Revelation 2:17: To him that overcometh will I... give him a white stone. Anciently, a white stone was given to victors in Olympic competitions and also to people acquitted of a crime.¹ In this verse, John uses the imagery of a white stone in a similar dualistic sense.² Saints that are victorious and overcome evil will be acquitted of sin and receive the white stone of victory.³

Christian scholars have long debated the meaning of the white stone in Revelation 2:17.⁴ Doctrine and Covenants Section 130:10 settles this debate, however, saying: "the white stone mentioned in Revelation 2:17, will become a Urim and Thummim to each individual who receives one, whereby things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms will be made known."⁵ Only exalted people in the celestial kingdom will receive a white stone as their personal Urim and Thummim.⁶ With this stone they will be able to see higher orders of kingdoms⁷ and know all the mysteries of eternity throughout all generations of time.⁸ Unexalted people in the celestial kingdom, by contrast, will inherit and dwell on this glorified earth forever and it will be for them a Urim and Thummim with power to see only lesser orders of kingdoms.⁹

The high priest in ancient Israel foreshadowed exalted people that enter the celestial kingdom and receive a personal Urim and Thummim. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies¹⁰ wearing a Urim and Thummim in his breastplate.¹¹

The words Urim and Thummim,¹² mean Lights and Perfections in Hebrew.¹³ At least two sets of these instruments have been used on earth in ancient and modern times as revelatory tools.¹⁴ In ancient Israel, the high priest's ephod (vestment) had a breastplate that included a Urim and Thummim.¹⁵ These articles were used collectively¹⁶ to receive revelation and fulfill priesthood functions¹⁷ until at least the time of the Babylonian captivity in 587 BC.¹⁸ On the American continent, the Jaredites also had a Urim and Thummim,¹⁹ called interpreters,²⁰ which was passed down among the Nephite seers.²¹ Joseph Smith received this specific Urim and Thummim at the time he retrieved the gold plates from the hill Cumorah.²² He used them to translate the Book of Mormon²³ and to receive other revelations.²⁴

In addition to the Urim and Thummim, Joseph Smith also possessed a seer stone,²⁵ but he probably did not use this stone to translate the Book of Mormon.²⁶ The seer stone was a small chocolate-colored and egg-shaped stone.²⁷ The Urim and Thummim, by contrast, was made of two transparent stones set in rims shaped in a figure eight like a large pair of glasses and the rims were fastened by a rod to a breastplate.²⁸ This configuration allowed Joseph's hands to be free to hold the gold plates as he looked through the stones.²⁹ After Joseph translated the Book of Mormon, he returned his Urim and Thummim to the angel Moroni with the gold plates.³⁰ He no longer required them to fulfill his prophetic calling.³¹ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints still has possession of the seer stone.³²