Was Joseph Smith a treasure hunter?

To locate the treasure, Joseph would look into a "peep stone"--which was a stone with a hole in the middle. Seer stone used by Joseph Smith 1 Another seer stone apparently used by Joseph Smith 2 Seers stone used by David Whitmer 3. 1. Seer stone apparently used by Joseph Smith. read more

Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont, the fifth of eleven children born to Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith. The Smiths were a middling farm family, but suffered a fateful loss when Smith Sr., after speculating in ginseng and being cheated by a business associate, was financially ruined. read more

Josiah Sowell, the treasure hunter referred to by Dan went looking for Joseph because he had a reputation as a Seer, or a finder of objects. Smith had a seer stone, found while digging a well for Willard Chase and had a reputation in the region. read more

9. Joseph's Use of the Seer Stone to Find Treasure . Sandy colored seer stone apparently used by Joseph Smith. Joseph's widow Emma passed it on to relatives of her second husband, Lewis Bidamon. (Wilford Wood Museum) Joseph had more than one"seer stone" during his life. read more