Seer stone (Latter Day Saints)

In the early Latter Day Saint movement, seer stones were used as method of divination and played a significant role in its history and theology. Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, owned several seer stones from his earlier career as a "money digger." [For a survey of Smith's use of seer stones by a respected scholar and LDS patriarch, see Richard Lyman Bushman, "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling" (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005), 45-52. ] Other early Mormons such as Hiram Page, David Whitmer and Jacob Whitmer also owned seer stones. [Jessee, "Papers of Joseph Smith", 1: 322-23; D. Michael Quinn, "Early Mormonism and the Magic World View" (Salt Lake City: Signature, 1998), 239-40, 247-48.] Seer stones are mentioned in the Book of Mormon and in other Latter Day Saint scriptures. James Strang, who claimed to be Joseph Smith's designated successor, also unearthed what he said were ancient metal plates and translated them using seer stones.

History

Some early nineteenth-century Americans used seer stones in attempts to gain revelations from God or to find buried treasure. [See Ronald W. Walker, "The Persisting Idea of American Treasure Hunting," "BYU Studies", 24 (1984),: 429-59.] Beginning in the early 1820s, Joseph Smith was paid to act as a "seer" in (mostly unsuccessful) attempts to locate lost items and find precious metals hidden in the earth. [Martin Harris did say that Smith once found a pin in a pile of shavings with the aid of a stone. Harris interview with Joel Tiffany, 1859, in "EMD", 2: 303.] Smith's procedure was to place the stone in a white stovepipe hat, put his face over the hat to block the light, and then "see" the necessary information in the stone's reflections. [ ; ; .] Some Mormons believe that there were three different Urim and Thummim: the one of the Old Testament and two mentioned in the Book of Mormon, one used by the Jaredites and the other by King Mosiah. ["Mosiah 8:13, 15-17:"
13 Now Ammon said unto him: I can assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man that can translate the records; for he has wherewith that he can look, and translate all records that are of ancient date; and it is a gift from God. And the things are called interpreters, and no man can look in them except he be commanded, lest he should look for that he ought not and he should perish. And whosoever is commanded to look in them, the same is called seer.
15 And the king said that a seer is greater than a prophet.
16 And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God.
17 But a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known.] (LDS members believe that the one used by Smith is the one originally possessed by the Jaredites.) [D&C 10:1; see Bruce R. McConkie,"Mormon Doctrine"(Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966), 818-819.]

One of the official titles of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is "Prophet, Seer, and Revelator". The LDS church still owns one of Joseph Smith's seer stones, but since the nineteenth century, no President of the Church has openly used such a stone in his role as "seer and revelator." [Joseph Fielding Smith (a former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints): “The statement has been made that the Urim and Thummim was on the altar in the Manti Temple when that building was dedicated. The Urim and Thummim so spoken of, however, was the seer stone which was in the possession of the Prophet Joseph Smith in early days. This seer stone is currently in the possession of the Church.”"Doctrines of Salvation" 3: 225. ]

ee also

*Book of Abraham
*Crystal gazing

Notes

References

#Harvard reference
Last=Van Wagoner
First=Richard S.
Title=Joseph Smith: The Gift of Seeing
Journal=
Volume=15
Issue=2
Year=1982
Date=Summer 1982
Pages=48–68
URL=http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/dialogue&CISOPTR=16574&REC=16 .