The original papyri were thought lost in the Great Chicago Fire; facsimile copies in Smith's own hand survive

After Smith's death, the original papyrus scrolls were thought to have been destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire, which prevented Egyptologists from examining them. However, Smith had made facsimile copies — drawings made by someone near him meant to be copies of the original papyri. These facsimile copies were included in the modern-day Book of Abraham and printed in the Pearl of Great Price. The facsimiles include numbered images (1, 2, 3) which Smith connected to explanations interpreting each image as divine or scriptural content.