Urim and Thummim
Urim and Thummim (Hebrew אורים ותומים ) are ( presumably) Lot and oracle stones of the High Priest of the Israelites after the Exodus 28.30. In Hebrew, the words, lights and perfections ' mean. Other translations are: the light ends and the simplicity ends ' ( Buber / Rosenzweig ) or, light and right ' ( Luther ).
Bible
In the Hebrew Bible, the Urim and Thummim occur at the following locations: 2 Mos 28,30 EU, 3 Mos 8.8 EU, 5 Mos 33.8 EU, Ezra 2.63 EU, Neh 7,65 EU. In addition, the Urim (without the Thummim ) in 4 Mos 27,21 EU and 1 Sam 21.6 EU are mentioned. These are the only real source texts. They show that the Urim and Thummim should conduce to the decision of problems and answer questions to God.
Widely believed there were two different colored stones that were fixed in the breastplate the ephod, could learn by the high priest the will of God (Numbers 27:21 ). How accurate the drawing of lots was conducted is not known, but there was obviously always only a yes - no decision. After the Babylonian exile, the custom no longer seems possibly to have been exercised (see Nehemiah 7.65). According to another view, it was around the 12 gemstones that were on the breastplate of the ephod. But this can not clear from the wording of the relevant Bible passages.
Talmud
In the Talmud, there are already several quite different speculations on the nature of the Urim and Thummim, therefore it can be assumed that the ritual at the time of writing of the Talmud was no longer known.
Book of Mormon
( "Mormon " ) acknowledge Also of Joseph Smith, the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints as prophets, said to have been used to translate the Book of Mormon stones of this name claims to be. His tradition after he had received these stones from the angel Moroni, who had appeared to him and these stones had handed over to the Book of Mormon so translate. The stones were according to his description of crystals. The Urim and Thummim are made according to Mormon doctrine of two stones mounted in silver ironing, sometimes with a breast plate ( piece of clothing that was the high priest in the law of Moses - Exodus 28 & 39 ) are used. The Urim and Thummim are prepared according to this doctrine a tetes of God aids to obtain to help people revelations and languages to translate. Only a seer, prophet and revelator, the Urim and Thummim use according to this doctrine.
Others use
The term Urim and Thummim is also used as a slogan or motto, both in Hebrew and in Latin (lux et veritas ), eg at Yale University in Connecticut, USA.