The Book of Abraham and Thomas Dick’s Philosophy of a Future State

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The Book of Abraham and Thomas Dick’s Philosophy of a Future State

Summary: Critics charge that Joseph Smith was influenced by Scottish philosopher Thomas Dick’s Philosophy of a Future State in his alleged fabrication of the book of Abraham.

Scottish philosopher Thomas Dick (24 November 1774 – 29 July 1857). Click to enlarge.

Fawn Brodie appears to be the first to advance this charge. She suggested that Joseph Smith developed the theology described in the book of Abraham by reading Dick’s book. There are scattered references to Abraham’s life throughout Dick’s book.

Critics note that an excerpt of Dick’s work was published by Oliver Cowdery in the Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate in December 1836.[1] One could make a weak assumption, based in this evidence, that Joseph Smith had access to Dick’s work in 1835 during the time that it is widely believed he was translating the book of Abraham.

It is also known that Joseph Smith was in possession of Dick’s book on January 31, 1844 when he donated his copy to the Nauvoo Library and Literary Institute.[2]

Finally, it is known that two of Dick's books were available in the Manchester Library located near the childhood home of Joseph Smith.[3] However, none of the Smith family were actually members of the library and were unlikely to have had access to its resources.[4]

Based upon this circumstantial evidence, Brodie not only assumes that the Prophet must have read the book, but that he incorporated Dick’s ideas into the book of Abraham.

The connection of Dick’s work to Joseph Smith is tantalizing enough to our critics (the argument appears frequently in their works) that this argument merits a response based in comparison of the theology of Philosophy of a Future State with the theology of the book of Abraham as well as what Philosophy of a Future State and the book of Abraham say about Abraham’s life.

The editors of this FAIR page note that Philosophy of a Future State was published in 1829. The book contains scattered references to Moses and thus comparison with what Philosophy of a Future State and the book of Moses say about Moses has also been the subject of investigation in this article.

Philosophy of a Future State on the Life of Abraham

Philosophy of a Future State does not mention anything about Abraham’s life that is also mentioned in the book of Abraham.

There are references to "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,"[5]: p. 121 to Abraham living as an intelligent being in another state at the time of Moses' encounter with the burning bush,[5] to Abraham "giving up the ghost" and being "gathered to his people,"[5] to Abraham being buried at Machpelah,[5] to the ability to sit with "Abraham , and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,"[5]:p. 123 and to Abraham's "[expectation] of a future city which had foundations, whose builder and maker is God." It is said that "[h]e obtained no such city in the earthly Canaan; and therefore we must necessarily suppose, that his views were directed at the mansions of perpetuity beyond the confines of the present world."[5]:p. 119

A Comparison of the Theologies of Philosophy of a Future State and Joseph Smith

The following is a comparison and contrast of several of the theological concepts of both Joseph Smith and Thomas Dick.

Concept Thomas Dick Joseph Smith
A Comparison of the Theologies of Philosophy of a Future State and Joseph Smith
Creation None but that Eternal Mind which counts the number of the stars, which called them from nothing into existence, and arranged them in the respective stations...[5]:p. 192 Now, I ask all who hear me, why the learned men who are preaching salvation, say that God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing? The reason is, that they are unlearned in the things of God... [6]:p. 350
Intelligences Dick taught that The Creator stands in no need of innumerable assemblages of worlds and of inferior ranks of intelligences, in order to secure or to augment his felicity. Innumerable ages before the universe was created, he existed alone, independent of every other being, and infinitely happy in the contemplation of his own eternal excellencies.[5]:p. 52 One critic believes that this is among the stronger parallels between Thomas Dick and Joseph Smith.[7] This parallel is severely complicated by the fact that "intelligence" was used commonly to refer to "a spiritual being" in Joseph Smith's day.[8] A spiritual being was commonly understood as an immaterial essence in Joseph Smith's day and Joseph taught the opposite: that spirit was made of matter.[9]

Finally, the Book of Abraham uses the words "intelligence," "spirit," and "soul" interchangeably. For example, one reads in Abraham 3:22-23:

22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;
23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.[10]
Nature of God a spiritual uncompounded substance, having no visible form.[5]:p. 188 God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens![6]:p. 345
Ability to comprehend God But the eternity, the omnipresence, and the omniscience of the Deity, are equally mysterious; for they are equally incomprehensible, and must for ever remain incomprehensible to all limited intelligences.[5]:p. 83 It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God, and to know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another, and that he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth. [6]:p. 345
Nature of Matter What successive creations have taken place since the first material world was launched into existence by the Omnipotent Creator? What new worlds and beings are still emerging into existence from the voids of space?[5]:p. 214 33 For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy;[11]
The Throne of God Critics allege that there are similarities between how both books describe the throne of God. Edward T. Jones, in a comprehensive review of Thomas Dick's and Joseph Smith's theology, wrote the following about this supposed "parallel":

What of the references to the "Throne of God?" The solution to this seems to be found in statements referring to Him who "sits on the throne of the universe," or "upon the throne of universal nature."[5]:p. 204These statements seem only to imply that the universe is God's throne. This position is further defensible from several other statements Dick makes in an introduction he wrote in 1845. He referred to "the majesty of Him who sits on the throne of the universe." He later refers to "him who 'sitteth on the circle of the heavens.'" There cannot be a geographic center of the universe, for that would require boundaries to be placed on the infinite, a concept which, as previously indicated, was rejected by Dick. There cannot be a "spiritual" center at which place God resides—he does not possess a body either physical or spiritual; he is omnipresent, existing everywhere. He is a Spirit which fills every bit of the universe, as has been determined earlier. Thus, Dick would appear to be speaking metaphorically when he refers to a center of the universe or to a Throne of God.

