Book of Mormon witnesses, seer stones, and a hat

The Book of Mormon. Yes, I believe it’s an ancient text. And I believe Joseph Smith translated it. I want to address Joseph Smith’s seer stone, his hat, the three witnesses, Emma Smith’s witness and Elizabeth Ann Whitmer Cowdery’s witness. I’ve always been fascinated with the seer stones – maybe I just want to believe in magic. In fact, faith is magical, so I have no problem with seer stones, staffs, and mud. And magic. I appreciate eyewitnesses too.

Seer Stones

Early witnesses recorded how they saw Joseph Smith transcribe the plates into English using a seer stone.  These were recorded in journals and newspapers. But as the church evolved, these accounts were not talked about much. In 1930, assistant church historian B.H. Roberts published the Comprehensive History of the Church of Latter Day Saints (CHC), which included statements about Joseph Smith’s seer stone in volume one. In 1987, historian, D. Michael Quinn wrote a book about the seer stones and the history of magic folklore. My husband purchased the book, read it, and believed it —Early Mormonism and the Magic World View. So, we  believed the seer stone story way before the church announcement and photographs in 2015.

We weren’t surprised in 2003 when South Park came out with their animation showing Joseph transcribing the plates with his hat and seer stone. We understand South Park can be sarcastic — but this image is more accurate than the pictures I grew up with.

Hopefully, we’ve entered an era of transparency about church history. When Gordon B. Hinckley appointed Marlin K. Jensen as church historian, things changed from the President Benson era. During the 1970s when Leonard Arrington was the church historian, he wasn’t allowed to write all the recorded history and he got demoted.  Arrington said that the presidency and the twelve often did not see eye-to-eye on what should be included in the history. D. Michael Quinn was one of the September Six, excommunicated during an era when only faith-promoting history was acceptable.

I understand that men in church leadership are not infallible and because of that, some people suffer the consequences. But I won’t be one dis-believing Joseph Smith’s history just because it got swept under the rug. And Joseph wasn’t perfect and I believe that’s the way life is here on earth.

Now, it should be common knowledge, but many people are still unaware of how Joseph Smith transcribed the ancient plates with a seer stone. So here is a recent quote from the church (more accurate than days past):

In Joseph Smith’s day, some individuals claimed that they had a gift to “see,” or receive divine or supernatural messages, through seer stones. These beliefs came from the Bible and from European cultural traditions brought to early America by immigrants. Joseph Smith and his family accepted these beliefs, and Joseph occasionally used stones he located in the ground to help neighbors find missing objects or search for buried treasure.(Church of Jesus Christ Gospel Topics)

In 1827 Joseph Smith got the golden plates along with a urim and thummim — a type of seer stone set in spectacles — “two stones in silver bows.” The church published this video to explain it:

What Martin Harris said about the seer stone, 1882

Martin Harris related an incident that occurred during the time that he wrote that portion of the translation of the Book of Mormon which he was favored to write direct from the mouth of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He said that the Prophet possessed a seer stone, by which he was enabled to translate as well as from the Urim and Thummim, and for convenience he then used the seer stone. Martin explained the translation as follows: By aid of the seer stone, sentences would appear and were read by the Prophet and written by Martin, and when finished he would say, “Written,” and if correctly written, that sentence would disappear and another appear in its place, but if not written correctly it remained until corrected, so that the translation was just as it was engraven on the plates, precisely in the language then used.

Martin said, after continued translation they would become weary, and would go down to the river and exercise by throwing stones out on the river, etc. While so doing on one occasion, Martin found a stone very much resembling the one used for translating, and on resuming their labor of translation, Martin put in place the stone that he had found. He said that the Prophet remained silent, unusually and intently gazing in darkness, no traces of the usual sentences appearing. Much surprised, Joseph exclaimed, “Martin! What is the matter? All is as dark as Egypt!” Martin’s countenance betrayed him, and the Prophet asked Martin why he had done so. Martin said, to stop the mouths of fools, who had told him that the Prophet had learned those sentences and was merely repeating them, etc.

