“These were days never to be forgotten—to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven.” — Oliver Cowdery1
Oliver Cowdery was working as a teacher near Palmyra when he heard the story of Joseph Smith, his visions, and the golden plates. He often boarded with his students' families, and after hearing about Joseph Smith Jr and the gold plates, he asked to live with Lucy Mack, Joseph Smith Sr., and their family. There, he learned more about their son and his divine calling.2 Oliver prayed to know if what he'd heard was true and received a vision of the gold plates and Joseph translating them—and he knew he should volunteer to be Joseph's scribe.3 He soon went to Harmony, Pennsylvania, to begin helping Joseph, and the two finished the translation together.4
Joseph used several different tools while translating. One of these tools was the Urim and Thummim. The Urim and Thummim, with the Hebraic roots meaning "Lights and Perfections," has been referenced in both the Bible (e.g., Abraham, Aaron) and the Book of Mormon (the brother of Jared).5 Joseph described the Urim and Thummim as "two stones in silver bows" fastened to a breastplate and said that "God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book."6
Joseph also used a seer stone to translate. It was a small oval stone he'd discovered years before, and one he'd also used to search for lost items or buried treasure.7 Joseph would place this seer stone in a hat and put his face in the hat to block out any surrounding light. Then he would read the translation from the light that shone from the stone and Oliver would write them down.8 The whole process took less than 90 working days.9
2. Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 6, 58-59
3. Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 6, 59-62
4. Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 6, 60-63
5. "Urim and Thummim," churchofjesuschrist.org
7. "Book of Mormon Translation," churchofjesuschrist.org
8. Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 6, 61-62
9. "Joseph Smith Translates the Gold Plates," churchofjesuschrist.org