[. . .]

Though she does not state it explicitly, Mrs. Brodie infers that the concept of Kolob being near the throne of God (as taught in the Book of Abraham) came from Thomas Dick. Having referred to this relationship between Kolob and the Throne of God in the body of the text, she then states in a footnote: Compare the Book of Abraham with Dicks "The Philosophy of a Future State." As has already been observed, the concepts of God held by those two theologians are quite in contrast to each other. For Joseph Smith, God was "an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens."[6]:p. 305 For Thomas Dick, God was an uncompounded spiritual substance who "sits upon the throne of universal nature."[5]{{Rp|p. 204} It is true that Dick does in one place state that there may be a grand center about which the planetary systems revolve. But God Himself fills the immensity of space, and cannot therefore be located in any single spot; certainly not upon a throne in the sense the Prophet uses the term (and if the definitions agree, similarities are impossible. The terms may be the same, but if they stand for different things, there can be no equating of one to the other). For the latter the throne of God was a glorified or celestialized earth, upon which God, an "exalted man," dwelt. For Dick the throne constituted no planetary body, though there may be a geographical location at which spot Jesus and the holy angels reside, God Himself is every where, yet nowhere. God, as a physical, tangible being, does not exist. As a spiritual Essence, pervading the universe He does exist. Hence, to say that the planets revolve around the throne of God is meaningless, unless it is understood that God "sits upon the throne of universal nature." In this sense God takes on a character not unlike Joseph Smith's concept of the Light of Christ (with distinctions, of course,) It would appear that on this point Mrs, Brodie is again mistaken. It is true that Joseph's thinking may have been aided by some of the concepts he may have read in Dick's writings. But it appears to be a small probability that he was influenced by what Dick taught. If the Prophet "had recently been reading" Dick's works it would appear that he rejected most of that which Dick believed most strongly, while retaining that which Dick seemed to reject. There are several references in the Old Testament to the throne of God. These are referred to, and quoted by Dick, Joseph Smith could likewise have gained knowledge from the Old Testament, not to mention the Book of Mormon. Again, the possibility for influence is present, though small.[12]

Philosophy of a Future State on the Life of Moses

With regards to Moses, he is not mentioned in a context similar to that of the book of Moses. There is reference to Moses being animated by the conviction of a future world and life,[5] reference to Moses "being gathered to his people" as an evidence for the doctrine of afterlife in the Old Testament,[5]:p. 121 a reference to "holy intelligences" singing praises to God with the song of Moses--a reference to Revelations 15:3,[5]:p. 125 another reference to the same verse on page 225, a reference to Moses as a possible messenger to John regarding the "New Jerusalem" mentioned in revelations,[5]:p. 276 and a reference to Moses and others hypothetically forming "something approaching to a paradise on earth."[5]:p. 279


Notes

  1. ↑ Oliver Cowdery (editor), "ON THE ABSURDITY OF SUPPOSING THAT THE THINKING PRINCIPLE IN MAN WILL EVER BE ANNIHILATED," (December 1836) Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate 3:423-425. (An extract from "Thomas Dick's Philosophy of a Future State.") It should be noted that the November 1836 date given for this article given by Brodie in No Man Knows My History on page 171 is incorrect.
  2. ↑ Kenneth W. Godfrey, "A Note on the Nauvoo Library and Literary Institute," BYU Studies 14, no. 3 (1974): 388.
  3. ↑ Robert Paul, "Joseph Smith and the Manchester (New York) Library," BYU Studies 22, no. 3 (1982): 333–356.
  4. ↑ John L. Brooke, The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644-1844 (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1994), 207.
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 Thomas Dick, Philosophy of a Future State (London: William Collins, 1830).
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Joseph Fielding Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1977).
  7. ↑ Michael W. Goe, Mormonism Without Theism: The Non-Theistic Origins of Mormon Theology and Mythology (N.P.: Self-Published, 2017), Kindle Loc 4216.
  8. ↑ Webster's Dictionary 1828, s.v. "Intelligence," accessed June 20, 2020, http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/intelligence20.
  9. ↑ Doctrine and Covenants 131:7.
  10. ↑ Abraham 3: 22–23.
  11. ↑ D&C 93:33. An interesting thing for this reference is that the revelation cited comes from the year 1833--nearly three years before he began any academic study of the Hebrew language and thus would not have had any help from the Hebrew Bible or other sources to know that God created ex materia according to Genesis.
  12. ↑ Edward T. Jones, "The Theology of Thomas Dick and its Possible Relationship to that of Joseph Smith," BYU Master's Thesis, 1969, 85–87.
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