Church History
Church Historytreasureseer stonefolk religion

Joseph Smith and Treasure Seeking

Does Joseph’s treasure-digging youth destroy his prophetic call?

Bible

The Bible answers

Bible · 1 Samuel 9:6, 9

KJV + NRSVUE

King James Version

Behold now, there is in this city a man of God… he can shew us our way… Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer.

NRSVUE

There is a man of God in this town… whatever he says always comes true… Formerly in Israel, anyone who went to inquire of God would say, 'Come, let us go to the seer.'

Book of Mormon

Also restored

Joseph Smith—History 1:33

He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God… that God had a work for me to do.

Faithful answers

FAIR

Money digging and the seer

FAIR Latter-day Saints

The 1826 hearing and family labor in 'looking' are part of the historical record. They do not explain the Book of Mormon, priesthood restorations, or the temple. God often recruits people inside their culture and then transfigures the gift. A seer stone that once hunted silver later yielded scripture.

The Lord did not call a German theologian in 1820. He called a farm boy who already believed the unseen was real.

  • Folk seership is the seed; the Restoration is the tree.
  • Biblical seers were also asked to find lost things.
  • The fruits after 1827 are the test Jesus actually gave.
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Suggested videos

Faithful voices only. Most of these are independent — not official Church productions unless marked as such.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Did Joseph Smith Use A Seer Stone? | Now You Know

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Keystone (David Snell)

Everything Johnny Harris gets WRONG about Mormons

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Further reading

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