Pearl of Great Price Study
The Pearl of Great Price is a collection of writings that includes the Book of Moses, the Book of Abraham, Joseph Smith's history, and the Articles of Faith. Though smaller than the other Standard Works, it contains some of the most doctrinally significant material in Latter-day Saint scripture - including the creation account from Moses and Abraham's vision of the cosmos. LDS Sunday School helps you understand any passage with the context it deserves.
The Smallest but Most Concentrated Standard Work
The Pearl of Great Price is the shortest of the four standard works, but page for page it may be the most doctrinally rich. It gathers five bodies of writing: the Book of Moses, the Book of Abraham, Joseph Smith's translation of Matthew chapter 24, Joseph Smith History, and the Articles of Faith. Each came into the Church through Joseph Smith at a different point in the Restoration.
The book takes its name from the Savior's parable in Matthew 13, where a merchant sells everything he has to buy one pearl of great price. The title claims these writings are worth that much. They restore truths about the Creation, the premortal existence, and the plan of salvation that are found nowhere else in scripture with the same clarity.
Moses and Abraham
The Book of Moses came from Joseph Smith's inspired revision of Genesis, begun in 1830. It restores a vision Moses received before writing Genesis, and it adds the account of Enoch and the city of Zion that was taken up to heaven. Moses 1:39 gives one of the clearest statements of God's purpose in all scripture: to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
The Book of Abraham was produced from ancient records connected to Egyptian papyri that came into Joseph Smith's hands in 1835. It teaches about the premortal council in heaven, the foreordination of the Savior, and the organization of the cosmos. Abraham chapter 3 describes spirits who existed before this life and were chosen for their missions on earth. These chapters shaped the way Latter-day Saints understand where they came from.
Joseph Smith History and the Articles of Faith
Joseph Smith History is the Prophet's own account of the First Vision, the visits of the angel Moroni, and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. It is measured, specific, and unadorned. When Joseph describes going into the grove in the spring of 1820 to ask which church to join, he is not writing legend. He is testifying of what he says happened to him as a boy of fourteen.
The Articles of Faith are thirteen short statements Joseph Smith wrote in 1842 in response to a newspaper editor named John Wentworth. They summarize core beliefs of the Church plainly enough for a child to memorize, which generations of Primary children have done. When a passage in this book assumes background you do not have, LDS Sunday School can supply the context and plain-language meaning so it opens up.
Key Principles
- ✓The Book of Moses restores content missing from the Genesis account of creation and the Fall
- ✓The Book of Abraham contains Abraham's vision of pre-mortal life and the creation
- ✓Joseph Smith History is the account of the First Vision in Joseph's own words
- ✓The Articles of Faith summarize thirteen core beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ
- ✓The Pearl of Great Price is studied in the Come Follow Me cycle alongside the Old Testament
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Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
What is in the Pearl of Great Price?
The Pearl of Great Price contains five parts: the Book of Moses, the Book of Abraham, Joseph Smith's translation of Matthew chapter 24, Joseph Smith History, and the Articles of Faith. Though it is the shortest of the standard works, it restores important truths about the Creation, the premortal life, and the plan of salvation that shaped Latter-day Saint theology.
Where did the Book of Abraham come from?
The Book of Abraham was produced by Joseph Smith beginning in 1835, connected to ancient Egyptian papyri that were purchased and brought to him. It presents Abraham's teachings about the premortal council in heaven, the foreordination of the Savior, and the organization of the cosmos. Abraham chapter 3, describing spirits chosen before this life, is among its most studied passages.
What are the Articles of Faith?
The Articles of Faith are thirteen short statements of belief written by Joseph Smith in 1842 for a newspaper editor named John Wentworth. They summarize central teachings of the Church, from faith in God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, to belief in modern revelation. Many Primary children memorize all thirteen as part of their gospel learning.
When is the Pearl of Great Price studied in Come Follow Me?
Portions of the Pearl of Great Price are studied during the Old Testament year of the four-year Come Follow Me cycle. The Book of Moses and the Book of Abraham are read alongside Genesis because they restore and expand on the Creation and the early chapters of the Old Testament. Joseph Smith History is often studied during the Doctrine and Covenants year.