The definition of a term Latter-day Saints use every General Conference when sustaining the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve as prophets, “seers,” and revelators is provided to us by Ammon. Although we otherwise seldom refer to this sacred term, we often sustain them as “seers” with no thought given to the profound implications of what this term means. It is sobering to reflect on what this sustaining vote implies. The Book of Mormon gives us the most detailed explanation of the word anywhere in scripture. This verse appears within a short, but insightful discussion of what qualifies any person to be a “seer.”
Ammon is the one who gives this definition. At the time, he is a Nephite missionary explaining to the Lamanite King Limhi about a “seer” who lives among the Nephites. The Nephite seer possesses an instrument called “interpreters” which allows any man who possesses it to see the past, present and future. Joseph Smith was given this same instrument, and called it the “Urim and Thummim.” Joseph was told about this instrument during the first visit by the angel Moroni. Joseph records: “He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness [sic] of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants; Also, that there were two stones in silver bows—and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim—deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted ‘seers’ in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book.” (JS-H 1: 34–35.) Joseph was given this instrument to help him with the translation of the Book of Mormon. There are many accounts of how he used them in the process, but those will not be discussed here. It seems apparent from the work of scholars Joseph began the translation using the Urim and Thummim, but later found it more comfortable to use a seer stone.
Joseph would use the Urim and Thummim for more than just translation. A number of revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants came through the device. (See e.g., Sections 3, 6, 7, 11, 14, 15, and 16, among others.)
As to receiving possession of them, Joseph records he went to the location Moroni directed him and: “Having removed the earth, I obtained a lever, which I got fixed under the edge of the stone, and with a little exertion raised it up. I looked in, and there indeed did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate, as stated by the messenger. The box in which they lay was formed by laying stones together in some kind of cement. In the bottom of the box were laid two stones crossways of the box, and on these stones lay the plates and the other things.” (JS-H 1:52.) There were four objects in the box. Joseph returned for four consecutive years on the summer equinox, meeting Moroni and receiving instruction on each occasion. On the fourth visit, he received the gold plates. Presumably, he received the other items, including the Urim and Thummim, on the annual visits and before the final delivery of the plates. The night he received the plates he put them in a bag to transport them and was not carrying any other object. Although he does not elaborate on when they were received, it seems likely the annual visits included incremental deliveries of the various items.
Richard L. Bushman writes about Joseph’s reaction to the instrument which made him a “seer” shortly after receiving the Urim and Thummim. Joseph said to his mother: “”Do not be uneasy mother, all is right—see here, I have got a key,’ he said, and handed her an object covered with a silk handkerchief. Lucy said she felt ‘two smooth three-cornered diamonds set in glass’ and fixed in bows that were connected, as she said, like old fashioned spectacles. After breakfast Joseph called Joseph Knight into another room and, with the happy enthusiasm of a young man, told him that everything was ‘ten times better than I expected.’ He described the plates but was more excited about the Urim and Thummim: ‘I can see anything; they are marvelous.’ As for the plates, they were ‘written in characters,’ Joseph said, ‘and I want them translated.’” (Bushman, Richard L. Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling; A Cultural Biography of Mormonism’s Founder. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005, pp 59–60, spellings corrected.)
Others were shown the instrument as well. The three witnesses, Oliver Cowdrey, David Whitmer and Martin Harris were told they would be shown the Urim and Thummim. We read, for example, in D&C 17: 1: “Behold, I say unto you, that you must rely upon my word, which if you do with full purpose of heart, you shall have a view of the plates, and also of the breastplate, the sword of Laban, the Urim and Thummim, which were given to the brother of Jared upon the mount, when he talked with the Lord face to face, and the miraculous directors which were given to Lehi while in the wilderness, on the borders of the Red Sea.”
This instrument was not a unique instrument known only to Joseph Smith and spoken of only in the Book of Mormon. Others have had access to such an instrument in the past. Abraham had possession of one. Moses had possession of one, which he gave to Aaron as High Priest. Upon the return from Babylonian captivity, the genealogy of some priests had been lost. To validate a man’s entitlement to serve as a priest it was required for the Urim and Thummim to be used to see by revelation the genealogy of the man whose right to priestly office was in doubt. Ultimately, everyone who is exalted will be given their own Urim and Thummim.
