Note: Recently, the Church released photos of the “Seer Stone” that was used by Joseph Smith to assist him in translating the Book of Mormon. It is a pretty big deal. The media has picked it up and run with it- for good or ill. If you don’t know much about the history and usage of “seer stones” in the Church, I suggest you read this wonderful article in the October Ensign. It was written by some heavy-hitters in the Church History department, and it makes it all much more understandable. Here is the link – and you might want to read it before you read my post… “Joseph the Seer.”
—
I have been asked by several people since the publishing of the photos, “What do you think about the Seer Stone?”
My reply: It is very cool. It is not often that sacred things that have been squired away for 185 years are made available for us to see. It is cool to see what one actually looks like, and I must say…it looks like a rock.
Yes, it looks like a rock. This is not a seer stone in full operation – there is no writing on it, no revelation. To those looking to attack the Church, it is the stuff of fraud and ripe fruit to be mocked. To those within the Church, it is a remarkable part of our religious heritage. Me? I side with the latter. How wonderful for it to see the light of day!
Yet it still looks like a rock. Then again, things are not always merely what they appear. The prophets who have possessed this heirloom have all looked like very normal men. Even the Savior himself was described to be nothing much to look at.
“he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beautythat we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2) and even the people in his hometown couldn’t see beyond his sheer normalcy.
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. (Mark 6:3-4)
What God has set apart is not always visible to our mortal eyes, and popular opinion has never proven to be the determining factor. It does bring out certain questions for members of the Church. Here are a few that I can answer:
Do I think the seer stone is sacred? In and of itself? I dunno. I do believe that it was used by a prophet called of God to perform sacred duties.
How did it work? Apparently it worked well. (But don’t ask me how – I have no idea.)
Does it matter to you? Not really.
Excuse me? I said, “Not really.”
While it is cool, and educational, it really does not matter much to me. (I was glad to see in the article that once Joseph had become more proficient in receiving relation, it didn’t matter much to him, either.)
Why doesn’t it matter to you? Now that is a good question, and I’ll finish out the post with my answer.
To me, the seer stone is “Testimony neutral.” While cool, my testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith, or the validity of the Book of Mormon was unchanged from these photographs. And personally, I’m not really surprised. Why? Because that is not how my testimony grows – nor is it how my testimony could be diminished.
I am not a fan of “tactile testimonies,” or testimonies that come from seeing things. Sure, the apostle Thomas wanted to reaffirm a tactile testimony – and the Lord allowed it – but he was put in his place as well:
“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
Even before Christ’s resurrection, Judas Iscariot lived and worked with him for years – witnessing the Savior’s powers as a firsthand, eyewitness. It didn’t keep him from betraying the Savior.
Why? Because FAITH > TACTILE, OR EYEWITNESS KNOWLEDGE. One third of the hosts of heaven KNEW who Jesus was, and that he represented the Fathers plan, yet they rebelled. Here on earth they still knew/know who he is and still rebel. There are multiple examples in the New Testament of evil Spirits knowing who Christ was. (Matthew 8:28-29, James 2:19)
Seeing and touching does not replace the required confirmation of the Holy Ghost, and the faith that comes with it, and is required to maintain it. When the Holy Ghost touches my heart, it means more – to me and God – than a tactile testimony ever could. It is harder won, and harder to maintain. Something as simple as sin can diminish a testimony if left unchecked.
Think about the brethren who were privileged to see much, much more than a mere seer stone: Eleven men saw the actual plates and stood as witnesses to their reality. Was it enough to keep them all faithful? No.
How can that be? Because faith is the driving force of our theology. As we exercise that faith, and study and seek knowledge, and obey, we can come to a spiritual knowledge that is real, and strong. Yes, it can seem paradoxical that the knowledge we can gain without seeing can prove more valuable than the knowledge we get from our own eyes and hands.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy; and then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive. (D&C 11:13-14)
And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye wouldask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. (Moroni 10:4-5)
And that is how we gain the knowledge that really matters – not by seeing it with out own eyes, or touching it with our hands.
Offer me unfettered access to a seer stone, or offer me the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, and I’ll take the Holy Ghost every time.
But it is a very cool stone.
Martin Harris tested Joseph Smith several times. We know about the 116 pages that were lost because he insisted on taking them home. We know about the copied symbols from the golden plates and he took to show to scholars but his testing in regard to the seer stone is new information for most of us. According to the story Martin saw a similar rock when he took a break from translating and went down to a nearby stream. He substituted it for the Seer stone and when Joseph tried to translate he saw only blackness. There are several possibilities. The first is that the seer stone was particularly important to the translation process and had some special characteristic. The second, which I find more likely, is that Joseph was very familiar with his seer stone which has a pretty distinctive pattern of stripes and at least on an unconscious level he recognized that the substitution had been made and was unable to engage. It is also possible that Joseph immediately recognized the substitution had been made and decided to teach Martin Harris a lesson. With eternity to do so, I might ask him which story fits the facts.
