The Book of Abraham papyri were thought to have been lost in the 1871 Great Chicago Fire . However , in 1966 several fragments of the papyri were found in the archives of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and in the LDS Church archives . They are now referred to as the Joseph Smith Papyri . Upon examination by professional Mormon and non-Mormon Egyptologists , these fragments were identified as Egyptian funerary texts , including the " Breathing Permit of Hôr " and the " Book of the Dead " , among others . As a result , the Book of Abraham has been the source of significant controversy . Critics say it is a work of fiction created by Smith , while some Mormon apologists defend its authenticity
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Book of Abraham