THE RETURN, an RLDS publication, publishes a letter by Emma [Smith] Bidamon, Joseph Smith's widow: "I always feel a peculiar satisfaction in giving all the information on that subject that I can. Now the first that my husband translated, [the book] was translated by the use of the Urim, and Thummim, and that was the part that Martin Harris lost, after that he used a small stone, not exactly, black, but was rather a dark color, . . . ."
[Source: On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com]
included in Vogel, EMD 1:532. letter to Emma Pilgrim 27 March 1870 even tho' she is dead wrong on "after that". The U&T was returned to JS-JR.
ReplyDeleteThe spectacles / interpreters recovered with the plates are thought to have been used to translate the 116 pages - and then returned. One of Joseph Smith's seerstones was used to translate the rest of the BoM, and receive revelations through.
DeleteThe term "Urim and Thummin" was introduced later. It was not used in 1830, or before. That term can refer to either the spectacles, or seerstones.
U&T refers ONLY to the large magnifying spectacles.
DeleteI think for both. See for example the section headings of many early sections of the D&C, which were given through the "Urim and Thummin" (IE seer stone)
DeleteExod.28
Delete[30] And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
Lev.8
[8] And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim.
Num.27
[21] And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
Deut.33
[8] And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
1Sam.28
[6] And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
Ezra.2
[63] And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.
Neh.7
[65] And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.
"One of Joseph Smith's seerstones was used to translate the rest of the BoM,"
ReplyDeletewith his face in the hat? with the stone in the hat? right?
Right
ReplyDeleteif Joseph Smith's face was in the hat with the seer stone all at the same time and all was obviously dark and then the light of God and words or phrase appeared how then did Joseph repeat back all the words or phrase spelling out difficult names,places to Oliver Cowdery who then said "WRITTEN"???
ReplyDeleteI don't know the details of how spelling corrections and such occurred.
DeleteAn interesting item related to this -- if you check all the phrases similar to "a light shineth in darkness" in the Book of Mormon, you'll all see that they are related to translation.
John.1
Delete[5] And THE LIGHT SHINETH IN DARKNESS; and the darkness comprehended it not.
How could Oliver Cowdery possibly hear Joseph spell out the difficult words if Joseph's head was in the hat?????!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete... and thus we see that the complete translation of the BOM was done ONLY thru the U&T.
ReplyDeletethe U&T (KJV) = the Interpreters (BOM).
ReplyDeleteThere is a theory/hypothesis that has been around for a long time that Joseph & Oliver devised the "stratagem" of the seer stone in the hat to protect the gold plates from the wicked individuals & mobs that were constantly after them for their obvious riches. Joseph & Oliver were two 1829 forerunners of the WW2 double agent Juan Pujols who successfully fooled, deceived the Nazis before the Normandy invasion. Joseph & Oliver always maintained in their writings that they used the Urim & Thummim (aka, binocular magnifiers) to translate the gold plates.
ReplyDeleteafter all who would want to steal a stone?
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Pujol_Garcia
ReplyDelete