Martin said further that the seer stone differed in appearance entirely from the Urim and Thummim that was obtained with the plates, which were two clear stones set in two rims, very much resembling spectacles, only they were larger. Martin said there were not many pages translated while he wrote, after which Oliver Cowdery and the others did the writing. “
(Millennial Star, One of the three witnesses, Incidents in the life of Martin Harris. Edward Stevenson, Monday evening news, sep 5, 1870 contains the following: Sabbath Meetings—The congregation in the morning was addressed by Elder Edward Stevenson, Martin Harris and Pres. George A. Smith.) Millennial Star, Feb. 6, 1882, volume 44 p. 86-87    also found in (CHC 1:129)

What Oliver Cowdery said about the Urim and Thummim, 1848

Before an audience of approximately two thousand, including non-members of the Church, Cowdery bore witness of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods, and the divine calling of Joseph Smith.  “I beheld with my eye and handled with my hands the gold plates from which it was translated. I also beheld the Interpreters. That book is true.”

( Journal of Reuben Miller, 1848, and MS 21 (20 August 1859): 544. [See originals.]  Edward Bunker was still talking in 1894 of the “powerful testimony” he heard Oliver Cowdery give at Winter Quarters in 1848.  See Larson and Larson, Diary of Charles Lowell Walker, 2:774.)

What David Whitmer said about the seer stone and hat, 1887

I will now give you a description of the manner in which the Book of Mormon was translated. 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 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, 1887.  p 12)

What Emma Smith, Joseph’s wife, said about the seer stone and hat,  1879

• Question. What of the truth of Mormonism?
• Answer. I know Mormonism to be the truth; and believe the Church to have been established by divine direction. I have complete faith in it. In writing for your father I frequently wrote day after day, often sitting at the table close by him, he sitting with his face buried in his hat, with the stone in it, and dictating hour after hour with nothing between us.
• Question. Had he not a book or manuscript from which he read, or dictated to you?
• Answer. He had neither manuscript nor book to read from.
• Question. Could he not have had, and you not know it?
• Answer. If he had had anything of the kind he could not have concealed it from me.
• Question. Are you sure that he had the plates at the time you were writing for him?
• Answer. The plates often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped in a small linen tablecloth, which I had given him to fold them in. I once felt of the plates, as they thus lay on the table, tracing their outline and shape. They seemed to be pliable like thick paper, and would rustle with a metallic sound when the edges were moved by the thumb, as one does sometimes thumb the edges of a book. (“Last Testimony of Sister Emma,” Saint’s Herald, Vol. 26, No 19 p. 289. (1 October 1879)

What Elizabeth Ann Whitmer Cowdery, Oliver Cowdery’s wife, said about the seer stone and hat, 1870

I cheerfully certify that I was familiar with the manner of Joseph Smith’s translating the book of Mormon. He translated the most of it at my Father’s house. And I often sat by and saw and heard them translate and write for hours together. Joseph never had a curtain drawn between him and his scribe while he was translating. He would place the director in his hat, and then place his [face in his] hat, so as to exclude the light, and then [read] to his scribe the words as they appeared before him. (Elizabeth Ann Whitmer Cowdery, “Elizabeth Ann Whitmer Cowdery Affidavit, 15 February 1870,” in Early Mormon Documents, ed. Dan Vogel, 5 vols. (Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 1870), 5:260. as found in FairMormon)see alsoElizabeth Ann Whitmer Cowdery

How long did it take Joseph Smith to transcribe the plates?

It took about 65 working days. That is not long to produce a book of approximately 500 pages — with detailed military ops and histories of various groups of people.

Almost all of the Book of Mormon as we now have it was translated between 7 April and 30 June 1829. Before that, from 12 April to 14 June 1828, Joseph had translated the 116 pages that Martin Harris lost when he borrowed them to show to members of his family. In addition, during March 1829, Joseph translated “a few” pages—with his wife, Emma, acting as scribe—before he was commanded to “stop for a season.” (John W. Welch)

I don’t have a problem with the way Joseph Smith used a seer stone. I believe the witnesses and I believe the ancient text called the Book of Mormon. Sometimes we have a hard time accepting things we don’t experience or see for ourselves. But if you went back in history and tried to explain cell phones and computers and jet travel — no one would you believe you.

Further Reading:

Evaluating Book of Mormon Witnesses