Divination, the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown through supernatural means, appears in various forms throughout the Bible. The more religious terms used for divination are words like seership or revelation. The biblical texts provide a diverse perspective on seership and revelation, with some methods being endorsed as divine guidance and others condemned as occult practices. In the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon Church, there is one notable example of seership and revelation and that is Joseph Smith’s seer stones, also sometimes referred to as peep stones.
Urim and Thummim
One of the most notable and divinely sanctioned methods of divination in the Bible is the use of the Urim and Thummim. These were sacred lots, possibly seer stones or other objects, used by the high priest to determine God’s will in specific situations. The exact nature and appearance of the Urim and Thummim remain a mystery.
In Exodus 28:30, God commands Moses or Aaron to “And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.” The Urim and Thummim were a part of the high priest’s divinely mandated attire.
How the Urim and Thummim were used is not totally clear, but their purpose was to help the priest or prophet know the will of the Lord. In Number 27:21, Moses was commanded to bring Joshua before the high priest “And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.” The Urim and Thummim were considered a direct line to divine wisdom, used by leaders to seek God’s guidance on critical matters, ensuring that their decisions aligned with divine will.
Although the exact nature by which the divine wisdom came through the Urim and Thummim is not chronicled by the Bible, some historians have proposals for how the Urim and Thummimm worked. Some propose that after the high priest asked a question to the Lord, the stones representing the twelve tribes on the high priest’s breastplate would light up. Each stone on the high priest’s breastplate was associated with a letter, so after the stones would light up, an answer would be spelled out. Other historians propose that there were two stones included with the Urim and Thummim, one white and one black. The priest could only receive answers to yes or no questions when the white or black stone lit up. Among members of the LDS faith, this is an example of seer stones in the Bible.
Caption: Replica of the High Priest’s breastplate
Casting Lots
Casting lots is another form of divination frequently mentioned in the Bible, used to make decisions and distribute responsibilities fairly. This method involved throwing stones, sticks, or other objects to produce a result interpreted as God’s choice.
In the Old Testament, after arriving in the land promised to the by the Lord, Joshua divides the land. Thai process is described in Joshua 18:10 “And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.”
In the New Testament, the Quorum of the Twelve replaces Judas Iscariot’s place in the Quorum by casting lots. The vacancy in the Quorum goes to Matthias and the process is described in Acts 1:26 “And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” Casting lots was employed in various contexts, including the allocation of the Promised Land, the selection of individuals for specific roles, and even determining guilt, as in the case of Jonah.
Other Practices
Dreams and visions are prominent forms of divine communication in the Bible, used to reveal future events, offer guidance, and convey divine messages. Two of the more famous dream interpreters are Joseph of Egypt and Daniel. In Genesis 41 Pharaoh dreams of seven fat cows and seven lean cows, which is interpreted by Joseph that there would be seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. In Daniel 2 King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a great statue, is interpreted by Daniel as a vision of the rise and fall of kingdoms, including the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar.
Prophecy, the act of receiving and delivering messages from God, is a central theme in the Bible. Prophets were chosen by God to convey His will, warnings, and promises to the people. The prophet Isaiah has numerous prophecies of the future of the children of Israel and the coming of the Messiah.
Signs and wonders are miraculous events used as divine indicators or confirmations of God’s will. Often these signs were given and interpreted through God’s prophets. For example, God gives Moses signs, such as turning his staff into a snake and his hand becoming leprous, to validate his divine mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. These supernatural occurrences served as tangible evidence of divine intervention and direction, reinforcing faith and obedience among the people.
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith, the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, used peep stones as a means of receiving divine revelations and translating ancient texts. Joseph Smith might have discovered his first seer stone while digging a well on a neighbor’s property, or on the banks of Lake Erie. Later, Joseph used at least one seer stone to translate the brass plates or the Book of Mormon. According to various accounts, Smith would place the seer stone in a hat to block out light which allowed him to see the translation that he dictated to his scribes. However, the only account we have from Joseph Smith simply states that he translated the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God.
The use of seer stones was not unusual in the early 19th-century American religious landscape, where folk magic and treasure seeking were common practices. However, Joseph Smith’s use of seer stones has been a point of both intrigue and controversy. Critics often view it as evidence of his involvement in occult practices, while believers see it as a testament to his prophetic abilities and divine calling. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acknowledges the use of seer stones in its history, emphasizing that they were a means to fulfill God’s work through Joseph Smith, similar to prophets of old.
Conclusion
The Bible presents multiple accounts which show divination practices. Methods like the Urim and Thummim, casting lots, dreams, visions, and prophecy were integral to the spiritual life of the Israelites, facilitating their relationship with God and their understanding of His will. Joseph Smith and the members of the church he founded, believe that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. They believe God can use many means to communicate with man, including Joseph Smith and peep stones.
By Todd Noall, Source Expert
Todd Noall is an author and religious scholar at Mormonism Explained with a focus on the history and theology of religion.
Fact Checked by Mr. Kevin Prince, Source Expert
Kevin Prince is a religious scholar and host of the Gospel Learning Youtube channel. His channel has garnered over 41,000 subscribers and accumulated over 4.5 million views. Mr. Prince also created the Gospel Learning App, a reliable platform where individuals seeking truth can access trustworthy answers to religious questions from top educators worldwide.
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