Michael
Hubbard MacKay and Nicholas J. Frederick's book, Joseph
Smith's Seer Stones, has just been released by Deseret Book. This seems
to be a rather promising volume; here is the product description:
When the Church released photos of the brown
seer stone that was owned and used by Joseph Smith, the news ignited a
firestorm of curiosity and controversy. People wanted more information and
wondered why they hadn't been aware of the stone's existence.
This book discusses the origins of Joseph
Smith's seer stones and explores how Joseph used them throughout his life in a
way that goes beyond translating the Book of Mormon. It also traces the
provenance of his stones once they left his possession. The authors examine how
the Book of Mormon itself provides a storyline about the history of seer stones
and how this helped Joseph Smith learn about his own prophetic gifts.
One
should also check out Michael Hubbard MacKay's other books, as they are also
excellent:
From
Darkness unto Light: Joseph Smith's Translation and Publication of the Book of
Mormon
(with Gerrit J. Dirkmaat)
The
Joseph Smith Papers, Documents, Vol. 1: July 1828-June 1831 (with Grant
Underwood, Gerrit J. Dirkmaat, Robert J. Woodford, and William J. Hartley)
There
is a forthcoming book he is a co-editor of alongside Craig Ostler and Barbara
E. Morgan:
