Edward Stevenson recounts hearing Martin Harris speak of how Joseph used both a seer stone and a Urim and Thummim to translate the plates.

Date
Nov 30, 1881
Type
News (traditional)
Source
Edward Stevenson
LDS
Hearsay
2nd Hand
Late
Reference

Edward Stevenson to the editor, November 30, 1881, Deseret Evening News, 15, no. 20 (December 13, 1881): 4

Scribe/Publisher
Deseret Evening News
People
Edward Stevenson, Martin Harris, Joseph Smith, Jr.
Audience
General Public
Transcription

Martin Harris related an instance 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 translating 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 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 resembled spectacles, only they were larger. Martin said there were not many pages translated while he wrote; after which Oliver Cowdery and others did the writing.

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