Seers and Stones: The Translation of the Book of Mormon as Divine Visions of an Old-Time Seer

Joseph Smith used the term the Urim and Thummim to refer to the pair of seer stones, or "interpreters," he obtained for translating the Book of Mormon as well as to other seer stones he used in a similar manner. According to witness accounts, he would put the stone(s) in a hat and pull the hat close around his face to exclude the light, and then he would see the translated text of the Book of Mormon. By what property or principle these stones enabled Joseph Smith to see the translated text ...