What happened to the seer stones?

[cacheman]

The use of seer stones played a prominent role in the founding of the LDS church. Before founding the church, Joseph Smith was engaged in seeking lost Spanish treasure through the use of a seer stone. Joseph also used the stone to find other lost objects. Martin Harris describes one such incident:

"I ... was picking my teeth with a pin while sitting on the bars. The pin caught in my teeth, and dropped from my fingers into the shavings and straw. I jumped from the bars and looked for it. Joseph and Northrop Sweet also did the same. We could not find it. I then took Joseph on surprise, and said to him--I said, 'Take your stone;' I had never seen it, and did not know that he had it with him. He had it in his pocket. He took it and placed it in his hat--the old white hat--and placed his face in his hat. I watched him closely to see that he did not look to one side; he reached out his hand beyond me on the right, and moved a little stick, and there I saw the pin, which he picked up and gave to me. I know he did not look out of the hat until after he had picked up the pin" (Interview with Martin Harris, Tiffany's Monthly, 1859, p. 165).

Apparently this is the same stone and method Joseph used to translate the Book of Mormon. Emma Smith recounts, "In writing for your father I frequently wrote day after day, after sitting by 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" (Saints Herald May 19, 1888). Martin Harris tells the story of switching Joseph's seer stone for one that closely resembled it. When Joseph attempted to translate, he cried out, "Martin! What is the matter? All is as dark as Egypt!" and was unable to translate with the bogus stone (Historical Record, p. 126).

Joseph used the seer stone for purposes both divine and relatively mundane. According to Orson Pratt, "Joseph received several revelations to which I was witness by means of the seer stone" (Millennial Star 40:49). One such revelation is section 7 of the Doctrine and Covenants. A less dramatic use was Joseph's reading of Fox's Book of Martyrs using the seer stone, which he often referred to as the Urim and Thummim, in order to save time:

"I have, by the aid of the Urim and Thummim, seen those martyrs and they were honest, devoted followers of Christ according to the light they possessed; they will be saved" (Edward Stevenson, Reminiscences of Joseph the Prophet, and the Coming Forth of the. Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Published by the Author, 1893, p. 5).

In the early days of the church, seer stones were quite common, and one such stone, owned by Hiram Page, one of the Book of Mormon witnesses, nearly provoked a schism in the church and prompted the Lord himself to rebuke Page (D&C 28:11). Faithful members used seer stones as part of their worship and prayer. One group used what they called the "Sameazer" stones along with books of magic and astrology. These items were given to
George A. Smith, who took them to Nauvoo.

"He gave them to Joseph the Prophet who pronounced them to be a Urim and Thummim--as good as ever was upon the earth--but he said, 'They have been consecrated to devils'" (Wandle Mace diary, p. 66). Philo Dibble claimed to have found a seer stone at the Nauvoo Mansion House, which he took west to Utah and displayed as a relic of Joseph's life (Millennial Star 11:11-12). Many others used seer stones at the time, as their use was considered a gift of the spirit.

Brigham Young stated that Joseph Smith taught him that "every man who lived on the earth was entitled to a seer stone, and should have one, but they are kept from them in consequence of their wickedness, and most of those who do find one make an evil use of it; he showed us his seer stone" (Millennial Star 26:118). This is consistent with Doctrine and Covenants 130:10, wherein Joseph Smith stated, "Then the white stone mentioned in Revelation 2:17, will become a Urim and Thummim to each individual who receives one, whereby things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms will be made known." And of course those who have been to the temple understand the significance of the stone to be given.

It appears from Joseph's teachings that church members should have and enjoy the use of seer stones, yet after Joseph's death we hear very little about such stones. Wilford Woodruff records that at the dedication of the Manti Temple, "Before leaving, I consecrated upon the altar the Seer Stone that Joseph Smith found by revelation some thirty feet under the earth, and carried by him through life" (see Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church 6:230). Joseph Fielding Smith mentioned that "this seer stone is now in the possession of the Church" (Doctrines of Salvation, 3:225). As far as I can tell, this is the last mention we have of the seer stones.

These days in the church seer stones are rarely mentioned, yet they were very important to early members. If, as Joseph Smith said, we are entitled to find and use seer stones, what has happened to them? Why do we never hear of any church members using such divine implements? Is it lack of faith? Or is it that we are less culturally ready to accept such things these days?

[_karl61]

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http://www.crystalball.com/

[_Gazelam]

I think it was Moroni who said "if miracles have ceased, it is because of unbelief."

Just want to add, I thought it was wild when in "Rough Stone Rolling" there was a girl using a seerstone to follow Joseph trying to get the plates. She used the seerstone to find the box he had been hiding the plates in under the floor, but Joseph had moved the plates to a different location in a diferent container.

[_Runtu]

I think it was Moroni who said "if miracles have ceased, it is because of unbelief."

Interestingly enough, someone on the other board has dismissed the idea of seer stones as "worthless" relics of a more credulous age that have been rightly repudiated by modern prophets. I find that position bizarre.

[_beastie]

Miss Cleo has them.

[_beastie]

Now that I have that out of my system, a couple of comments.

First, it's my impression that the church has possession of one of the peep stones.

Second, Martin Harris was a blooming idiot. Joseph evidently spent hours look at that stone, and he thought he would pull a switch-a-roo? No wonder he mortgaged his farm for Joseph.

Third, my impression is that the earth will become a seer stone to all celestial inhabitants one day. Needless to say, everyone will be wildly rich due to all the hidden treasures that will be uncovered.

Oh, wait a minute, it never did work for that, either.

[_Gazelam]

As I understand it, a seerstone is used to receive revelations from a higher kingdom. So those in the terrestrial and telestial would have them, while those in the Celestial would live on a serstone as Beastie has said.

[_beastie]

As I understand it, a seerstone is used to receive revelations from a higher kingdom.

So that's why Joseph never could find a hidden treasure, eh? It was the fault of those incompetents in the higher kingdom, channeling him faulty information.

[_SatanWasSetUp]

It seems a seerstone would come in handy for finding lost car keys. I'm not sure why the church lost the plain and precious truth of seer stones. Apostacy perhaps?

[_Sethbag]

As I understand it, a seerstone is used to receive revelations from a higher kingdom.

So that's why Joseph never could find a hidden treasure, eh? It was the fault of those incompetents in the higher kingdom, channeling him faulty information.

Actually they did find the treasure. They just couldn't recover it, because every time they tried the guardian spirits just sucked it further down into the earth. Duh.