How Joseph Smith Translated the Book of Mormon Using a Seer Stone

An explanation of the process Joseph Smith described for translating the Book of Mormon, focusing on the use of a seer stone.

By Garret Merkley · Explainer · Jun 2, 2026

Branched from The Book of Mormon: Origins and Early Reception

Quick take

Joseph Smith dictated the Book of Mormon translation to scribes.
He used a 'seer stone,' often placed in a hat, to view words and sentences.
The words appeared spiritually on the stone, which he then vocalized.
The gold plates were often not physically present during the dictation process.

Joseph Smith dictated the Book of Mormon translation by using a seer stone, which he often placed in a hat to block out ambient light. According to historical accounts from Smith and his associates, words and sentences of the ancient text would appear on the stone's surface. He would then read these words aloud to a scribe, who would write them down, forming the text of the Book of Mormon.

The Seer Stone and the Hat

The primary method involved a small, egg-shaped, brown seer stone, which Smith had reportedly found years earlier while digging a well. To translate, Smith would place this stone into a hat, then bury his face in the hat, effectively creating a dark enclosure. This allowed him to concentrate on the stone, where he claimed to see the ancient record's words appear. This wasn't a linguistic translation of existing characters, but rather a spiritual revelation of the text in English.

The Dictation Process

Sitting with a scribe—most notably Oliver Cowdery, but also Emma Smith and Martin Harris—Joseph Smith would dictate the words that appeared on the seer stone. He would speak sentences or even paragraphs at a time. The scribe would record these words, and if an error was made in transcription, Smith would reportedly pause until the correct words reappeared on the stone. This process was described as remarkably fluid and continuous, often progressing for hours without Smith referring to any physical manuscripts or the gold plates themselves, which were frequently covered or not even in the same room.

This method of translation is central to the foundational beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It establishes Joseph Smith’s role as a prophet who received divine revelation to bring forth sacred scripture. The process occurred primarily between 1828 and 1829, leading to the publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830. Understanding this method helps clarify the origins of the text and distinguishes it from conventional academic translation, emphasizing its spiritual nature within the faith tradition.

Was the seer stone the same as the Urim and Thummim?

Joseph Smith and his associates sometimes used the term "Urim and Thummim" interchangeably with the seer stone, or to refer to the pair of interpreters found with the gold plates. While the objects might have differed, their function in revealing text was spiritually similar in Smith's translation accounts.

Did Joseph Smith look at the gold plates while translating?

According to most historical accounts, Joseph Smith generally did not look at the gold plates during the dictation process. The plates were often covered, placed in a box, or not present in the room where the translation was taking place, as the words appeared on the seer stone rather than being read directly from the plates.

Where did Joseph Smith get the seer stone?

Joseph Smith reportedly found the brown, egg-shaped seer stone years before the Book of Mormon translation, while digging a well on a neighbor's property. He used it for various purposes, including searching for buried objects, before it became central to the Book of Mormon translation.

Was this translation method common at the time?

No, this method was unique to Joseph Smith's spiritual claims and not a conventional linguistic or scholarly translation technique. It was rooted in a tradition of folk magic and treasure seeking prevalent in some parts of 19th-century America, but applied in a religious context.

Sources

Saints, Volume 1: The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846 (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
"Book of Mormon Translation," Gospel Topics, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"Joseph the Seer," Ensign, October 2015.