiles which he then compared with Joseph Smith's explanations of the same. Stenhouse's publication is the most frequently used source by critics of Joseph Smith regarding translation of the Book of Abraham. Although Remy's book only includes one illustration of the facsimiles, Stenhouse's book includes all three (along with Deveria's translation of each). Many online and printed sources that are antagonistic of Joseph Smith still use Deveria's 150 year old translations as their primary support for critiquing Joseph's ability to translate.

The English publication of Remy's book is available below.

Reponse to Daniel Kidder - Times and Seasons

Subsequent to the publication of Mormonism and The Mormons, a response, written by the paper's editor, was published in the Times and Seasons in September 1842.1 It is apparent that the writer of this response did not deem Kidder's satire of the Book of Abraham worthy of specific comment. Kidder's book is compared to other's attacks against Joseph Smith and the Church, and is recognized as just another instance wherein the Saints will be blessed for having been falsely spoken of for Christ's sake. Kidder's book marks the first published criticism of the Book of Abraham, and Facsimile 1 associated therewith.  The response to his book is included below, which is an extraction from the Times and Seasons:

 

Jules Remy - Voyage Au Pays Des Mormons

As related by Elder George Reynolds in the Millennial Star in 1879, Jules Remy and Julius Brenchley visited Utah in 1855. On their return home to Paris, France, they brought with them a copy of The Book of Abraham, "which they placed in the hands of "a young savant of the Museum of the Louvre, M. Theodule Deveria," with the request that he would translate it. This he attempted to do. Messrs. Remy and Brenchley [sic] afterwards published an account of their travels, and embodied therein M. Deveria's soi-disant translation."1 This translation of the facsimiles into French was published by Jules Remy in 1860 in Paris, France, being his second volume relating to his "Journey to the Land of the Mormons." The next year an English addition appeared in print, "scrupulously revised," and retitled, A Journey to Great Salt Lake City.2

The first LDS response to this French publication came from Louis Bertrand, while serving as the Mission President over France. Bertrand was converted to the Gospel through John Taylor, and Bertrand substantially assisted Elder Taylor in translating the Book of Mormon into French.  Bertrand's response to Remy was included in his book entitled Memoire's D'un Mormon [Memoirs of a Mormon], published in Paris, France, in 1862. 

The extent of Remy's publication seems to have had limited circulation among the Latter-day Saints because this issue wasn't addressed again in print until George Reynold's response was published in 1879, six years following T.B.H. Stenhouse's publication of The Rocky Mountain Saints.3 Stenhouse plagiarized Remy's book by reproducing Deveria's translation of the Book of Abraham facsimiles which he then compared with Joseph Smith's explanations of the same.

The original publication of Remy's book in French is available below.  No translation is attempted, however, since the English version is also available online.