An Offer for Transparency • Mormon historians say that physical objects help make the past "more tangible."
Images of a smooth, brown, egg-sized stone are shown in the printed manuscript of the Book of Mormon after a news conference Tuesday, August 4, 2015 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Church History Library in New York, Salt Lake City. The Mormon Church is releasing photos for the first time of a small sacred stone it believes the founder Joseph Smith helped translate the story that became the foundation of the religion. Taking another step in its quest to be more transparent, the Mormon Church is releasing more historical documents that shed light on how Joseph Smith founded the religion. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Von Peggy Fletcher Stack: The Salt Lake Tribune
| Aug 21, 2015 2:02 p.m
| Updated August 3, 2017 at 9:51 p.m
The LDS Church on Tuesday provided new insight into its origins by releasing the handwritten "printer's manuscript" of the Book of Mormon and photographs of the "Seer's Stone," a dark, egg-sized, polished stone that Founder Joseph Smith was said to have created for the scriptures of faith.
Both articles are included in the just-released "Revelations and Translations: Volume 3," the 11th publication of the groundbreaking Joseph Smith Papers Project, as part of an effort to be "more transparent" about the Mormon past, the LDS church historian said Steven E. Snow said at a news conference.
Smith said he was led to a series of buried gold plates that chronicled the history of ancient American civilizations and a visit of Jesus Christ to that continent. The Mormon prophet said he was able to "translate" the language of "reformed Egypt" using spiritual tools including his "seer stone."
He dictated the narrative to various scribes, including schoolteacher Oliver Cowdery, who handwritten the words of the LDS leader. Cowdery then carefully copied the original manuscript for the printer to press. More than 70 percent of this original document suffered water damage. The LDS Church History Library in Salt Lake City has most of what remains.
However, the "printed copy" remained with Smith's followers, who remained in the Midwest rather than migrate to Utah, and was purchased in 1903 by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, now the Fellowship of Christ.
Tensions have simmered between these two wings of Mormonism over the years. But in recent decades historians have built scholarly bridges between the Fellowship of Christ and the much larger, Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Officials of the Fellowship of Christ are "careful stewards of the manuscript," Snow said Tuesday. "Both faiths are trying to share their collections."
Robin Linkhart, pastor of the Church of Christ and Seventy, who attended the press conference, commended her Utah colleagues for their part in the joint project.
The two-volume work, Linkhart said, "is truly an exceptional contribution to the study of LDS history and culture, representing decades of research."
She began with Mormon scholar Royal Skousen in 1988, saying, "It's been a long, long journey to the finish line."
The Fellowship of Christ long ago accepted the idea that "revelation has a human component," said Lachlan Mackay, the denomination's historic sites coordinator.
The Independence, Mo.-based faith published articles about the seer stone as early as the 1960s, he said, but "it might still be new to some people."
"I'm incredibly excited," Mackay said on Tuesday. "These efforts have served to unite us."
Both he and Richard E. Turley Jr., assistant LDS historian, said that physical objects "help us connect with the past, make it more real and tangible."
In a recent essay, the LDS Church explained how Smith reportedly used the seer stone. Peering into a hat to block out the outside light, he "read aloud the English words that appeared on the instrument."
“As a young man in the 1820s, Joseph Smith, like others of his day, used a seer stone to search for lost objects and buried treasure,” the essay states. "As Joseph understood his prophetic calling, he learned that he could use this stone for the higher purpose of translating the Scriptures."
Smith also used two bound stones - known as the Urim and Thummim - as "interpreters".
"Some accounts indicate that Joseph studied the characters on the plates," the essay added. "Most accounts speak of Joseph's use of the Urim and Thummim (either the interpreters or the seer stone)."
After Smith's assassination in 1844, the seer stone passed to Cowdery, then to his widow, then to Brigham Young's brother, then to Young himself, who was Smith's successor in the Utah Church. After Young's death, one of his wives, Zina D.H. Young, donated it to the LDS Church.
Members have known about the stone for years, Turley said. historian B.H. Roberts wrote about this in his Comprehensive History of the Church. The Church's official magazine, The Ensign, ran an article about the stone in 1974.
