Seer Stone v. Urim and Thummim: Book of Mormon Translation on Trial

This is *THE* book for anyone who has been confused by the revisionist history being passed of as "scholarship" into the origins of the Book Of Mormon. Each of the lies, and the originators and perpetrators of the lies about Joseph Smith, the Smith Family, and the translation of the Book of Mormon is exposed here. Names, dates, and the lies themselves are brought into the light. This is a special problem among BYU students since the late 1970s which is when the apostate revisionist historians took over the BYU Religion Department and began teaching the lies as if they were the truth, which has had the effect of driving many students away from the church.

Goes into detail about how the rock in the hat narrative comes only from biased, counterfactual and critical sources: the Hurlbut affidavits and David Whitmer. The view of Joseph translating from a rock in a hat is not history. The view of Joseph translating the engravings with a farmer's hat over the plates to block the light is history. Presents scripture and historical sources in a court case setting. Great purchase, would purchase again. Forward it to anyone still defending Joseph looking in a hat or anyone who left the church because of this issue.

This book is full of insightful quotes and references. They make an excellent defense of the prophet Joseph using the scriptures, Joseph's words, Oliver's words, and others, showing that many historians are giving undeserved credibility to "anti-Mormon" historical figures and their documents. Based on my research, I am personally convinced that Joseph used the Urim and Thummim that was prepared for the purpose of translating the plates, and he used his hat at times to block the light. There is enough evidence to support the strong possibility that he often used his hat for this purpose, but, like the authors, I'm convinced that he used the Urim and Thummim with the plates, just as he and Oliver said, and as the Lord instructed. I am also a witness that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of God, that the Book of Mormon is true, and that it came forth the way Joseph said it came forth. A bitter fountain cannot bring forth pure water, and Joseph was chosen by God like all the other holy prophets, to give us more of God's word. The Book of Mormon is exactly what it claims to be, and, like Joseph, I defy all of earth and hell to refute it.A special thanks to the authors of Seer Stone V. Urimmim and Thummim for their careful and bold defense of the prophet Joseph and The Book of Mormon. Everyone should read this book after they read and study The Book of Mormon!

I'm so thankful this book was written. The stone in a hat idea never set well with me and I wondered from where in the heck the idea even came! Now I know. It saddens me that God is being written out of history in subtle ways, and that the character of His prophet is likewise being diminished. Thank you Hannah Stoddard of Joseph Smith Foundation for your impeccable dedication to truth, and for giving historical information a proper hierarchy of weight, based on who said it (the Lord being given the greatest weight, and those second-hand accounts riddled with bias or destructive motives lesser or no weight at all). I would hate to think that people who said lies about me today, would, 150 years from now, be considered valid and equal sources to define my character in history. Such is the lot of Joseph Smith - our own church historians should be ashamed of themselves for permitting such biased and inaccurate stories to permeate The history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Stoddards, the time has come for you to humble yourselves and repent.No less authority than The Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Russel M. Nelson said, "we do have a few precious insights. ... 'Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine.'"Do you think the Prophet of God is a 'progressive historian' as you call them? Do you think he is just bamboozled by these wicked historians? Do you think the Prophet of God doesn't know what is being put into the Gospel Topics Essays? Into the official history of the church in the recently published 'Saints'? Into the Ensign? Of course he does.This book is way out of step with OFFICIAL CHURCH PUBLICATIONS, and you are critical at your own peril. As Joseph Smith revealed: "Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God."Looking at your website, I wonder if you are not preaching a gospel in order to sell and get gain. This is called priestcraft in the Book of Mormon.You consistently quote old Prophets, Joseph Fielding Smith and Bruce R. McConkie. I can tell you that both of those great men would have followed the modern day prophet. McConkie said after the 1978 revelation on the priesthood, "it is time disbelieving people repented and got in line and believed in a living, modern prophet. Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or President George Q. Cannon or whomsoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world.... We get our truth and our light line upon line and precept upon precept. We have now had added a new flood of intelligence and light on this particular subject, and it erases all the darkness and all the views and all the thoughts of the past. They don’t matter any more. Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or President George Q. Cannon or whomsoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation."If you do not repent, you will end up like other fundamentalists over the years, the Kirtland saints, the RLDS, the FLDS, etc., who could not wrap their minds around humbly following the modern day prophet, and thought they knew a better way.Do not be lured in by the Stoddard Gospel. It is the slow, painful road to apostasy