Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Article Title
Revelation and the Urim and Thummim
Keywords
Biblical studies, Urim, Thummim, Book of Mormon translation, Joseph Smith
Abstract
In the past most biblical scholars viewed the Urim and Thummim as a rather mechanical device used merely to obtain a yes or no answer, similar to casting lots. This is quite different from the function of the device described in the Book of Mormon as "interpreters" and by the Prophet Joseph Smith as the "Urim and Thummim." In these descriptions of the use of the Urim and Thummim, revelation played a large role. For example, accounts of the translation of the Book of Mormon indicate that Joseph Smith could not translate without the Spirit and that a great deal of mental effort was necessary.
Recommended Citation
Roper, Matthew
(1995)
"Revelation and the Urim and Thummim,"
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship: Vol. 15:
No.
6, Article 3.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/insights/vol15/iss6/3