When anyone has possession of such an instrument, they are a “seer” by definition, the instrument itself allows the possessor to see the past, present and future. However, it is not necessary to possess this instrument to be a seer. Perhaps the greatest seer, other than Christ, did not possess an instrument like the Urim and Thummim. Enoch saw things through vision, without any instrument, after his eyes were anointed for that purpose. We read in Moses 6: 35–36: “And the Lord spake unto Enoch, and said unto him: Anoint thine eyes with clay, and wash them, and thou shalt see. And he did so. And he beheld the spirits that God had created; and he beheld also things which were not visible to the natural eye; and from thenceforth came the saying abroad in the land: A seer hath the Lord raised up unto his people.” In Enoch’s case the Lord does not touch anything to cause this miraculous power of sight. He simply directs Enoch to “anoint [his] eyes with clay.” The use of such a common element shows us how even something as unrefined as clay can, with the Lord’s direction, become a source of light and truth. The Lord’s power can be activated by His command, without His direct touch. Of course, obedience to His command is also required. Enoch was obedient and common clay became the instrument of changing the mortal body’s capacities. This serves to remind us how easily the Lord can confer power beyond the normal capacities of men; and suggests He can do things for us now, as well as in the resurrection, which we can hardly imagine possible.
Once anointed, Enoch was able to see things the natural eye could not detect. This runs contrary to our preference for physical proof. Since the things Enoch saw were “not visible to the natural eye,” they were not capable of being proven in the normal sense. To obtain any benefit from Enoch as seer, the people had to trust his witness account of what he saw, or they had to obtain a similar vision themselves. If they were unwilling to do either, then they would not benefit from his gift.
Thomas in the New Testament is an example of someone troubled over proof. John 20: 24–25 describes his skepticism: “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Thomas is the great example of those who will not believe the testimony of others. He serves, therefore, as a witness drawn from the ranks of the skeptics: “And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.” (Id., v. 26–28.) John’s account then records Christ’s statement: “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (Id., v. 29.) Anyone willing to accept a seer’s testimony gains intelligence they would not otherwise have.
Enoch’s testimony is restored to us through another seer, Joseph Smith. In the case of Enoch, we are required not only to believe him, but also to trust Joseph’s account of Enoch’s visions. It is twice removed from us requiring great faith to accept, and holding commensurate great value in its meaning. Enoch’s vision extended to the past, present and future. He was caught up to heaven and had an audience with Christ. While in the heavenly vision, he was shown the future and past of the earth. Among other things, Enoch saw the future flood, the future life of Christ, the crucifixion, the resurrection and the latter-day restoration of the Gospel.
A similar vision of all the history of this earth was given to Moses. But it is not necessary to actually possess either the Urim and Thummim or have your eyes altered by anointing to have such a vision, or to be a seer. Isaiah was a great seer, although he never mentions possession of a Urim and Thummim. Nephi also saw these things at a before the Nepbites gained possession of the instrument. Others have had such a Divine tutorial in the world’s history as well. Daniel saw the world’s history unfold in the form of an image seen by Nebuchadnezzar. (See Daniel Chapter 2.) He also saw the future end times and Christ’s return. (See Daniel Chapter 10.)
The vision of this earth’s history, from beginning to end, is a common experience for many seers. Whether or not they have the Urim and Thummim, seers have often seen the full account of it. More often than not, however “they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart.” (Alma 12: 9.) We should expect the seers’ accounts of what they have seen to be limited, and never a complete revelation of everything they know.
The censorship of the seers’ visions is purposeful. Most importantly, censorship serves to limit the disruption of history. It prevents self-fulfilling prophecies by avoiding the conspiracies of men to achieve a result either in harmony with or in opposition to prophecy in ways which would distort the authority of God over the affairs of men. It is best to keep some information away from men.
As discussed in The Second Comforter, some things can be learned but cannot be taught. Seers are people who can be trusted to keep information to themselves which they have been forbidden to reveal.
