Prophet. OK. Revelator. Maybe, but Seer? What? What has the hell has anybody ever seered? Mr. Monson, maybe you could answer that.

I always thought that. So I am looking around and I find this book.

The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644-1844
John L. Brooke (Author)

Has anyone read it or have any insight into it?

It seems to be about Joseph's contemporaries and predecessors and the common use of seer stones and peep stones among all of them. I am fascinated. I love the fact that there was a whole industry of "seers' and Joe Smith was so good at it he he became the the superstar.

It is a new slant about what was happening in the area at the beginning of Joseph's illustrious career. His being one of many just makes the whole beginning all that more delicious.

It goes along with his being a virtuoso plagiarist which is the part of him I love the most.

If it turns out that the hat thing was common too I will just explode with delight.

If you know about this book, don't hold out.

I read a lot of it and did not care for it much at all. It is verbose and takes a very circuitous route trying to make a point. I only kept up with it as long as I did because I thought I must be missing something.

I did talk with someone though who really enjoyed it. She was way more into magic, sorcery, witchcraft, etc. than I am though. She was raised in the Church by a father who was secretly a "Grand Wizzard" in some kind of occult organization. She said that was why she found the book interesting.

I think a much much more interesting book that gets at the things you mention is "Early Mormonism and the Magic World View" by Quinn.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/2012 07:03PM by jebus.

Thanks. I found of review of that and it sounds really good, probably better.

Kind of related:

I really liked this page as I was on my way out:

http://zomarah.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/thomas-s-monson-a-seer-a-revelator-a-translator-and-a-prophet/

It sounds TBM at first but it isn't; it just has a TBM tone, which I appreciated at the time. (Now of course I wouldn't care.)

That was fascinating to read. It is so well mannered and yet effectively lays out that which Monson is lacking. I must remember to try 'restraint' some time.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/2012 11:55PM by blueorchid.

Perhaps this refers to cooking steak? That's why you have steak centers after all.

When my wife comes home, I seer.

The girl walking down the street, I seer.

I seer down by the beach.

Ah haha! If you want to be a prophet too you'll need to seer then poker