Non-Mormons may not know this, but early Mormonism is surprisingly full of "magical" Mormon objects, such as the Prophet Joseph Smith's magic glasses, used to translate divine golden plates into the Book of Mormon. To outsiders, these sacred Mormon objects may seem odd, but to true believers, they're an accepted part of the faith.

Photographs of Mormon seer stones, for example, were released by the church in 2015 in an effort to increase transparency about these early objects. The most famous of these stones, Urim and Thummim, were used by Joseph Smith as "lenses" in the glasses that supposedly helped him interpret the word of God. Confused? Read on to learn what all these "magical" objects, plates, stones, and swords are really all about.