Scroll of Joseph
Has there ever been an inventory of ancient relics the Church has in its' posession or is it a 'secret'? I am particularly interested in the Scroll of Jospeh. I know that this scroll was not to be translated because of the significant things it revealed. I wonder if anyone has made any research into prophets that have discussed it.
I have not heard alot about the scroll of Joseph, what I do remember hearing about it was very interesting though. It appears that Joseph Smith was in possession of the writings of Joseph at some point, in commenting on a scriptural reference in the Book of Abraham where the Lord instructed Abraham to teach the Egyptians (3:15), the prophet said "The learning of the Egyptians, and their knowledge of astronomy was no doubt taught them by Abraham and Joseph, as their records testify, who received it from the Lord".
The sentence "as their records testify" leads us to believe that the prophet has obvious knowledge of Joseph's records.
Several scrolls came into the possession of the prophet in 1835 from Micheal Chandler, along with some mummies, the prophet was quoted to say that one of these scrolls contained the writings of Abraham, some (not all) of these writings were translated and published. Oliver Cowdery actually said that if all the Book of Abraham was translated that "volumes would be necessary to contain it".
This collection of scrolls and mummies were eventually sold after the death of the prophet to a Mr A Combs, it appears that at least two of the mummies were burned in the great Chicago fire of 1871.
In 1966 some of the Book of Abraham fragments were discovered by a Dr Aziz S Atiya, and were then presented to the Church in 1967.
The current whereabouts of the other portions of papyri or scrolls and the mummies is unknown.
To my understanding the Scrolls of Joseph have been translated and are being held by the church til' the time the Lord commands to bring them forth. Has for what are on them, In the Old Testament Institute manual in talks about why we do not have them it says that the things on the Scrolls of Joseph contain the most powerful Revelations ever revealed to man kind. And until we are ready for them God will not allow them to be viewed except by those who already have his permission.