But almost nobody had seen a real photo of it.
Now the image of the seer stone will be on display at the soon-to-be-opened LDS Visitor Center in Harmony, Pennsylvania, and in the near-completed renovation of the LDS Church History Museum in downtown Salt Lake City.
"I had read descriptions of it and had an idea of what it looked like," Snow said. "It is an unusual object to place one's faith on."
As more members learn about the stone, Snow is confident it will "enhance their understanding" -- and "enhance faith."
pstack@sltrib.com
Twitter: @religional
An image of a smooth, brown, egg-sized stone is seen in the printed manuscript of the Book of Mormon after a news conference Tuesday, August 4, 2015 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Church History Library. in Salt Lake City. The Mormon Church is releasing photos for the first time of a small sacred stone it believes the founder Joseph Smith helped translate the story that became the foundation of the religion. Taking another step in its quest to be more transparent, the Mormon Church is releasing more historical documents that shed light on how Joseph Smith founded the religion. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Images of smooth, brown, egg-sized stones are shown in the printed manuscript of the Book of Mormon after a news conference Tuesday, August 4, 2015 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Church History Library in Salt Lake City. The Mormon Church is releasing photos for the first time of a small sacred stone it believes the founder Joseph Smith helped translate the story that became the foundation of the religion. Taking another step in its quest to be more transparent, the Mormon Church is releasing more historical documents that shed light on how Joseph Smith founded the religion. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
After a news conference Tuesday, August 4, 2015, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Church History Library, people look at images of the smooth, brown, egg-sized stone seen in the printed manuscript of the Book of Mormon , in Salt Lake City. The Mormon Church is releasing photos for the first time of a small sacred stone it believes the founder Joseph Smith helped translate the story that became the foundation of the religion. Taking another step in its quest to be more transparent, the Mormon Church is releasing more historical documents that shed light on how Joseph Smith founded the religion. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
After a news conference Tuesday, August 4, 2015, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Church History Library, people look at images of the smooth, brown, egg-sized stone seen in the printed manuscript of the Book of Mormon , in Salt Lake City. The Mormon Church is releasing photos for the first time of a small sacred stone it believes the founder Joseph Smith helped translate the story that became the foundation of the religion. Taking another step in its quest to be more transparent, the Mormon Church is releasing more historical documents that shed light on how Joseph Smith founded the religion. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Steven E. Snow displays the third volume of the Joseph Smith Papers, which contains the printed manuscript of the Book of Mormon, during a news conference Tuesday, August 4, 2015 in Salt Lake City. Taking another step in its quest to be more transparent, the Mormon Church is releasing more historical documents that shed light on how Joseph Smith founded the religion. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Steven E. Snow displays the third volume of the Joseph Smith Papers, which contains the printed manuscript of the Book of Mormon, during a news conference Tuesday, August 4, 2015 in Salt Lake City. Taking another step in its quest to be more transparent, the Mormon Church is releasing more historical documents that shed light on how Joseph Smith founded the religion. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
The third volume of the Joseph Smith Papers, which contains the printed manuscript of the Book of Mormon, will be shown after a press conference Tuesday, August 4, 2015 in Salt Lake City. Taking another step in its quest to be more transparent, the Mormon Church is releasing more historical documents that shed light on how Joseph Smith founded the religion. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Steven E. Snow places his hand on the third volume of the Joseph Smith Papers, which contains the printed manuscript of the Book of Mormon, during a news conference Tuesday, August 4, 2015 , in Salt Lake City. Taking another step in its quest to be more transparent, the Mormon Church is releasing more historical documents that shed light on how Joseph Smith founded the religion. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
FAQs
Did Joseph Smith use seer stones? ›
"As a young man during the 1820s, Joseph Smith, like others in his day, used a seer stone to look for lost objects and buried treasure," the essay said. "As Joseph grew to understand his prophetic calling, he learned that he could use this stone for the higher purpose of translating scripture."
Are there any actual pictures of Joseph Smith? ›Many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have wondered what the Prophet Joseph Smith really looked like, and now we might not have to wonder. Born in 1805, there has been no known photo of the first prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ, perhaps until now.
