Is the seer stone of Joseph Smith still retained by the First Presidency of the LDS?
SHORT ANSWER: Yes, it most definitely is. LONG ANSWER: Many LDS Historians who have had access to the LdS Church archives have validated this including Richard Bushman, Leonard Arrington, D. Michael Quinn, and Grant Palmer who all had access to these artifacts (there’s more than one in the Church Archives) within recent history. Further, here are citations from Mormon friendly sources throughout the years regarding this very question: In 1887, a body guard of church president John Taylor reported that he had seen and handled the seer stone: “On Sunday last I saw and handled the seer stone that the Prophet Joseph Smith had. It was a dark color, not round on one side. It was shaped like the top of a baby’s shoe, one end like the toe of the shoe, and the other round” (Samuel Bateman diary, 17 Aug, 1887, Lee library) Wilford Woodruff, as new president of the church in 1888, dedicated the Manti, Utah temple. While there, Woodruff had the stone upon the alter: “Before leaving I Consecrated u
