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In this episode, Jennifer, Zach, and Sarah discuss why seer stones are no longer used today. Throughout this 6 part series, Me, My Shelf, & I will tackle and refute claims about the seer stones head-on using facts from the historical narrative.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(1:35) Background
(13:39) Peace Child
(21:11) Conclusion
Sarah Allen is a senior researcher with FAIR, and the 2022 recipient of the John Taylor: Defender of the Faith Award. By profession, she works in mortgage compliance and is a freelance copyeditor. An avid reader, she loves studying the Gospel and the history of the restored Church. After watching some of her friends lose their testimonies, she became interested in helping others through their faith crises. That’s when she began sharing what she’d learned through her studies. She is a co-moderator the LDS subreddit on Reddit and the author of a multi-part series rebutting the CES Letter. She’s grateful to those at FAIR who have given her the opportunity to share her testimony with a wider audience.
Jennifer Roach earned a Master of Divinity from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, and a Master of Counseling from Argosy University. Before her conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints she was an ordained minister in the Anglican church. Her own experience of sexual abuse from a pastor during her teen years led her to care deeply about issues of abuse in faith communities.
Zachary Wright was born in American Fork, UT. He served his mission speaking Spanish in North Carolina and the Dominican Republic. He currently attends BYU studying psychology, but loves writing, and studying LDS theology and history. His biggest desire is to help other people bring them closer to each other, and ultimately bring people closer to God.
Bruce R. McConkie:
From among the Lord’s prophets and revelators certain highly spiritual ones have been chosen to act as seers, and as such, as occasion has required, they have had the right to use the Urim and Thummim. A seer is a prophet selected and appointed to possess and use these holy interpreters. (Mosiah 8:13; 28:16.) Joseph Smith, the great seer of latter-days (2 Ne. 3:6-11; D. & C. 21:1; 124:125; 127:12; 135:3), for instance, translated the Book of Mormon and received many revelations by means of the Urim and Thummim….
The President of the Church holds the office of seership. (D. & C. 107:92; 124:94, 125.) Indeed, the apostolic office itself is one of seership, and the members of the Council of the Twelve, together with the Presidency and Patriarch to the Church, are chosen and sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators to the Church. (Mormon Doctrine, 2d ed. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966], 701.)
Harold B. Lee:
I was up with Brother Packer and some of the Seminary teachers, and amidst a questioning period when many of the questions couldn’t be answered by anyone fully and truthfully, one asked, “Brother Lee, does the church have the Urim and Thummim?” and I replied, “Not to my knowledge.” He wasn’t satisfied with that, but he pressed it again and he said, “Well, we were told that the church does have the Urim and Thummim,” And I said, “Well, I think perhaps I should say that the one who told you that wasn’t handicapped by too much information.” Now I say to you here today, wherever the Urim and Thummim is, it is in the custody of divine messengers. And I want to tell you something else, if it is ever given for use among us today, it will be given to the Prophet of the Lord and to no one else. Make no mistake about that. (“But Arise and Stand upon Thy Feet—and I Will Speak with Thee,” Address to the Brigham Young University Studentbody, 7 February 1955, 10.)
I need to ask Richard I. Winwood a question. How do I get in touch with him?