In Our Ward: Joseph Smith’s Seer Stone LESSON: JOSEPH SMITH’S SEER STONE Purpose: To help class members understand the history, purpose and use of Urim and Thummim, including seer stones, especially the seer stone used by Joseph Smith which has been in the news this week. Lesson Organization 1. What is a seer stone? What are Urim and Thummim?

2. Why and how did Joseph Smith use such interpreters?

3. Why are they being talked about so much this week?

4. Why haven’t most class members heard about these matters before? Introduction I believe one of the major responsibilities of a teacher in the Church is to follow the plan of teaching outlined by the Church. While I approach Gospel Doctrine lessons a little differently from some teachers, perhaps, and ask different questions, I have always felt it important to teach from the assigned scripture block each week, and to discuss those scriptures with the purpose statement given in the lesson manual. But I also believe that a teacher has a stewardship to her class members to teach what at least some of them need to hear, and this week, as I listened to the news and took part in discussions about the seer stone used by Joseph Smith, I have felt that some class members might have questions or be perplexed about some of what they have heard. This is obviously a topic that could not have been planned by the Curriculum Committee, and there is no formal lesson to answer questions. So this week I am going to do something I have never before done as a teacher – lay aside the planned lesson, and teach something this class may need. That is unusual, and I will not be offended in the least if anyone feels that is inappropriate and would rather go into another classroom today. 1. What is a seer stone? What are Urim and Thummim? The term “seer stone” may be unfamiliar, but no doubt we’re all familiar with the term “Urim and Thummim.” Let’s start there by reading the explanation in the Bible Dictionary under “Urim and Thummim”: Urim and Thummim. Heb. term that means Lights and Perfections. An instrument prepared of God to assist man in obtaining revelation from the Lord and in translating languages. … Using a Urim and Thummim is the special prerogative of a seer, and it would seem reasonable that such instruments were used from the time of Adam. However, the earliest mention is in connection with the brother of Jared … Abraham used a Urim and Thummim …, as did Aaron and the priests of Israel, and also the prophets among the Nephites … There is more than one Urim and Thummim, but we are informed that Joseph Smith had the one used by the brother of Jared … A partial description is given in JS-H 1:35. Joseph Smith used it in translating the Book of Mormon and in obtaining other revelations. This earth in its celestial condition will be a Urim and Thummim, and many within that kingdom will have an additional Urim and Thummim … While we don’t often talk about Urim and Thummim, except briefly in accounts of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, you can see from this brief note that they are referred to several places in the scriptures, and you could spend an interesting half hour looking up the references given here. We’ll take the time to look at only a few. Ether 3:21-28 21 And it came to pass that the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt not suffer these things which ye have seen and heard to go forth unto the world, until the time cometh that I shall glorify my name in the flesh; wherefore, ye shall treasure up the things which ye have seen and heard, and show it to no man. 22 And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up, that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot be read. 23 And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write. 24 For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will cause in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men these things which ye shall write. 25 And when the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth. 26 For he had said unto him in times before, that if he would believe in him that he could show unto him all things—it should be shown unto him; therefore the Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the Lord could show him all things. 27 And the Lord said unto him: Write these things and seal them up; and I will show them in mine own due time unto the children of men. 28 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that he should seal up the two stones which he had received, and show them not, until the Lord should show them unto the children of men. So the Lord showed a vision to the brother of Jared, a vision of “all things,” including his own pre-mortal spirit in the form of a man, and the brother of Jared wrote those things down, and “sealed them up.” And yet the Lord did make provision for that writing to be known at some future time – how would he make that possible? The Book of Mormon doesn’t tell us explicitly how those stones, or that Urim and Thummim, ended up in the hands of Mosiah, the king and prophet of the Nephites – the first time the Nephites learn of the Jaredites, those interpreters are already in Mosiah’s possession. The stones were preserved by the Nephites along with other relics – the Liahona, the sword of Laban, and so on – and when the angel Moroni told Joseph Smith about the existence of the Nephite record, he said this: Joseph Smith – History 1:34-35 34 He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants; 35 Also, that there were two stones in silver bows – and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim – deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted “seers” in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book. Eventually Joseph Smith received the plates, and the Urim and Thummim with them. This Urim and Thummim was the same one given to Jared. When the Three Witnesses were called, they were told that if they were faithful and accepted the call, “you shall have a view of the plates, and also of the … the Urim and Thummim, which were given to the brother of Jared upon the mount, when he talked with the Lord face to face … (Doctrine and Covenants, 17:1) 2. Why and how did Joseph use such interpreters? In the interests of time, I’ve been selective in the verses we’ve read. The surrounding passages, though, say that whoever possesses and uses the Urim and Thummim is a “seer,” – a see-er – one who sees the things of God. Because of this term, and a few scattered references to Joseph looking into or through the Urim and Thummim, we deduce that these stones worked through sight – that Joseph and other seers saw the things of God, saw the translation of unknown languages, rather than, say, hearing them, or having them conveyed as pure knowledge straight to the mind. But beyond that, we do not know how the Urim and Thummim worked – Joseph Smith said remarkably little about the process of translating the plates, saying only that the work was done “by the gift and power of God.” What little we know about the translation process comes from others who witnessed at least part of the translation – Emma Smith, and Oliver Cowdery, and other scribes. The Urim and Thummim that had been passed down through Book of Mormon prophets was not the only interpreter that Joseph Smith had and used, in translating the Book of Mormon. To introduce another of Joseph’s stones, I’d like to read a short account that was printed in The Friend magazine in September 1974: A Peaceful Heart Translating the ancient and strange looking writing on the gold plates was not a job that just anyone could do. Such an important work needed to be done by someone who was especially prepared by the Lord to do it. Because of his spiritual nature and his willingness to learn the truth, Joseph Smith was tested and found worthy to be the translator of the book of Mormon. to help him with the translation, Joseph found with the gold plates “a curious instrument which the ancients called Urim and Thummim, which consisted of two transparent stones set in a rim of a bow fastened to a breastplate.” Joseph also used an egg-shaped, brown rock for translating called a seer stone. The translating was done at Peter Whitmer’s home, a friend of the Prophet’s where Oliver Cowdery, Emma Smith (Joseph’s wife), one of the Whitmers, or Martin Harris wrote down the words spoken by the Prophet as soon as they were made known to him. Martin Harris said that on the seer stone “sentences would appear and were read by the Prophet and written by [the scribe] and when finished [the scribe] would say ‘written’; and if correctly written, the sentence would disappear and another take its place; but if not written correctly it remained until corrected, so that the translation was just as it was engraven on the plates.” Even with the help of the Urim and Thummim and the seer stone, it wasn’t easy to translate the sacred record. it required the Prophet’s greatest concentration and spiritual strength. [This article concludes with a few paragraphs about a time Joseph was unable to translate until he had made write an argument he had had with Emma earlier that day.] Joseph’s friend, David Whitmer, said that sometimes when the Prophet would try to translate, “he was spiritually blind” and could not do it. Joseph explained that when that happened it was because his mind “dwelt too much on earthly things.” One morning the Prophet was unhappy with his wife Emma over a household matter. When he went upstairs where Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer were waiting to continue with the translation, he still had a bad feeling about his wife in his heart. Joseph tried to translate but not even a syllable of a word came to him; and he knew why. Joseph went downstairs and out into an orchard where he prayed to the Lord. After about an hour, Joseph returned to the house feeling humble and repentant. He asked Emma to forgive him for his lack of understanding. then he went back upstairs where he was able to translate without any difficulty. David Whitmer also understood why the Prophet couldn’t translate just an hour before. He said, “Now we see how very strict the Lord is, and how he requires the heart of man to be just right in his sight before he can receive revelations from him.” [The Friend, September 1974] What, obviously, is different in this account from the accounts you are more familiar with? In a 1992 talk, teaching new mission presidents in the MTC, apostle Russell M. Nelson spoke about Joseph’s use of this stone in translation: The details of this miraculous method of translation are still not fully known. Yet we do have a few precious insights. David Whitmer wrote: “Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man.” (David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ, Richmond, Mo.: n.p., 1887, p. 12.) [Russell M. Nelson, “A Treasured Testament,” Ensign, July 1993. http://www.lds.org/ensign/1993/07/a-treasured-testament ] We don’t know a great deal about the origin of this seer stone. Friendly sources tell us that Joseph Smith found it while digging a well. Unfriendly sources claim that he found it while seeking for buried treasure. Joseph Smith used this and other seer stones to receive revelations early in his work as a prophet. By the spring of 1830, however, he seems to have stopped using all seer stones, explaining that he had learned to receive revelation without the need for such props. When he no longer had a need for it, Joseph gave this brown seer stone to Oliver Cowdery; it passed to Oliver’s brother-in-law Phineas Young after Oliver died; Phineas gave it to his brother Brigham Young; it was part of Brigham’s estate when he died in 1877, and Zina Young Card recognized it for what it was and purchased it from the estate; she later passed it on to John Taylor, and it has been in the possession of the Church ever since. 