A Tale of Two Stones

			When Joseph received the plates, they were accompanied by other sacred items, in particular, two stones: Joseph Smith History 1:35 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. The term Urim and Thummim is a reference to sacred stones from the Old Testament, but is not a term applied to the objects within the Book of Mormon itself. Obviously the two stones Joseph refers to as the Urim and Thummim are stones of Book of Mormon origin. Tracing their history in the Book of Mormon provides a small conundrum, with only a speculative answer. The earliest time period for which the two stones are known is during the Jaredite era. Ether directly comments on the two stones and their function: Ether 3:22 And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up, that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot be read. Ether 3:23 And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write. Ether 3:24 For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will cause in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men these things which ye shall write. The stones are clearly designed to be interpreters, and apparently are designed to be used to interpret the writings which Ether is sealing up. The writings of Ether came to the Book of Mormon record through the 24 plates which a search party from Limhi's colony found. At this point, a little historical clarification is required to elucidate the historical conundrum. Limhi's colony left Zarahemla to return to the land of first inheritance. Therefore, the expedition which recovered the 24 plates postdated the merging of the Mulekites and the Nephites. Limhi's expedition was on a search for the Nephites, but did not find them. Instead they found the ruins of the Jaredite civilization, and the 24 plates were part of the information they brought back to Limhi. All of this occurs outside of the knowledge of the Nephites at Zarahemla, and these events are not known to the Nephites until two generations after Limhi (during Zeniff's reign, after Noah's). In the text we get the following information: Mosiah 8:8 And they were lost in the wilderness for the space of many days, yet they were diligent, and found not the land of Zarahemla but returned to this land, having traveled in a land among many waters, having discovered a land which was covered with bones of men, and of beasts, and was also covered with ruins of buildings of every kind, having discovered a land which had been peopled with a people who were as numerous as the hosts of Israel. Mosiah 8:9 And for a testimony that the things that they had said are true they have brought twenty-four plates which are filled with engravings, and they are of pure gold. Mosiah 8:10 And behold, also, they have brought breastplates, which are large, and they are of brass and of copper, and are perfectly sound. Mosiah 8:11 And again, they have brought swords, the hilts thereof have perished, and the blades thereof were cankered with rust; and there is no one in the land that is able to interpret the language or the engravings that are on the plates. Therefore I said unto thee: Canst thou translate? Mosiah 8:12 And I say unto thee again: Knowest thou of any one that can translate? For I am desirous that these records should be translated into our language; for, perhaps, they will give us a knowledge of a remnant of the people who have been destroyed, from whence these records came; or, perhaps, they will give us a knowledge of this very people who have been destroyed; and I am desirous to know the cause of their destruction. To this point we are fine. We have the 24 plates from Ether, and they cannot be read by the people who have received them. Thus far we are square with the prophecy of the Lord to Ether. Now we need the two stones to interpret them. Note the next verse: Mosiah 8:13 Now Ammon said unto him: I can assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man that can translate the records; for he has wherewith that he can look, and translate all records that are of ancient date; and it is a gift from God. And the things are called interpreters, and no man can look in them except he be commanded, lest he should look for that he ought not and he should perish. And whosoever is commanded to look in them, the same is called seer. Certainly in the language of Joseph Smith, interpreters and two stones must be the same thing. In fact, they are so precisely described that there is little doubt that Mosiah posesses the two stones which eventually are interred with the gold plates: Mosiah 28:13 And now he translated them by the means of those two stones which were fastened into the two rims of a bow. This fits with the prophecy, in that the two stones (the interpreters) would be used to translate the 24 plates. The question is, where did Mosiah get them? If the plates themselves were discovered by Limhi, where were the stones? They are certainly not mentioned among the inventory of the items brought back from the land of the Jaredites, and they are clearly *already* in the possession of Mosiah. The best possibility for the transmission path of the two stones from Ether to Mosiah goes through Coriantumr and the Mulekites. Coriantumr must have had possession of, or knowledge of, the interpreters, and was able to pass them on to the Mulekites as one of the last acts of his dying civilization. If that were true, then Mosiah received the stones as part of the ritual items during the merger of the Mulekites and Nephites. While this is certainly possible, it does create an interesting case of non-mention of the stones. When Benjamin invests his son as the next king, he formally transfers ritual paraphernalia: Mosiah 1:15 And it came to pass that after king Benjamin had made an end of these sayings to his son, that he gave him charge concerning all the affairs of the kingdom. Mosiah 1:16 And moreover, he also gave him charge concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass; and also the plates of Nephi; and also, the sword of Laban, and the ball or director, which led our fathers through the wilderness, which was prepared by the hand of the Lord that thereby they might be led, every one according to the heed and diligence which they gave unto him. The short catalogue of important items consists of the brass plates, the plates of Nephi, the sword of Laban, and the Liahona. While Benjamin must have been in possession of the two stones, they are curiously not mentioned in this inventory. It is possible that they were not yet seen as of equal importance, since we have no record of their use prior to the time the 24 plates were translated. They may have only gained their ritual importance after they were used, and since the investiture of Mosiah occurs prior to that time, there is a logical reason for not mentioning them.
			by Brant Gardner. Copyright 1998