What kind of rock was Joseph Smith's seer stone? ›A smooth egg-shaped banded-iron jasper stone like Joseph's — I was told — was an almost impossibly rare find. In fact, as far as I can tell, it is the only banded-iron jasper gizzard stone in existence.
Does the Bible mention the seer stones? ›“Seer stone,” josephsmithpapers.org. Exodus 8:5–6, 16–17; Numbers 21:9; 1 Samuel 4:3–6; John 9:6. Richard E.
Was Joseph a seer or a prophet? ›But Joseph's keen mind was being awakened and expanded as the tutoring words of the Lord and of past prophets flowed through his quickened consciousness. In fact, he was the very seer foreseen anciently by the earlier Joseph in Egypt! (See 2 Ne. 3:6–7, 16–18.)
Who does seer represent in the Bible? ›“A seer is one who sees with spiritual eyes. He perceives the meaning of that which seems obscure to others; therefore he is an interpreter and clarifier of eternal truth. He foresees the future from the past and the present.
What color eyes did Joseph Smith have? ›A neighbor to the Smith family knew Joseph when he was a teenager. The neighbor wrote, “He was a big-bodied, flaxen-haired youth, with small hands for his size, large feet, … a heavy growth of very light hair, and striking blue eyes, half hidden by long light lashes.
What did Jesus look like Joseph Smith? ›Wrote church founder Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in reporting their 1836 vision of Jesus in the Kirtland Temple: “His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun.”
Was Joseph Smith descended from Jesus? ›But few were written by active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And until now, none has proposed that Joseph Smith and other LDS Church leaders can trace their lineage back some 75 generations to Christ.
How did Joseph Smith get his seer stone? ›That evening he revealed in his journal that before leaving the altar of the temple, he “Consecrated upon the Altar the seers Stone that Joseph Smith found by Revelation some 30 feet under the Earth Carried by him through life.” In other words, he consecrated the white stone on the altar, not the brown stone.
Who gave Joseph Smith the seer stones? ›
Seer stones also appear in historical accounts describing Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon translation. Joseph's official history, begun in 1838, describes the visit of an angel, identified as Moroni, who told him about golden plates buried in a nearby hill.
How many seer stones did Joseph Smith have? ›Joseph had several seer stones. Although records from the time seldom make clear which seer stones are being referred to, MacKay and Frederick write that we can confidently say Joseph used three seer stones: a white stone, a brown stone and two additional stones that functioned as a single seer stone.
What's the difference between a prophet and a seer? ›In summary: A prophet is a teacher of known truth; a seer is a perceiver of hidden truth, a revelator is a bearer of new truth. In the widest sense, the one most commonly used, the title 'prophet' includes the other titles and makes of the prophet, a teacher, perceiver, and bearer of truth.
What is a seer stone in Mormonism? ›A seer stone in this culture was a prevalent divination tool used for a form of crystal gazing, or scrying. Seer stones are mentioned in the Book of Mormon in the Book of Mosiah, where they are also called "interpreters" and described as being used by seers to translate and receive revelations.
What is the most mentioned stone in the Bible? ›Although this stone is found on all continents but Antarctica, it remains one of the most demanded globally. Ruby was considered a symbol of supreme power at all times. It was highly valued by world's greatest rulers, whose regalia items generally featured the stone.
Did God ever speak to Joseph? ›God spoke to Joseph in a very special way, through his dreams. Now it's important to remember, throughout the Bible there is progress in the way that God communicates with His people. Hebrews says this clearly, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets” (Hebrews 1:1).
What is the job of a seer? ›A seer (mantis) was a professional diviner, an expert in the art of divination. There is no exact modern equivalent, since he or she combined the role of confidant and personal adviser with that of psychic, fortune teller, and homeopathic healer.
What language did prophet Joseph speak? ›When they came to Egypt, they stood before the Vizier but did not recognize him as their brother Joseph, who was now in his late 30s; but Joseph did recognize them and did not speak at all to them in his native tongue of Hebrew. After questioning them, he accused them of being spies.
What powers do seers have? ›Gifted Seers have the ability to create Prophecies, which can determine the future of various witches and wizards, and in the case of Harry Potter, change the course of wizarding history.
