How Joseph Smith Used Seer Stones and Urim and Thummim for Revelation

Understanding the physical tools Smith claimed to use when translating the Book of Mormon and receiving divine messages.

By Garret Merkley · Explainer · Jun 3, 2026

Branched from The Book of Mormon Translation: Scribes, Witnesses, and Methods

Quick take

Smith used two main tools—a pair of interpreters called Urim and Thummim, and seer stones (especially a brown stone)—to receive and translate revelations.
He would place these objects in a hat to block out light and read words that appeared in the stone, which scribes then recorded.
These methods were common in early 19th-century folk practice but became controversial as Smith's authority grew and the Church standardized its theology.

A seer stone is a smooth, polished stone that Joseph Smith and other early Mormon leaders claimed could reveal hidden knowledge or divine messages when gazed upon in the right conditions. Urim and Thummim, in Smith's account, were a pair of crystal interpreters (often described as spectacles) that functioned similarly. Smith said he used both—at different times and for different purposes—to translate the Book of Mormon, receive written revelations, and locate lost objects. The seer stones and interpreters were physical conduits through which he claimed God communicated messages.

The Mechanics: How Smith Used These Tools

Smith's process followed a consistent ritual. He would place the stone or interpreters into a hat, press his face close to block out external light, and then read words or images that he said appeared in the stone. These words would emerge in English, already translated, rather than Smith having to decode ancient languages. A scribe—usually his wife Emma, Oliver Cowdery, or another trusted associate—would sit nearby and write down whatever Smith dictated. This method allowed Smith to work without needing to consult source texts or demonstrate linguistic knowledge of Hebrew or Egyptian.

The seer stone Smith favored most was a dark brown, smooth stone he found while digging a well in 1822, before his religious movement began. Eyewitness accounts describe it as about the size of a hen's egg. The Urim and Thummim, by contrast, were presented as ancient instruments that came with the golden plates—the supposed source material for the Book of Mormon. Witnesses reported seeing Smith use both interchangeably, though the Urim and Thummim eventually became the more official version in Church narratives, perhaps because it carried biblical authority (Urim and Thummim appear in the Old Testament as priestly divination tools).

Why These Tools Mattered to Smith's Authority

In the early 19th century, folk magic and divining practices were widespread in rural America. Seer stones and similar objects were used by treasure hunters, healers, and self-proclaimed prophets across New England and the frontier. Smith himself had a reputation as a money digger—someone hired to locate buried treasure using divining rods and stones. By using a seer stone to produce scripture, Smith positioned himself within a familiar tradition while also claiming a direct, unmediated channel to God. The stone became proof: it was a tangible object that witnesses could see him use, even if they couldn't see what he saw inside it.

The method also solved a practical problem. Smith had no formal education in ancient languages, yet he claimed to be translating a text written in reformed Egyptian. By saying the stone revealed already-translated English words, he bypassed the need to demonstrate scholarly credentials. Scribes and early believers found this compelling—the revelation came through an object, not through Smith's own learning, which made it seem more divine and less dependent on his fallibility.

The Shift Away from Seer Stones

As the Church grew and moved west, seer stones became a liability rather than an asset. Church leaders began to emphasize that revelation came through Smith's prophetic office, not through magical objects. The Urim and Thummim—framed as ancient and biblical—remained acceptable in official narratives, while the brown seer stone was quietly de-emphasized. By the time Smith died in 1844, the Church was distancing itself from folk magic associations and repositioning Smith as a prophet in a more mainstream religious sense. Later Church leaders rarely mentioned the stones at all, and for much of the 20th century, the Church's official history downplayed or omitted this detail entirely.

What Witnesses Actually Reported

Scribes could not see what appeared in the stone—only Smith reported seeing words or images.
The hat-and-stone method was used for Book of Mormon translation (especially after the Urim and Thummim were supposedly lost or set aside).
Multiple independent witnesses, including Oliver Cowdery and Emma Smith, confirmed they saw Smith use the stones, though their accounts vary in detail.
No seer stone or Urim and Thummim remains in Church possession or has been scientifically examined.

Why This Matters Today

The seer stone and Urim and Thummim are central to understanding how Joseph Smith actually produced the Book of Mormon and early Mormon theology. For believers, they represent God's direct intervention in the translation process. For historians and critics, they highlight Smith's reliance on folk magic practices and raise questions about the reliability of the translation. The Church's modern acknowledgment of the seer stone (after decades of omission) signals a shift toward historical transparency, though interpretations of what the stones mean for Mormon authenticity remain deeply contested. Understanding these tools is essential to any serious discussion of the Book of Mormon's origins.

Did Joseph Smith actually have the Urim and Thummim, or was it just the seer stone?

Smith claimed to have both. Early in the Book of Mormon translation, he said he used the Urim and Thummim (which came with the golden plates). Later, he primarily used his brown seer stone. Scholars debate whether these were two separate objects, the same object described differently, or whether Smith invented the Urim and Thummim as a more biblically authoritative alternative to the folk-magic seer stone.

Could anyone see the words that appeared in the stone?

No. Only Joseph Smith reported seeing the words or images inside the stone. Scribes and witnesses could see him place the stone in the hat and hear him dictate, but they could not see what he claimed to see. This made verification impossible and required faith in Smith's account.

Is the seer stone still in existence?

The brown seer stone Smith used is held in the Church's vault and has not been made publicly available for examination. In 2015, the Church released a photograph of it, marking the first official public acknowledgment of the object in decades. No Urim and Thummim has ever been produced or examined.

Why did the Church stop talking about the seer stone?

As the Church grew and sought mainstream religious legitimacy, seer stones became embarrassing because of their association with folk magic and treasure hunting. The Church shifted its narrative to emphasize Smith's prophetic office and revelation through prayer, rather than magical objects. This omission lasted roughly from the 1880s until 2015.

Did other early Mormon leaders use seer stones?

Yes. Brigham Young, Oliver Cowdery, and other early leaders also claimed to use seer stones or similar divining tools. This was consistent with folk practices of the era, but as the Church formalized its theology, these methods were abandoned and eventually denied or forgotten in official histories.

Sources

Church Historian's Press, 'The Joseph Smith Papers' (documents and witness accounts of translation methods).
Richard Lyman Bushman, 'Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling' (comprehensive biography addressing folk magic and translation practices).
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 'Book of Mormon Translation' official essay (2015 acknowledgment of seer stone use).