Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Joseph Smith looked at a seer stone placed in his hat to guide the money diggers in their search for buried treasure. So, yes, he was a treasure digger. Martin Harris testified to this in the famous Tiffany’s interview. I wrote an article on this very subject entitled Those Mysterious Golden Plates. The Tiffany Interview is included in that work. Please click on the link. The evidence is clear as water and documented very well.

In reality, the Book of Mormon is not what Joseph Smith or his scribes claimed it to be. Neither are the so called Revelations found in the Doctrine and Covenants. There is no reasonable doubt that both works are fabrications.
As a young man Joseph Smith was influenced by the folk magic practiced among his family and prevalent in his day. Looking into the depths of the earth by gazing at a seer stone is nothing less than folk magic. Claiming to have second sight without actually having it is nothing less than a confidence game.
Timeline:
• In 1823, Smith supposedly discovered golden plates using a seer stone.
• In 1825, Smith was employed to search for buried treasure using a seer stone.
• In 1826, after being instructed by an angel to bring the right person so he could obtain the plates, Smith looked into a seer stone to find the right person.
• From 1827 through 1829, Smith translated the golden plates using a seer stone, or stones.
• In 1829, several revelations currently published in the Doctrine and Covenants, were received by Joseph Smith using seer stones.
• In 1843, Joseph Smith taught,
“The place where God resides is a great Urim and Thummim”
This is another way of saying that God lives on a giant seer stone.
Smith’s preoccupation with seer stones is well documented. It began 10 years before the Book of Mormon was published. It continued 13 years after the Book of Mormon was published. Moroni even supplied a set of seer stones with the golden plates so Smith could translate the record on the plates.
Or, was that a fabricated story?
Yes. It was!
There is absolutely no substance to the stories and written works brought forth from the Mormon Prophet. Joseph Smith gazed into his crystal ball, then reached into his magic hat; what he pulled out was pure smoke!
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index ... 049AAFKcxB

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"Asking God if a story is true, with the only acceptable answer being, 'Yes,' may not be a sound method to finding God’s guidance in the matter." — Rich Kelsey
http://richkelsey.org/joseph_smith's_first_vision.htm

Well, it was quite a surprise to me that my answer on “YAHOO! Answers” about whether Joseph Smith was a money digger or not ended up being the best answer.

The reason I was surprised is because many of the answers were from LDS people who were spelling out misinformation and then agreeing with each other by “like” [ing] the various responses.

I thought that I entered into a page on a forum where the truth would be cast underfoot and trampled upon. Yet, someone out there stood up for what is right — the truth. That person casted the deciding vote. Whoever you are,

Thanks.

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"Asking God if a story is true, with the only acceptable answer being, 'Yes,' may not be a sound method to finding God’s guidance in the matter." — Rich Kelsey
http://richkelsey.org/joseph_smith's_first_vision.htm

Little by little, the world is changing in regards to the accurate information flow concerning peepstoned Joe's magic cult.

Good of you to notice how this deception is slowly being corrected in society today.

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"When authority masquerades as a power, a simple question will unmask it."

"Just because you think, feel, or believe something is true, doesn't make it true!"

"The doubt of your faith, is not God testing you, but truth trying to emerge and free you."

Rich,

Keep spreading the word my friend.

Peace

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I resigned from the Church of THE Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (Feb 2011)

"For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad." - Luke 8:17

I also went to the yahoo link you provided rich and you again are right that the answers given in response to the question as well as the response to your posts were predomidantly pro-Lds answers put up by probable Mormons. In my opinion it is really sad that most Mormons either don't want to or won't find out and accept the truth about Joseph Smith Jr.

productofchoice and smartenough

I know that I am among friends here.

For me, this is a safe place to fellowship.

Thanks,

Rich.

you very welcome Rich. You are one of the many reasons I stay on this forum. I was thinking this afternoon of what my life would be life if I had actually joined Mormonism. As I stated earlier in my introduction page, I got a copy of the book of mormon from a friends grandmother and I read and I had to laugh but now I am so blessed that I never joined since now I know enough but not all of the truth about mormonism. Thank you Rich and everyone else for all of your help.