Joseph Smith commented on the effects of having such a vision in these words: “Could we read and comprehend all that has been written from the days of Adam, on the relation of man to God and angels in a future state, we should know very little about it. Reading the experience of others, or the revelation given to them, can never give us a comprehensive view of our condition and true relation to God. Knowledge of these things can only be obtained by experience through the ordinances of God set forth for that purpose. Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject.” (DHC 6: 50.)
In the earth’s history, there are perhaps hundreds, maybe even thousands who have had similar knowledge given to them. Experiences exist from many of these seers, and include accounts we have been given, as well as ones which have been sealed and destined to come forth later. A full account of the early history of the world was in the Jaredite record. Moroni did not translate that portion of the record, however. We should keep in mind just how limited our knowledge of the Jaredite era actually is. It is easy to forget there have been others in the past who knew more about our present and future than we do now, even as we live it.
A seer “can know of things which are past,” as Ammon teaches in the topic verse of this Chapter. We do not know our full past. We still have a time we refer to as “prehistoric.” Our written records attempt to give a partial account of some of our past. Beyond that our speculation is called “science” and is based upon supposition and theory. These suppositions and theories are in a state of flux, and change as someone cleverer than the last theorist presents yet another plausible explanation for histories for which we have no proof. Knowledge of the past, particularly the lost information from the past, is a unique blessing given to seers. Our own history is not complete; and even when we think it complete, it is not always accurate. Even when a scientific theory is “proven” using scientific methods, it is inferior to what a seer can be shown. Seers become witnesses of history, whether past or future. Their accounts are eyewitness, as they see the events unfold before their minds. Seership is the mother of prophecy.
The concept captured by the title “seer” involves sight. Seeing is the hallmark of the seer. They have vision. The opposite of the visionary seer are those who are “blind.” The “blindness” referred to in scripture is often coupled with the “mind.” That is, people are “blind in their minds.” (See, e.g., 1 Ne. 14: 7; Jarom 1: 3; Alma 13: 4; Alma 14: 6; 3 Ne. 7: 16; Ether 4: 15 and Ether 15: 9.) Sometimes it is “blindness of the heart.” (See, e.g., D&C 58: 15 and Eph. 4: 8.) Both these uses have nothing to do with physical sight, but with the willingness to allow into the mind or into the heart the great visions offered by God.
“Blindness” is a voluntary condition. Nephi writes: “Wo unto the blind that will not see; for they shall perish also.” (2 Ne. 9: 32.) He speaks of those who “will not see” instead of those who “cannot see.” It is a choice. They elect to be “blind.” They refuse to receive what might otherwise have been available to them. In that sense, seership is also a voluntary process. Anyone who is willing to follow the path to get there may climb the mountain and see into the distance. Seers often speak of the “high places” or “mountain tops” from which they see the visions of eternity. Whether physically elevated or not, the use of the image in scripture conveys an elevation to the seer’s life. They live higher principles and, as a result, they “climb” to where sight is extended. It is from this truth we have the stereotypical and sometimes comedic image of the mountaintop guru to whom man may petition for answers to life’s great questions.
Ammon explains in the verse: “a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come.” Beyond that, seers have a responsibility to teach others or, if their contemporary generation rejects them, to leave a written testimony for future generations. Ammon tells us, “and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light.” By this standard, Christ is the great seer. He has promised upon His return, He will become history’s greatest revealer of things which are “secret” and “hidden.” D&C 101: 32–34 promises: “Yea, verily I say unto you, in that day when the Lord shall come, he shall reveal all things—Things which have passed, and hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof—Things most precious, things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven.” When that day arrives, there will be no limit on what He will reveal. For other seers, however, there are always limits on what they are permitted to share. Even so, it remains the calling of a seer to reveal things which are secret or hidden. When you witness a person exercising the office of a “seer,” you will find him revealing new knowledge, insight and information.
A flood of information about the past was restored through Joseph Smith in the Book of Abraham and Book of Moses. The light recorded there greatly increases the knowledge of anyone willing to accept it. In keeping with the Lord’s way it requires someone to have faith in Joseph’s calling as a prophet to obtain any benefit from these additional scriptures. For those having faith, these new scriptures offer a floodlit glimpse into the past, and help prepare us for the coming difficulties.