What is SEER cursed with? ›Respawn have introduced the origin story for their newest Apex Legends character, Seer in a new animated teaser. He's cursed with eyes that can destroy people who look into them.
What is the origin of SEER? ›
Etymology. From Middle High German sēr, from Old High German sēr (“sored, injured”), from Proto-West Germanic *sair.
Which person has the rarest eye color? ›...
Gray: The Rarest Eye Color.
| EYE COLOR | U.S. POPULATION | WORLD POPULATION |
|---|---|---|
| Hazel/amber | 18% | 10% |
| Blue | 27% | 8% to 10% |
| Brown | 45% | 55% to 79% |
Green is considered by some to be the actual rarest eye color in the world, though others would say it's been dethroned by red, violet, and grey eyes. Green eyes don't possess a lot of melanin, which creates a Rayleigh scattering effect: Light gets reflected and scattered by the eyes instead of absorbed by pigment.
What is the 3 rarest eye color? ›Every blue-eyed person today is a distant descendant of this one, ancient human. About 27% of Americans have blue eyes, making it the third rarest eye color.
Did Joseph Smith say Jesus had blue eyes? ›Neibaur recorded that Smith described Jesus as having a “white complexion” and “blue eyes.”
Did Joseph Smith believe in God? ›While believing in the Bible, like all Christians, Smith broke its monopoly on the word of God. The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants were added to the canon of scripture, and Smith spoke as if more revelations and translations would accumulate in the future.
Do Mormons believe Jesus? ›Latter-day Saints are Christians on the basis of our doctrine, our defined relationship to Christ, our patterns of worship and our way of life. What Do We Believe About Christ? We believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh (John 3:16).
Who was the first black Smith in the Bible? ›Tubal-cain or Tubalcain (Hebrew: תּוּבַל קַיִן – Tūḇal Qayīn) is a person mentioned in the Bible, in Genesis 4:22, known for being the first blacksmith. He is stated as the "forger of all instruments of bronze and iron".
What ethnicity was Joseph Smith? ›Childhood. Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont, the fifth of eleven children born to Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith. Through modern DNA testing of Smith's relatives, it's likely that the Smith family were of Irish descent originally.
What ethnicity was Joseph Father of Jesus? ›Joseph (Hebrew: יוסף, romanized: Yosef; Greek: Ἰωσήφ, romanized: Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus.
Did Joseph Smith see the face of God? ›
Joseph Smith, the fourteen-year-old lad, saw the Father and the Son and heard Their voices. So far as the records indicate, this was the most glorious vision ever given to mortal man.
How many wives did Joseph Smith have? ›In an essay posted without fanfare to its website in late October, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said for the first time that Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon church, had as many as 40 wives. Some of those women were also married to friends of his. And one was only 14 when she became Smith's wife.
Did Martin Harris switch the seer stone? ›During the spring and early summer of 1828, Martin scribed as the young seer dictated the translation. Though the process must have seemed miraculous to him, Martin was still on guard against deception. He once replaced Joseph's seer stone with another stone to see if Joseph would notice the difference.
What are the Mormon golden plates? ›According to Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates (also called the gold plates or in some 19th-century literature, the golden bible) are the source from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the faith.
Who is the rock upon which the church was built? ›In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said to Simon, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” Roman Catholics interpret Matt. 16:18 to mean that Peter is the rock upon which the church is built.
Was Joseph Smith ever a Mason? ›Smith remained a Freemason until his death; however, later leaders in the movement have distanced themselves from Freemasonry. In modern times, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has clarified in its Now You Know series that its members may become Freemasons.
Are Mormons Christians? ›Mormons consider themselves Christians, but many Christians don't recognize Mormonism as an official denomination. Mormons believe in the crucifixion, resurrection and divinity of Jesus Christ. Followers claim that God sent more prophets after Jesus's death.
Who was the choice seer in Genesis? ›As recorded in verse 29, the Lord said that this choice seer, Joseph Smith, “shall do my work.” What is the “work” the Lord gave Joseph Smith to do? (Help students identify the following truth: Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord restored His gospel to the earth.)
