Tag Archives: seer stones

From ‘the Seer Stone a Fiction to Undermine the Validity of Church’ To ‘Such Aids Are Consistent With Accounts in Scripture’

In the year 2000, Deseret Book, the church-owned publishing company, published a joint-written book from two BYU professors, Joseph Fielding McConkie, a BYU Professor of Ancient Scripture, and Craig J. Ostler, a BYU Professor of Church History and Doctrine. The book is titled Revelations of the Restoration, A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants and …

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Mormonites Footnote on Book of Mormon Translation Gospel Topic Essay

The Book of Mormon Translation Gospel Topic Essay references an article in Footnote 31 from an Evangelical Magazine titled Mormonites. The essay cherry-picks comments from Oliver Cowdery about the translation process: The principal scribe, Oliver Cowdery, testified under oath in 1831 that Joseph Smith “found with the plates, from which he translated his book, two …

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Joseph Smith’s Rock in Hat Translation of the Book of Mormon

Traditionally, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon or LDS Church) depicts Joseph Smith translating the Book of Mormon in a manner that implies a reverent, direct reading of ancient golden plates. Today, church leaders are shifting this narrative to reflect the more historically accurate manner of translation. In reality, Joseph Smith barely …

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”Quite miraculous, really, through the gift and power of God. We know that they had a table like this. We know they had the golden plates, covered usually. And Joseph used these: the Urim and Thummim, seer stones, in the hat. And it was easier for him to see the light when he'd take that position.” - President Russell M. Nelson, 2020. What if Nelson knew more about the translation process? What if he used the same technique and translated from the sealed portion of the Gold Plates? What would God say to him? Would he find his new scripture flattering? Introducing the Book of Macaroni: https://wasmormon.org/macaroni
”Quite miraculous, really, through the gift and power of God. We know that they had a table like this. We know they had the golden plates, covered usually. And Joseph used these: the Urim and Thummim, seer stones, in the hat. And it was easier for him to see the light when he'd take that position.” - President Russell M. Nelson, 2020.What if Nelson knew more about the translation process? What if he used the same technique and translated from the sealed portion of the Gold Plates? What would God say to him? Would he find his new scripture flattering? Introducing the Book of Macaroni: https://wasmormon.org/macaroni

New Scripture Translated From Sealed Portion – Jesus visits Macaroni and Condemns Viper Church Leaders of Last Days

A few years ago, Russell M. Nelson revealed how Joseph Smith would translate by using a rock in a hat a few years ago. Suppose, for a moment, that he could know this technique from experience. What if President Russell M. Nelson knew more about the translation process? What if he used the same technique …

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“Scholars still argue whether Joseph Smith was convicted of glass looking in 1826, but the point is moot. Church scholars now acknowledge that he had a seer stone and did look for lost objects as a young man... No one denies that magic was there, especially in the mid-1820s. Smith never repudiated folk traditions; he continued to use the seer stone until late in life and used it in the translation process.” - Richard Bushman, LDS Historian | wasmormon.org
“Scholars still argue whether Joseph Smith was convicted of glass looking in 1826, but the point is moot. Church scholars now acknowledge that he had a seer stone and did look for lost objects as a young man... No one denies that magic was there, especially in the mid-1820s. Smith never repudiated folk traditions; he continued to use the seer stone until late in life and used it in the translation process.” - Richard Bushman, LDS Historian

Book of Mormon Anachronisms – Slippery Treasures and Treasure Digging Concepts

Joseph Smith was brought up being praised for a “gift.” What gift is that? The gift his father practiced and saw in him. The practice was condemned by Benjamin Franklin 100 years earlier. The practice appears in church history, in the doctrine and covenants, and even the Book of Mormon. This practice is easily ridiculed …

