The Key to the Keystone

by Jonah R. Barnes

Over 2,000 years ago, a band of desert travelers huddled against the sandy blasts of the Arabian peninsula. They clutched in their arms a metallic book and absconded away to preserve it against the impending doom of the Babylonian invasion. This treasured text would become the source material for the Book of Mormon, one of the most influential books in American history. Though critics have tried (and spectacularly failed) to explain its origins, the Book of Mormon owes everything to this mysterious stolen text. Yet that ancient brass book wasn't the only treasure to emerge from the sands of the Near East. Years after the publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830, a cascade of newly discovered apocryphal texts would appear like voices from the dust. Using these miraculous new sources, independent researcher Jonah Barnes has used paleography and philology to reconstruct the content of Lehi's brass plates. His research will answer questions such Which books were on the brass plates stolen by Lehi in 597 BC? Can we read them? Who corrupted the Old Testament canon? And how badly? Who was Lucifer, and why does the Bible say so little about him? Who was Eve, and why are the Christian creeds so hard on women? Who was the prophet Abinadi? Where did he come from? How did the prophet Isaiah die? Who killed him and why? Who murdered the prophet Jeremiah? And what for? Why does the Book of Mormon sound too Messianic and not more Mosaic? Do the apocrypha support the authority of the Bible? Or do they support the Book of Mormon? Do anti-Mormons think Joseph Smith was a time-traveler? Do they think Elvis is still alive? Filled with unique parallels and scriptural insights with recently discovered apocryphal works, the The Key to the Keystone will unlock the Book of Mormon and change your view of the mission of Jesus Christ. And it might make you chuckle along the way.

262 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1833, the Lord told Joseph Smith:  “Verily thus says the Lord unto you concerning the Apocrypha [meaning the deuterocanonical books found in the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles and not the Protestant Bibles] : There are many things contained therein that are true, and it is mostly translated correctly. There are many things contained therein that are not true, which are interpolations by the hands of men. Verily I say unto you that it is not needful that the Apocrypha should be translated. Therefore, whoever reads it, let him understand, for the spirit manifests truth, and whoever is enlightened by the spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom, and whoever receives not the spirit cannot be benefited; therefore, it is not needful that it should be translated. Amen.” (T&C 91:1)

Then, in 2017, in the Answer to the Prayer for Covenant, the Lord reiterated: “[A]nd also as I have said, there is some truth in the Apocrypha, including the Pseudepigrapha and scrolls recovered at Nag Hammadi, and other New Testament texts uncovered since the time of Joseph Smith, and findings at Qumran, and there are other records yet to be recovered; and whoso is enlightened by the spirit shall obtain benefit by their careful study.” (T&C 157:47)
              
I have collected the Apocrypha, the Nag Hammadi library, and the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, but I wasn’t really sure how to approach studying them. It would take a lot of effort to parse through all that text to find out the precious truths among all the interpolations and gnostic heresies of men?
              
Along comes The Key to the Keystoneto save the day. Jonah expertly (and sassily) connects the dots between the Book of Mormon and apocryphal works to create a hypothetical picture of what the brass plate could have contained. Now, I’m able to quickly dive into my library of extra biblical literature with confidence, illuminated by the light of the Book of Mormon. Not only that, my faith in the Book of Mormon has been strengthened in ways I could never have imagined. I will forever grateful for Jonah’s time and attention on this important work! 

[Sara Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was so interesting to learn about all the connections between the Book of Mormon and the Apocrypha. It got a little boring at some points but the authors narration was pretty funny.