On , Dr. James E. Talmage showed to Presi-
dent Woodruff what was purported to be a seer stone, the property
of a resident of this city who had possessed it since the early
days of the church and who claimed to have been able to use it but
had since lost the gift of seeing through it.
The above incident brought forth remarks by President Woodruff
in relation to the seer stone known as "Gazelem," which was shown
of the Lord to the Prophet Joseph to be some thirty feet under
ground, and which he obtained by digging under the pretence of
excavating for a wlell, as related in the ^his own^ history of the Prophet
Joseph Smith. This remarkable stone was used by the Prophet. After
his death it came into the possession of President Brigham Young, and
through his brother Phineas, ahnd afterwards it passed into the po-
ssession of President John Taylor through Elder Brigham Young, and
since the death of President Taylor, into the possession of Presi-
dent Woodruff. Our late President, upon this occassion, also re-
ferred to a seacred relic then in his possession, in the shape of an
Indian arrow head, of flint, also referred to in the history of
the Prophet Joseph as having been the cause of the death of the
White Lamanite, Zelph, which relic came into the possession of
President Woodruff through Sister Zina Young Card. The President
talked freely with Bro. Talmage on this subject, and on the sug-
gestion of Bro. George F. Gibbs, he dictated the following in
regard to it by way of a fuller account to that which has is al-
ready recorded in relation to it:
"While traveling with Zion's camp, through the State of Ohio,
we came to a very high mound, to the top of which we climbed by
means of steps over which the grass had grown. The steps were very
wide, probably about twelve feet. We found the top of the mound
to be quite level and to cover a great deal of ground. After
overlooking the surrounding country, and descending half way down
we were halted by command of the Prophet Joseph. We had taken a
shovel with us to the top of the miund, thinking we might have some
use for it, and after halting, the Prophet, speaking to the man who
had the shovel, told him to throw up the dirt at a certain place to
which he pointed. After removing a little more than six inches of
soil the skeleton of a man was discovered, from ia joint in whose
backbone the Prophet drew a flint arrow head which had been the
means of taking his life.
The Lord showed the Prophet Joseph that this was the skeleton
of a white Lamanite named Zelph, and that he fought under a great
chieftain named Onandagus, whose dominion covered an immense body
of country. The book of Mormon does not mention the name of this
Indian Chief, Onandagus."
