ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Kirtland Egyptian Papers

Okay, so let's imagine that you have a special book that is really old and you want to know what it says, but you can't because it's very hard to understand.

Now, imagine that a long time ago, a man named Joseph Smith also had a special book that was old and hard to understand. But instead of giving up, he said that he had a "gift" that helped him understand the book.

This special book that Joseph Smith had was called the "Book of Abraham," and it was written on pieces of ancient Egyptian papyrus in a place called Kirtland.

Now, some people say that Joseph Smith made up the story of this special book and that it wasn't actually translated from the papyrus. But others say that it really was translated, and that it tells the story of a man named Abraham who was very important in some religions.

Either way, the Kirtland Egyptian Papers are a collection of notes and drawings that Joseph Smith made while he was translating the Book of Abraham. These papers include some of the original papyrus and other documents that are related to the translation process.

So, to sum it up, the Kirtland Egyptian Papers are some special old papers that are connected to a book called the Book of Abraham, which Joseph Smith translated a long time ago. Some people believe that the book is real, while others think that it's made up.