3. Why are they being talked about so much this week? This brown seer stone – much less familiar than the Urim and Thummim set like spectacles and given to Joseph Smith with the gold plates – has been in the news this week because the Joseph Smith Papers – a scholarly project of the Church – has just published a new volume of pictures and transcriptions of the manuscript that E.B. Grandin’s men used to set type for the Book of Mormon in 1829-30. That volume includes an introduction about the finding and translation and printing of the Book of Mormon. It also includes two pages of photographs, of Joseph Smith’s brown seer stone and the leather pouch that he kept it in. This is the first time the Church has ever published photographs of the seer stone. Because of that novelty, and because the stone – a tangible, physical object, involved in what we claim are miraculous events – seems so out of place in a world that values hard-headed scientific objectivity, and where religion is most often a matter of emotions and ethics and other internal principles, the stone has been the object of a lot of sensational attention. Because the Church has not often talked about this seer stone, many Church members (including Joseph Fielding Smith) have denied its use by Joseph, and some have even denied its existence, believing that the story was made up by enemies of the Church to discredit Joseph Smith as a magician rather than a prophet. The publication of these photos has brought on a storm of laughter and mockery, some of which might have disturbed some class members. Hence, this lesson, and the chance to talk about the stone in a believing atmosphere. 4. Why haven’t most class members heard about these matters before? This may be the hardest question to address. If you haven’t heard of the stone before, why not? For some people – me, for example – it’s hard to understand why you haven’t heard of it. I can’t remember the first time I heard about it, and, as we’ve seen from The Friend article and Elder Nelson’s talk, published in the Ensign, the Church hasn’t exactly been hiding the story. But I realize that most people are not as fascinated by Church history as I am, which probably accounts for why I noticed and remembered the stone, while many, many other Church members have not. The Church has definitely not included this seer stone in the stories we tell about the Restoration often enough for everyone to have known about it. Why not? I can’t answer that, but I can speculate. History is a vast, complex body of facts and impressions and opinions. History is rewritten constantly, to suit the needs of new generations – that’s why there can be a new biography of Abraham Lincoln every year. That’s why there are so many biographies of Brigham Young – one will emphasize his abilities as a pioneer and colonizer; another will emphasize his conflicts with the federal government; a third will talk about him as a husband and father; and still another will stress his teachings as a president of the Church. When the Church tells the story of the Restoration, writers pick and choose the details that are most essential, or easiest to understand, or which teach a principle that the Church needs to emphasize. When details are messy, or inconvenient, or don’t fit well with the modern world, Church teachers, like anybody else, tend to downplay or “forget” those details. My opinion is that this bit of our history has been mostly overlooked because it is a messy detail that complicates our clean, easy narrative. It doesn’t change anything essential – Joseph still translated the plates through the gift and power of God – but it’s messy. The story hasn’t been deliberately hidden – it has in fact been well known to the people who are interested in such things – but it comes as a surprise to others, especially when it is presented in as sensational and sometimes distorted way, as this has been presented this week. When this volume was announced to the press this week, and the photos of the seer stone began to circulate, the Church released an article that will be published in the October Ensign which gives more background on the stone. [Write URL on board: https://www.lds.org/ensign/2015/10/joseph-the-seer] [Questions and {attempted} answers.] Conclusion [Offer to provide other references to class members who want to read more. Explain briefly how I handle challenges to my own testimony, by backing up and evaluating what I know and why I have only assumed or mistakenly accepted. I believe the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that Joseph Smith translated it by the gift and power of God – my testimony of these facts is independent of how or why or when or other details. If I hadn’t known of the seer stone earlier, I would have to incorporate these new details into what I already understood, but that does not change the nature of the Book of Mormon or of Joseph Smith’s prophetic function.] Comments (45) ﻿