Epilogue

The Pearl of Great Price has an importance in the Church of Jesus Christ far out of proportion to its size. The Book of Moses is the foundation for its most important doctrinal claims. The Book of Abraham undergirds its understanding of priesthood and its entire temple theology that is oriented around the eternal binding together of human families. Canonizing Joseph Smith’s autobiographical writings effectively dismantles the doctrine of sola scriptura. The controversies around the Book of Abraham mean that this canonical book of scripture represents the church’s greatest strengths and greatest vulnerabilities. However, the church is likely to weather these storms, as it has those of the past.