Source:Zenas H. Gurley:Autumn Leaves:1892:Elder David Whitmer’s idea was that the translation was made by the seers’ stone, as he calls it, not the Interpreters

Gurley (1892): "Elder David Whitmer’s idea was that the translation was made by the seers’ stone, as he calls it, not the Interpreters"

Parent page: Book of Mormon/Translation/Method/Seer stone

Gurley (1892): "Elder David Whitmer’s idea was that the translation was made by the seers’ stone, as he calls it, not the Interpreters"

Zenas H. Gurley:

That Joseph had another stone called seers’ stone, and “peep stone,” is quite certain. This stone was frequently exhibited to different ones and helped to assuage their awful curiosity; but the Urim and Thummim never, unless possibly to Oliver Cowdery. . . . Elder David Whitmer’s idea was that the translation was made by the seers’ stone, as he calls it, not the Interpreters, and Emma Smith’s (Bidamon) statement accords with Whitmer as published in Herald some years since. The only discrepancy between the statements of the witnesses is that relating to the detail of the translation; and, as shown above, David and Emma, in the nature of things, did not know just how the Urim and Thummim were used, as they had never seen them. The reader will please bear in mind that no one was allowed to see either the plates or the Urim and Thummim, except as God commanded. The Eight Witnesses were allowed to see the plates and handle them as shown above; none else.[1]

Notes

  1. Zenas H. Gurley, quoting “Dr. Robinson,” Source: Zenas H. Gurley, “The Book of Mormon,” Autumn Leaves 5 (1892): 451-54, located on the Book of Abraham Project.