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In many of his translations of ancient records, Joseph Smith underscores the identity of the author by using the formula "I, (insert name here)." The best-known example is "I, Nephi," but the formula crops up everywhere that Joseph Smith translates an ancient record. In the Book of Moses there are a number of places where God himself uses this formula, as for example these two verses:

MOS 2:3 And I, God, said: Let there be light; and there was light.
MOS 2:4 And I, God, saw the light; and that light was good. And I, God, divided the light from the darkness.

These are of course modified from Genesis:

GEN 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
GEN 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

I think Joseph understood the power of first-person narrative. You can get your truths straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak. In the Book of Abraham, though, there is a plurality of gods doing the creating. The "I, God" formula, then, doesn't really work. So notice how these verses get rendered in the Book of Abraham:

ABR 4:3 And they said, the Gods, let there be light, and there was light.
ABR 4:4 And they, the Gods, comprehended the light, for it was bright; and they divided the light, or caused it to be divided from the darkness,

"I, God" becomes "they, the Gods." This is an obvious reaction to the Book of Moses's first-person formula. It has merely ben third-personized for the purposes of the Book of Abraham.

-CK

Interesting observation. The timeline of the scriptures (Book of Moses vs. Book of Abraham) corresponds nicely with Joseph Smith's changing beliefs regarding God(s).

ERMD said on MADB,

Why would he change it up?

I can understand the weight a first person narrative carries, but I'm not sure Joseph was sophisticated enough (especially at the time the Book of Mormon was produced) to make that connection.

Interesting observation nonetheless.

I don't think it takes that much sophistication to make that sort of connection. And frankly, one need look no further than Joseph's sermons, studies, and scriptures to see that he was a very sophisticated thinker.

The creation account in the Book of Abraham mostly follows Genesis and the Book of Moses, but makes several kinds of changes almost mechanically throughout.

1) Singular references to deity are replaced with the plural, and first person becomes third person. This accords, of course, with his new plurality of gods doctrine, springing from his study of Hebrew.
2) All references to creation or making are replaced with references to organizing or forming. This is a particular theological concern of Joseph's at the time of the Book of Abraham's production, springing apparently from his study of Hebrew.
3) References to speaking or saying are replaced with more forceful references to commanding, ordering, or proclaiming.
4) "It was good" is replaced with "they were obeyed".
5) Some past tense references to things the gods created are replaced with future tense, so that for example the gods "prepared" the waters to bring forth life and saw that they would be obeyed. This may be intended to resolve discrepancies in the order of creation between Gen. 1 and 2. (BoMoses resolved it differently, making Gen. 1 a spiritual and Gen. 2 a pysical creation. References to the spiritual creation-before-creation are purged in the Book of Abraham version.)
6) The seven days of creation are referred to as seven "times". This probably springs from Joseph Smith's study of Hebrew.
7) Names of rivers and such are purged, probably to accommodate a Missouri location for Eden.

The bottom line is that Joseph is incorporating his new theology and Hebrew study for the purpose of ceating a new translation of the Genesis narrative: a More Inspired Version, if you will.

-CK

Who Knows wrote:Interesting observation. The timeline of the scriptures (Book of Moses vs. Book of Abraham) corresponds nicely with Joseph Smith's changing beliefs regarding God(s).

Yes, it does. It also corresponds nicely with the timeline of his changing views on the other subjects mentioned in my post above.

-CK