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“This odd humour of digging for money ... has for several years been mighty prevalent among us. Men, otherwise of very good sense, have been drawn into this practice through an over weening desire of sudden wealth, and an easy credulity of what they so earnestly wished might be true. While the rational and almost certain methods of acquiring riches by industry and frugality are neglected or forgotten. There is certainly something very bewitching in the pursuit after mines of gold and silver, and other valuable metals; and many have been ruined by it. Surely, this is nothing less than the most egregious folly and madness.” - Benjamin Franklin, The Busy-Body, No. 8, March 27, 1729 | wasmormon.org
“This odd humour of digging for money ... has for several years been mighty prevalent among us. Men, otherwise of very good sense, have been drawn into this practice through an over weening desire of sudden wealth, and an easy credulity of what they so earnestly wished might be true. While the rational and almost certain methods of acquiring riches by industry and frugality are neglected or forgotten. There is certainly something very bewitching in the pursuit after mines of gold and silver, and other valuable metals; and many have been ruined by it. Surely, this is nothing less than the most egregious folly and madness.” - Benjamin Franklin, The Busy-Body, No. 8, March 27, 1729
“There are amongst us great numbers of honest artificers and labouring people, who, fed with a vain hope of growing suddenly rich, neglect their business, almost to the ruining of themselves and [their] families, and voluntarily endure abundance of fatigue in a fruitless search after imaginary treasures. They wander through the woods and bushes by day to discover the marks and signs; at midnight they repair to the hopeful spot with spades and pickaxes; full of expectation they labour violently, trembling at the same time in every joint, through fear of certain malicious demons who are said to haunt and guard such places. At length a mighty hole is dug, and perhaps several cartloads of earth thrown out, but alas, no cag or iron pot is found! No seaman’s chest crammed with Spanish pistoles, or weighty pieces of eight! Then they conclude, that through some mistake in the procedure, some rash word spoke, or some rule of art neglected, the guardian spirit had power to sink it deeper into the earth and convey it out of their reach.” - Benjamin Franklin, The Busy-Body, No. 8, March 27, 1729 | wasmormon.org
“There are amongst us great numbers of honest artificers and labouring people, who, fed with a vain hope of growing suddenly rich, neglect their business, almost to the ruining of themselves and [their] families, and voluntarily endure abundance of fatigue in a fruitless search after imaginary treasures. They wander through the woods and bushes by day to discover the marks and signs; at midnight they repair to the hopeful spot with spades and pickaxes; full of expectation they labour violently, trembling at the same time in every joint, through fear of certain malicious demons who are said to haunt and guard such places. At length a mighty hole is dug, and perhaps several cartloads of earth thrown out, but alas, no cag or iron pot is found! No seaman’s chest crammed with Spanish pistoles, or weighty pieces of eight! Then they conclude, that through some mistake in the procedure, some rash word spoke, or some rule of art neglected, the guardian spirit had power to sink it deeper into the earth and convey it out of their reach.” - Benjamin Franklin, The Busy-Body, No. 8, March 27, 1729

Book of Mormon Invites Criticism

Hugh Nibley (1910–2005) was an American scholar and prominent figure in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was known for his contributions to LDS scholarship, particularly in ancient history, languages, and religious studies. Nibley held a Ph.D. in ancient history and wrote about ancient civilizations, religious history, and Mormonism. Nibley’s influence extends …

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Church Historians Attempt Normalizing Strange Seer Stone In Hat Translation Method

Mason Allred and Mark Ashurst-McGee discuss the various historical accounts of the Book of Mormon translation process, including accounts of Joseph Smith using a Seer Stone to translate the ancient record and accounts of Joseph Smith using the Urim and Thummim in a video posted on the “Church History/Latter-day Saint History” YouTube account, the official …

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Joseph Fielding Smith Taught The Seer Stone Was Not Used for Book of Mormon Translation

The New Narrative We have many statements and posts from current church leaders trying to normalize Joseph’s seer stone translation. We have Elder Uchtdorf and Brother Brad Wilcox discussing the rock in a hat and independently comparing it to a mobile phone of all things. We even have President Nelson demonstrating the rock-in-hat procedure Joseph …

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Jeffrey R Holland’s BBC Interview – Transcript and Video Clips

As a result of a believing Mormon potentially leading the United States, there was increased scrutiny of the Mormon church. John Sweeny, of the BBC, interviewed LDS Apostle Jeffrey Holland for a program called ‘The Mormon Candidate’ which aired on BBC in 2012. Holland is caught in lies during the interview and resorts to claiming he’s neither an idiot or a dodo.

Personal Mormon Faith Crisis Report – Faith Crisis Profiles

This faith crisis report next lists many anonymous faith crisis profiles each detailing the exit story of the member (along with precious statistics and demographics the church cares deeply about such as household income). Not to be confused with the actual faith crisis profiles shared on wasmormon.org.