Joseph Smith: Money Digger



When asked "Was not Joseph Smith a money digger?", Smith replied "Yes, but it was never a very profitable job for him, as he only got fourteen dollars a month for it."

Martin Harris recounted how Joseph used a seer stone to search for buried treasure: :

Joseph had a stone which was dug from a well...twenty-four feet from the surface. In this stone he could see many things...He took it and placed it in his hat—the old white hat—and placed his face in his hat...

There was a company [including Joseph Smith, his father, and Hiram Smith]...who were digging for money supposed to have been hidden by the ancients...When Joseph found this stone...they took Joseph to look in the stone for them, and he did so for a while, and then he told them the enchantment was so strong that he could not see, and they gave it up...

It was reported by these money-diggers, that they had found boxes, but before they could secure them, they would sink into the earth...

The money-diggers claimed that they had as much right to the plates as Joseph had, as they were in company together. They claimed that Joseph had been traitor, and had appropriated to himself that which belonged to them. For this reason Joseph was afraid of them, and continued concealing the plates.

Recommended Reading

 * Wikipedia article on Joseph's work as a treasure seeker