Seer Stones and The Book of Mormon
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. In dictating the Book of Mormon, Smith said he used these "interpreters," which he later referred to as "Urim and Thummim." Joseph's wife, Emma, said that Smith used the Urim and Thummim to translate the lost 116 pages of the manuscript but that Smith translated the published Book of Mormon using the single chocolate-colored stone that he had previously used in treasure-quests.
David Whitmer said when Smith translated the Book of Mormon, he "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 on that appeared the writing. One character at a time 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."
Read more about this topic: Seer Stone (Latter Day Saints)
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