Whenever hidden knowledge is revealed to a person, the recipient is a “seer.” Whether they have a Urim and Thummim or not, anyone receiving Divine revelation of future or past events has the gift of “seership.” Using that definition, perhaps the most often used form of that gift in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is by the Stake Patriarchs, who give inspired blessings to prophetically guide individual lives. The blessings given by these men become personal scripture to the recipients. They give each person blessed and inspired foreknowledge of their lives.
Ammon explains further, “and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known.” Divine knowledge does not come from scholarship. There are things “which otherwise could not be known.” That is, some information is beyond the human capacity to gain; no matter how long the effort, how sensitive the tools employed, or how bright the person seeking it. Some things are not within human grasp without divine intervention.
The highest form of truth and light comes through revelation. It requires faith to obtain, and cannot be reached by study alone. Not everyone has faith to acquire this, however. For them, study is a substitute allowing them to gain some forms of very limited knowledge. D&C 88: 118 reminds us: “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” (Emphasis added.) Faith is preferred. Study and the best books are secondary. God would prefer us to get information first-hand from Him. However, people generally are unwilling to do that, and prefer instead to learn through study. Worse still, some prefer to “learn” by attending lectures, firesides, symposiums, and classes, without revelation or study. They presume they can cut corners in this way and still get whatever it is they need. They cannot. Such things can never connect us with the living vine, give us our own revelations, animate our minds with the visions of eternity, or make us seers.
Seers cannot tell us all they know. Some forms of Divine knowledge can only be obtained directly, through revelation, by each individual, as this phrase reminds us: “Neither is man capable to make them known, for they are only to be seen and understood by the power of the Holy Spirit, which God bestows on those who love him, and purify themselves before him;” (D&C 76: 116).
Seers have told us they can’t open some things to our view. For example:
D&C 76: 115: “Which he commanded us we should not write while we were yet in the Spirit, and are not lawful for man to utter;”
1 Ne. 14: 28: “And behold, I, Nephi, am forbidden that I should write the remainder of the things which I saw and heard; wherefore the things which I have written sufficeth me; and I have written but a small part of the things which I saw.”
3 Ne. 26: 16: “Behold, it came to pass on the morrow that the multitude gathered themselves together, and they both saw and heard these children; yea, even babes did open their mouths and utter marvelous things; and the things which they did utter were forbidden that there should not any man write them.”
Ether 13: 13: “And I was about to write more, but I am forbidden; but great and marvelous were the prophecies of Ether;”
Seers give us their testimonies based upon visions given to them from God. However, their testimonies are often purposefully limited, abridged or incomplete. We can only receive some things directly from God through revelation, and only for ourselves. If we fail to obtain it in that way we cannot obtain it at all.
The Lamanite king’s reaction to hearing about the gift of seership was: “A seer is greater than a prophet.” (Mosiah 8: 15.) Ammon responds “that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also.” (Id., v. 16.) Therefore, when you recognize a seer, you have also found a prophet and revelator. For the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having living “prophets, seers and revelators” is more than just a religious title. For a “gift which is greater can no man have.” (Id.) Any people who have a seer among them gain knowledge of things as they are, as they were, and as they are to come. It gives those people possession of the truth. Provided, of course, they recognize them, are willing to listen to them, and do not prevent them from speaking by their unworthiness. Even the resurrected Christ could not teach people who were unprepared to hear Him.
Jacob’s question remains a relevant inquiry to us: “Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the words of the prophets; …and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you?” (Jacob 6: 8.) It is not enough to accept the testimony of deceased seers. The Restoration of the Gospel was intended to bring such visionaries to life again, and reintroduce people willing to accept testimony from these witnesses about “things which are not visible to the natural eye.” We need living seers or we are cut off from one of the gifts intended to guide us.
Finally, and most importantly, there is no reason you cannot also receive the gift of seership to guide you as occasion requires. The knowledge of some things requires you to behold the past, present and future. Paul’s admonition to seek earnestly the best gifts did not exclude seership. (1 Cor. 12: 31.) Your own Patriarchal Blessing raises questions which entitle you to inquire. Surely the Lord will do nothing before giving inspired forewarning to all those, including you, who listen to the voice of the Spirit. (See Amos 3: 7.)