Imagine having a device that could reveal hidden truths and translate ancient languages—no charging or Wi-Fi required. In the 1800s, some people believed they had exactly that in the form of seer stones. These fascinating objects played a crucial role in early Latter-day Saint history and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
The World of Folk Magic and Religion
Seer stones, seers, and "seeing" were part of the nineteenth-century American culture and "family culture" of Joseph Smith's early life. These stones were believed to reveal hidden truths and lost objects, kind of like a spiritual metal detector of the 1800s, and were associated with folk magic.
Joseph's Collection
Joseph reportedly said that there's a stone for every person on the earth. He himself had several—possibly up to five. These may have included:
A green stone with brown spots, about the same size as a goose egg.
A "very large" stone (according to Brigham Young),
Two more that were "a little larger than a black walnut without the shock on" (also according to Brigham)
Interestingly, Joseph may have even found one of these stones by using another person's seer stone—possibly a stone from Sally Chase, an early associate of Joseph's who used a search for hidden things, including treasure.
Joseph's most famous stone is probably the chocolate-colored stone—the stone he likely used for translating the Book of Mormon.
Early Uses
In the early 1820s, earlier in his life, Joseph would use the seer stones to help locate treasure for paying clients. He even met Emma when Josiah Stowell hired Joseph to search for an ancient silver deposit. He also used a stone to uncover hidden objects and/or people, recover lost property, and fortune-telling.
Later, Joseph used the seer stones to receive revelation, translate the Book of Mormon, and possibly later translate the Book of Abraham.
The Sacred Translation
Joseph used both the Urim and Thummim and a seer stone at different times while translating the Book of Mormon. According to witnesses like Emma Smith and Elizabeth Ann Whitmer Cowdery, Joseph would place a seer stone in a hat to block out the light to translate and read the words that would appear on the stone to his scribe.
David Whitmer, who later became one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, described it this way: “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 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.”
The Seer Stones Today
In 2015, the Church made headlines by publishing the first official photographs of Joseph Smith's chocolate-colored seer stone in the Joseph Smith Papers Project. Today, the Church occasionally displays photos of it in special exhibits, like the one that accompanied the release of the Joseph Smith Papers volume on the printing and publication of the Book of Mormon.
While you won't find seer stones being used in modern Church practices, the translation of the Book of Mormon and use of seer stones are still a cool part of Latter-day history.
Want to dive deeper into seer stones? Check out Mormonr.org's "Seer Stones" and "Book of Mormon Translation Methods" Q&As for an extensive archive of primary documents about seer stones.