Sunday I was pondering and researching information on 4 of the Church essays. I am confused about something I did not know. I am using Church resource materials. In the October 2015 Ensign, page 49, is an article about "JS the Seer".On page 50 it talks about JS's family being around people who where immersed in the culture of using seer stones. I had never heard that before.

It goes on to say that JS taught people about seer stones and that the ability to work with them was important. (page 50) It goes on to say that JS received the plates in 1827. Later on page 51 it states that JS used at least one other seer stone and placed it in a hat to view the words. (page 51)

In the Church Essay on the "Book of Mormon Translation," it has a footnote. Footnote 19. Martin Harris says that JS was commanded by an angel to stop his treasure seeking activities using the seer stones.This took place in 1826 according to the footnote.

So an angel comes to JS and says "stop your treasure seeking." Was that because the stone was not the proper stone to use? Or did the angel say "stop the treasure seeking, but you can use the stone later?" Or did the angel say, "stop the treasure seeking, you don't need the stone and you will be provided with two true seer stones, the U and T." In any case, if it was important to send an angel to tell JS to stop treasure seeking, there must have been a reason, as this took place before he got the plates.

Lets say that the angel did say "stop the treasure seeking", would it not occur to JS to ask about the seer stone he was using? If so, did JS give the angel the finger like he did in the first vision when he was told not to join any Churches. I remember reading he did join a church, going against what he was told. Thus giving the godhead in the first vision the finger too.

Any answers or information about this topic would be appreciated, because it appears to me the essays do not quite line up with the Ensign article.

He claimed he saw some.

He didn't.

JS lied.

Related to this, my question:

Do temple-worthy Mormons expect to be "promoted" to angel-hood in the Celestial Kingdom? Is it some kind of advanced spiritual state (or status), higher than human but not-yet-godhood?

I gather Captain Moroni was a valiant human, and became an angel after his human death?

Any claims by JS of visits by "angels" were made-up, usually made in order for him to make excuses for his own behavior, for his inability to show anybody the "plates," or to try and claim "divine instructions" for idiotic, nasty things he wanted to do (like screw 14 year old girls).

Since he used the excuse so often, it shouldn't be at all surprising that the "instructions" from angels was inconsistent and self-contradictory. He couldn't even keep his own stories straight.

As my sister pointed out to me- it was actually a judge who told JS to stop the treasure seeking.

Good point, along with his father-in-law Isaac Hale.