Who is the only prophetess in the Bible? ›The seven prophetesses are: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Huldah, Abigail, and Esther. Brenner refers to an alternative list which counts nine female prophets in the Hebrew Bible, adding Rachel and Leah, see A.
Is a seer a shaman? ›The essentials of the seer are the obtaining of a vision and, with the vision, a guardian spirit or spirits. The seer is then able to communicate with these spirits, who aid him in curing. In the case of the true shaman the spirits speak through the shaman, in the case of the seer the spirits speak to the shaman.
What is the gift of spiritual discernment? ›
It means “to understand or know something through the power of the Spirit. … It includes perceiving the true character of people and the source and meaning of spiritual manifestations” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Discernment, Gift of,” scriptures.lds.org).
Does the LDS Church have the seer stone? ›After Smith's murder in 1844, the seer stone went to Cowdery, then to his widow, then to Brigham Young's brother, then to Young himself, who was Smith's successor in the Utah church. After Young died, one of his wives, Zina D. H. Young, donated it to the LDS Church.
What Stone represents Jesus? ›The Jasper stone in the context of (Rev 4) is the finest form of Diamond, one of clearest lustre and sets forth Christ's character which ENDURED as well as His character which is so DESIRABLE.
What does blue sapphire mean in the Bible? ›Biblically the Sapphire means truth, correctness, and honesty. Sapphire gemstone is also related to holy indulgence. The priests use blue color to show their relationship with paradise. The Sapphire gemstone is thought to emphasize and peace your mind and to remove undesirable thinking, sadness, and emotional pressure.
Are diamonds mentioned in the Bible? ›In the last citation Jeremiah informs us of a diamond usage which is much the same as its usage today: "The sin of Juda is written with a pen of iron, with the point of a diamond".
Who was the choice seer Joseph Smith? ›The Lord described the Prophet Joseph Smith as “a choice seer” who would bring people to a knowledge of the Lord's covenants (2 Nephi 3:7–8). Yet from the very beginning of the Restoration, Joseph Smith acknowledged his feelings of inadequacy.
What is a biblical seer? ›A seer is one who sees with spiritual eyes. He perceives the meaning of that which seems obscure to others; therefore he is an interpreter and clarifier of eternal truth. He foresees the future from the past and the present.
Did Joseph Smith wear a ring? ›The Prophet Joseph's ring dates from the Nauvoo Period and is believed to be the ring he used in the April 1844 King Follett sermon to illustrate the eternal nature of man. Joseph stated, "I take my ring from my finger and liken it unto the mind of man-the immortal part, because it has no beginning.
When did Joseph Smith learn about seer stones? ›In 1823, Smith said that an angel told him of the existence of golden plates along with "two stones in silver bows" fastened to a breastplate that the angel said God had prepared for translating the plates.
Did Joseph Smith know Abraham Lincoln? ›The Prophet was a little over three years older than Lincoln, who had been born February 12, 1809. Though they probably never met face to face, the two men illustrate the possibilities for obscure men to reach great heights in the swarming confusion and institutional fluidity of antebellum America.
What was the prophecy of Joseph of Egypt? ›
"For Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins. ". . . And I will make him great in mine eyes; for he shall do my work. "And he shall be great like unto Moses. . . .
Is a patriarch a seer? ›Originally, the office of Presiding Patriarch was one of the highest and most important offices of the church's priesthood. When a Presiding Patriarch has existed, the church has sustained the person as a prophet, seer, and revelator.
What is the Chronicles of the Seers? ›In Chronicles of a Seer, Ramon Santos shares his journey and introduces us to the God who guides and teaches him how to walk with his prophetic gifts. It reveals key lessons he's learned along the way that will provide protection to readers and bring peace to the weary and lost.
What is a female seer? ›prophetess. a woman prophet. sibyl. (ancient Rome) a woman who was regarded as an oracle or prophet.
How many wives Joseph Smith had? ›In an essay posted without fanfare to its website in late October, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said for the first time that Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon church, had as many as 40 wives. Some of those women were also married to friends of his. And one was only 14 when she became Smith's wife.