A seer stone is a magic stone or crystal used for crystallomancy, a form of divination. Alternatively in divination, 'seer stones' are a set of precious and semi-precious stones used in one method of casting lots. Some argue that the Hebrew Urim and Thummim were seer stones. Crystallomancy, or crystal gazing, is a method of divination of distant or future events by gazing into a crystal. ... This man in Rhumsiki, Cameroon, tells the future by interpreting the changes in position of various objects as caused by a fresh-water crab through nggàm[1]. Divination is the practice of ascertaining information from supernatural sources. ... Urim and Thummim (in Hebrew Urim VeTumim, אורים ותמים, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÛrîm wəṮummîm, Standard Hebrew אורים ותומים Urim vəTummim; Arabic اوريم وتميم Ūrīm waṮummīm) — typically translated as lights and perfections or revelation and truth — were a divination medium or process used by ancient Hebrews (usually Israelites) in revealing the...

Seer Stone in Mormonism

In historic Mormonism, a seer stone is a stone or crystal used by a prophet for receiving revelation from God. see also The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Mormonism is a religion, movement, ideology, and subculture that originated in the early 1800s as a product of the Latter Day Saint movement led principally by Joseph Smith, Jr. ... For information on the last book of the New Testament see the Book of Revelation. ... Michelangelos depiction of God in the painting Creation of the Sun and Moon in the Sistine Chapel Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, one of the manifestations of the ultimate reality or God in Hinduism This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Church of Christ/Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints reported that in 1827, in response to prayer, he was visited by an angel who revealed the location of a set of ancient records engraved on gold plates, buried on a hillside. He followed the directions to the location, and located a stone box containing the plates and various other items. Joseph Smith, Jr. ... The title Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints can refer to: the full, formal title given to the Church of Christ in 1838; an early spelling of the church that is now officially titled The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; an early name by which... Naval Battle of Navarino by Carneray 1827 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Included in the box was an instrument called the Urim and Thummim, meant for the purpose of translating the plates. It consisted in part of two triangular transparent crystals set in frames like spectacles. These are considered seer stones. Translation of the plates, with the aid of a scribe, took about nine months, and resulted in the Book of Mormon, a record of an ancient people who inhabited the Americas, and who were visited by Jesus Christ shortly after His resurrection. Urim and Thummim (in Hebrew Urim VeTumim, אורים ותמים, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÛrîm wəṮummîm, Standard Hebrew אורים ותומים Urim vəTummim; Arabic اوريم وتميم Ūrīm waṮummīm) — typically translated as lights and perfections or revelation and truth — were a divination medium or process used by ancient Hebrews (usually Israelites) in revealing the... The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (softcover missionary edition) The Book of Mormon is one of four sacred texts of Mormonism, which also include the Bible, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

At the completion of the translation, the angel (identified as the resurrected Moroni, the son of Mormon, who did most of the work preparing the gold plates for burial) returned and reclaimed the original gold plates, along with the Urim and Thummim. Urim and Thummim (in Hebrew Urim VeTumim, אורים ותמים, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÛrîm wəṮummîm, Standard Hebrew אורים ותומים Urim vəTummim; Arabic اوريم وتميم Ūrīm waṮummīm) — typically translated as lights and perfections or revelation and truth — were a divination medium or process used by ancient Hebrews (usually Israelites) in revealing the...

Prior to this time, Joseph Smith had located other stones identified also as seer stones. These stones are thought to be not as significant as the Urim and Thummim, though Joseph was said to have used both the Urim and Thummim and these other stones as aids to receiving divine revelation. Urim and Thummim (in Hebrew Urim VeTumim, אורים ותמים, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÛrîm wəṮummîm, Standard Hebrew אורים ותומים Urim vəTummim; Arabic اوريم وتميم Ūrīm waṮummīm) — typically translated as lights and perfections or revelation and truth — were a divination medium or process used by ancient Hebrews (usually Israelites) in revealing the...

Many of Joseph's revelations, including ones received through the use of seer stones, have been collected and published in the Doctrine and Covenants, which is considered by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as scripture, along with the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price. These revelations direct Joseph and his associates to organize a church, intended to be a restoration of the original gospel and doctrine of Jesus Christ, which was lost from the world due to a general apostacy around the time of the death of the original apostles. As of 2006, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints numbers more than twelve million persons worldwide. Doctrine and Covenants The Doctrine and Covenants (sometimes referred to as the D&C) is a part of the open scriptural canon of Mormonism. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ... The Bible (Hebrew: תנ״ך tanakh, Greek: η Βίβλος hē biblos) (sometimes The Holy Bible, The Book, Word of God, The Word Scripture, Scripture), from Greek (τα) βίβλια, (ta) biblia, (the) books, is the name used by Jews and Christians for their (differing but overlapping) canons of sacred texts. ... The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (softcover missionary edition) The Book of Mormon is one of four sacred texts of Mormonism, which also include the Bible, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants. ... Pearl of Great Price, 1888 Edition The Pearl of Great Price is part of the standard works (canonized scripture) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church; see also Mormonism) and some other Latter Day Saint denominations. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ...

At least one seer stone is also mentioned in the Book of Mormon. In this book a seer is defined as a prophet who possesses a seer stone. Note that the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is officially titled "Prophet, Seer, and Revelator". This indicates that he may be in possession of a seer stone. This is reinforced by a statement by Joseph Fielding Smith (a former president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) in volume three of his "Doctrines of Salvation", page 225: “The statement has been made that the Urim and Thummim was on the altar in the Manti Temple when that building was dedicated. The Urim and Thummim so spoken of, however, was the SEER STONE which was in the possession of the Prophet Joseph Smith in early days. This seer stone is NOW in the possession of the Church.” The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (softcover missionary edition) The Book of Mormon is one of four sacred texts of Mormonism, which also include the Bible, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants. ... Seer has several possible meanings: A fortune teller or prophet The fictional character on the television series Charmed The Seasonal energy efficiency ratio standard for air conditioning appliances This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A prophet is a person who is believed to speak through divine inspiration. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ... Joseph Fielding Smith (July 19, 1876 – July 2, 1972) was the tenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1970 to 1972. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ...

The translator stones, supposedly found with or near the gold plates, and the plates themselves were both claimed to have been taken away after the original 116 translated pages were lost. No one during this period ever claimed that the pair of translator stones, the bow, or the breastplate they attached to were ever given back. It is uncertain whether these were even claimed to have been used in the first translation, since it was the brown peep stone Smith already had in his possession that most witnesses claimed to have seen him put in the hat for almost all translation purposes, before and after this event. Smith claimed the plates were returned to him eventually before finally being taken after translations were complete, but most of the witnesses to the plates only saw them in vision or trance form where the angel would reveal them while surrounded in glory...and this only after extensive prayer and meditation under the mentorship of Smith himself. This trance was described as like a dream. This contradicts the claim that the plates were physically returned during this period or that Smith even alleged to need them nearby when conducting the translations. The same brown peep or "seer" stone was the one used for translating the Book of Abraham, as well as most of the later more controversial revelations. This is the stone spoken of in the above quote that is said to reside in the First Presidency's vault. An image copied by Joseph Smith, Jr. ...

See also

• Book of Mormon
• Book of Abraham
• Crystallomancy
• Joseph Smith, Jr.
• Palantír
• Urim and Thummim