A third possibility is that God just didn’t allow the translation to continue with a substitute stone. The translation was possible through the “gift and power of God,” and God can’t be tricked.
Great post! I second everything you said. 🙂 To be honest, I was surprised that someone still HAD the stone(s). I had always assumed that they had been taken back with the plates. So, yep – it’s cool to see the actual rock. But, like you say, it doesn’t effect my testimony either way – firmly grounded deep in my soul thanks to the Holy Spirit.
Thank you! I had wondered if there is something wrong with me when I saw it, thought “That’s cool”, then shrugged and moved on. Tho maybe I’m of the generation that if something doesn’t flash, make music or allow me to text, I get bored. hmmmm… But still! It’s the miracle that’s miraculous, not the rock.
As always, your article was right on and I agree totally. However, it’s still wonderful to me and our family that our g-g-g-grandfather home taught Joseph Smith Sr’s family, an experience that never failed to terrify him at the thought of teaching these people! On one such visit he picked up a stone that was sitting on a table in front of him. He was informed that it was the seer stone. He was quite humbled with the experience and it is one of several treasured stories in our family dealing with his relationship with the Prophet.
I recently returned from Israel. As I toured the religious sites, I was disappointed that I didn’t feel spiritually enlightened. I was thrilled to see these places, don’t get me wrong! The exact locations of crucifixion, burial, and other things are in question, and various denominations built and share churches. Even the Western Wall, which is very sacred to the Jewish people was a very interesting piece of history, to me. This is their link to the temple of old, and I do not dismiss their devotion.
It was only when I attended church at the Jerusalem Center and partook of the Sacrament that the spirit I had longed for, came. We are to have access to the power of the Sacrament every week at any sacrament meeting in the world, and any working temple in the world.
Being in Israel has deepened my understanding of the Old and New Testament, but I treasure the understanding of my Testimony more.
Thank you for your well-written article.
Yet again another great read. Thanks.
Nailed it. Great job!
Yep, I’ll side with the Holy Ghost every time I’m given the choice. It’s a nice object but I’d rather have the Spirit any day! Thanks for an awesome post on a potentially controversial subject!
Love this article. Several thoughts come to mind:
1. Is it any ” wierder” to believe that God spoke to Moses in a burning bush, or that God parted the Red Sea, or that any number of other impossible-to-explain events and items appear throughout Christian belief?
2. How marvelous that God is able to take a simple stone and, through some spiritual alchemy that I don’t comprehend, turn it into a sacred tool for furthering His work. We’re each the “stone” and can be used to further His sacred work, if we place ourselves in His hands.
3. How ironic it is that some of the same people who are shouting for transparency and “signs” that the church is true, are now (when presented with the seer-stone) calling the stone into question. I guess what the scritpures teach about “sign-seeking” is true. No matter how much transparency the church provides, no matter how many sacred objects come forth, there will always be a segment of those who just aren’t going to be satisfied. As you mention, there were 1/3 of our spiritual siblings who lived in the presence of God the Father and Jesus, and STILL didn’t believe or want what they offered.
4. Finally, it seems to me that spiritual things will always be best understood when one is looking at them through the lense of the Spirit. When we look at spiritual things through only our temporal understanding, we don’t see or understand the person, event, idea or object as it “really is, and really will be…” (Jacob 4:13-14).
1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. Yes
Thanks!
Great article. It is a sacred object. It is a beautiful object. I have read about it for years. It was described as chocolate colored. I never expected to behold it. I am honored to look on it. I am not prepared to look into it, however I have confidence that an authorized person can look into it and receive answers. I am not so far beyond Joseph of 1829 that I can claim I would be beyond such an instrument. I would be honored if I was blessed with such a device. This stone was prepared for Joseph just as the Liahona was prepared for Lehi. In later years it was referred to as the Urim and Thummim and it is no less sacred than any other device prepared by the Lord. We are promised in the D&C and teachings of Joseph that we will eventually be given a similar device one day when we are ready for it. To those who are not authorized or do not know how to use it it remains a rock. This is because it is NOT a magical amulet with power in itself, only an instrument that under the right conditions focuses the power of God. My only criticism of your article is seer stones and the Holy Spirit are not a dichotomy. The one powers the other. I do not know why we need tangible objects at times to receive revelation but obviously we do. Our reliance on such objects from the Liahona, Joseph of Egypt’s water cup, the Urim, the interpreters of the Jeredites, Aaron’s rod, the fleece of Gideon, the lots cast by the apostles of Jesus time and Joseph’s stone are all well documented examples that we do and always have. I am not sure why this suddenly seems incongruous to anyone.
Thanks for the comment. My attempt was to emphasize that if we are in tune with the Holy Ghost, such things are not as necessary – much as how Joseph got to the point in his translation where he no longer needed the aids provided – the Spirit was enough.
Yup. If Joseph’s explanation is true, the rest of his life makes sense. If it’s not true, he’d have quit or sold out a dozen times.
