@futurebird Well, what's interesting is that Smith's original tales about the angel Moroni, the golden plates, and the seer stones, all come from the tropes common to folklore from treasure seeking, the 19th century pastime of trying to find treasure hidden in the ground. Smith was a scryer in treasure seeking teams, and at the time he was active in the hobby, stories of spirits guarding the treasure were common. In a way, this is a case of Ye Olde D&D jumping the rails.