“The ‘Seer Stone’ referred to here was a chocolate colored, somewhat egg-shaped stone which the prophet found while digging a well in company with his brother Hyrum [for a Mr. Clark Chase, near Palmyra, N.Y.]. It possessed some of the qualities of a Urim and Thummim, since by means of it – as described above – as well as by means of the ‘Interpreters’ found with the Nephite record, Joseph was able to translate the characters engraven on the plates.”

B.H. Roberts, Defense of the Faith and the Saints – Volume I. (Salt Lake City, UT: The Deseret News, 1907), 257.