Same with my testimony If this wasn’t true, I’d write an anti-Mormon book and get rich.
Frankly, seer stones and angels sound crazy – but every other explanation of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, save for Joseph’s explanation, is much crazier – and makes everything that has happened since then, impossible, in all our lives.
Wonderfully impossible.
I suppose the ancient Israelites later generations who saw the rocks from the bed of the river Jordan thought , in their israeitish way, oh, cool, rocks. It is a rock, but not just any rock. What is special is how it was used. What did people expect, that it would glow for them? This is our history, and we should understand it. Thanks for articulating both the importance and the effect the stone has.
I concur with all the forgoing comments. But … may I vent a small pet peeve? “Eleven men saw the actual plates and stood as witnesses to their reality.” The correct number is twelve, not eleven. Think about it.
Sheesh
As I looked at the picture, I had the same thoughts….It’s a rock…a pretty rock, but a rock nonetheless. When I read more about how it was used by the prophet I thought, I can see how some people would think we were nuts to believe that story, or that the prophet might have been a fraud. But then I thought about the translation. I though about the Book of Mormon, and I cannot believe anything but that that book is the word of God. It doesn’t matter how Joseph received it…the words could have appeared as an apparition on the wall (They didn’t….nobody get confused please) and it wouldn’t have mattered. The plain fact is that the Book of Mormon is exactly what the prophet Joseph Smith said it was….the word of God delivered to an ancient people who lived in the Americas and translated for our day by a prophet. The proof is always in the pudding. Anyone who doubts just needs to read the book and ask God if it is true. I’m sure they’ll receive the same answer I did. Thanks MMM for your thoughts on the subject.
Some people are confused thinking it is the Urim and Thummum. I was glad to read the article. I view the rock as an artifact. Nice to see but your article sums up the truth which is what I live by. Glad so many others do also. Thank you.
When I got the email from LDS Living I was so excited to see the picture of the stone. Not because it increased my testimony or my faith but the miracle of what Heavenly Father does with something so
very available and plain. It WAS exciting to actually see a picture of this marvelous instrument though.
For some reason, I had in my mind it would have been white or clear. I have no idea where I got that,
but it was awesome that the picture has been provided for me to have a visual. Heavenly Father can
do anything. I don’t know why anyone would think it wouldn’t be possible but this miracle is another
testimony of how Heavenly Father provides for His faithful children. Thanks for the insight.
I think the Brother of Jared’s stones have affected our concept and imagination of seer stones.
The “interpreters” that were placed with the plates were described as two triangular diamonds set in glass. Others saw these objects and reported that Joseph used them at least to some degree in his translation. Joseph told his mother he could see anything with them. He also used this stone for much of the translation. It is not entirely clear how exactly translation worked or why using one stone was more convenient than another and Joseph refused to discuss the details. Accounts we have are from his close associates who probably observed some details and perhaps supplied other details from guesswork.
Some seem upset that Joseph did not use the objects buried with the plates as the sole translation instrument instead of this special stone he had found years earlier. I think such may be too narrow a view. As none of us are experienced at looking into a stone to translate, it is entirely possible that the possession of the physical plates and the interpreters were required in some way and were being used in ways not observed by those close to Joseph. It is also possible that looking into the interpreters provided a needed primer or beginning that could then be managed with this other device which apparently did not strain him as much.
So much speculation. Very glad it doesn’t matter to our salvation.
I heard on one of the FairMormon podcasts that the Urim and Thummim worked well, but the “silver bows” that they sat in were too far apart for Joseph’s eyes and he’d get headaches using them. The fun part is realizing that once he started using the seer stone he didn’t even need the plates anymore. Since he wasn’t actually using knowledge of reformed Egyptian to do the translation, it didn’t much matter, the contents were given directly as revelation.
I suspect that although the Lord could’ve simply provided Joseph with a clean typewritten copy of the text in English instead of giving him the interpreters or the stone, this was a growth experience for him, and the results are a growth experience for us.
Aunt Sue
Thanks for that information. Being too big for Joseph would be a problem.
You thaught it was clear , because that is how the Urim and thumum are described.
You have put into words exactly how I feel about it. Initially, I was almost disturbed that they released pictures. . . but if you’d shown me an iPhone when I was 10, I would have no clue and think it was fake. So, there’s that. But you’re so right about the tactile testimony vs. the faith-based testimony.
My feelings exactly!
I agree. It’s cool but not pertinent to our salvation. It occurs to me that to anyone but a duly- called seer, the stone is just a stone. It’s interesting that when Martin Harris found a similar-looking rock and pulled a switch on Joseph, Joseph was not able to translate. I’m not sure if that means the stone is special or not. It definitely means that God can’t be tricked. At the end of the day, it’s the “gift and power of God” that allows a seer to translate, not a device.
I’m glad to see that I am or alone in feeling this way. It’s cool but doesn’t affect my testimony.