Curses NEVER Were About Race In The Book of Abraham, Bible etc? | Egyptologist John Thompson E0017

Dr. Thompson tackles a topic that's often misunderstood: the concept of "curses" within sacred texts, especially regarding Latterday Saint teachings. With clarity and insight, he explains that what some might interpret as racial curses in scripture, like those mentioned in the Book of Abraham, is about something entirely different.

John S. Thompson is an acclaimed Egyptologist with a rich background in ancient scriptures and modern religious studies, including a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Thompson has dedicated his life to exploring the depths of ancient Egyptian culture and the Hebrew Bible. He has served in diverse religious communities and even participated on Harvard's executive board of university chaplains.

The Book of Abraham, sometimes misused to support racial worldviews within Latterday Saint history, actually discusses "curses" in terms of legal disinheritance, not racial inferiority. These "curses" imply a temporary loss of spiritual blessings or inheritance due to noncompliance with divine laws, applicable to anyone regardless of race.

This interpretation clarifies Joseph Smith's revelations, highlighting that divine blessings are inherited through adherence to covenantal lineage, as seen in ancient scriptures and modern practices like temple sealings.

Understanding these concepts helps avoid misinterpretations of sacred texts, emphasizing that spiritual disinheritance is reversible through gospel obedience. This concise understanding encourages and focuses on universal themes of redemption and the potential for all to inherit divine promises.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:01 "What happens is we blind ourselves with our own constructions."
02:56 Assumption One: Generational curses denying priesthood in the Book of Abraham must be a relic of Joseph Smith’s modern Americaninfluenced racism
03:30 Assumption Two: Generational curses appearing in the Book of Abraham and other scripture, being unjust, are not actually generational curses
04:39 Anciently, "Cursing oftentimes is associated with the concept of inheritance."
18:29 "Where is possible that we did off track?" | Understanding Abraham Chapter One
23:35 Inheriting Priesthood and Land in The Bible in Connection to Curses
26:50 Inheriting Priesthood and Land in Joseph Smith's Revelations in Connection to Curses
28:58 What does the Book of Abraham Actually Say?
35:48 Repairing Our Family Lines
44:30 "This family exaltation not individual exaltation"

John Thompson's Paper “Being of that Lineage: "Generational Curses and Inheritance in the Book of Abraham"
https://journal.interpreterfoundation...

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Disclaimer:
THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE INDIVIDUAL CREATORS AND GUESTS ALONE AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE OFFICIAL POSITION OF SCRIPTURE CENTRAL OR THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTERDAY SAINTS.