Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 8 – Seer Stones w/ Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat (Full Interview)
Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast
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The Role of Seer Stones in the Translation Process
This chapter delves into the significance of seer stones, including the biblical Urim and Thummim, in the translation process of the Book of Mormon. It explores the various accounts of Joseph Smith and his associates, emphasizing the sacred nature of these stones and how they were perceived by believers and skeptics alike. The discussion also touches on the broader historical context of seer stones in Latter-day Saint history, shedding light on their role in translating ancient languages and records.
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Gerrit Dirkmaat is an associate professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University. He received his PhD from the University of Colorado in 2010, where he studied nineteenth-century American expansionism and foreign relations. He worked as a historian and writer for the Church History Department from 2010 to 2014 with the Joseph Smith Papers Project. He is the coauthor, along with Michael Hubbard MacKay, of the award-winning book From Darkness unto Light: Joseph Smith’s Translation and Publication of the Book of Mormon, published by the BYU Religious Studies Center and Deseret Book in 2015. In 2023, they published another book on the topic: Let’s Talk About the Translation of the Book of Mormon. In addition to books, Gerrit is also the author of dozens of academic articles. He currently serves as the editor of the academic journal Latter-day Saint Historical Studies published by the Ensign Peak Foundation. Since 2021 he has hosted and produced a weekly Church history podcast: Standard of Truth. It examines Church history questions and sources. He and his wife, Angela, have four children.
