Curators’ Notes
All things at the Hill Cumorah Historic Site, from the trails and signs on the hill to the exhibit in the visitors’ center, point to the sacred history of the place—the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the preparation of a young prophet, and the unfolding Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ. In this chapter of curators’ notes, you will learn about other aspects of the site’s history, such as its geology and geography and the different ways landowners have used it.
The details in this chapter are not essential to visitors’ experiences at the site, and they should not be the focus of your conversations with visitors. You will rarely, if ever, share these details. However, your knowledge of them will strengthen your understanding of the place, enhance your ability to share its central stories and messages, and help you answer questions about the site. Some visitors want to know about these things, and they will appreciate your ability and willingness to talk about them.
Geology and Early History of the Hill Cumorah
The following excerpt is from an article written by Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr., who at the time was a General Authority Seventy and the Church Historian and Recorder, and by Benjamin C. Pykles and Courtney A. Worthen of the Church’s Historic Sites Division. The article, titled “The Hill Cumorah: Restoring a Sacred Site,” is published in Journal of Mormon History, April 2022, pages 42–74. This excerpt is from pages 43–44.
“The Hill Cumorah is one of approximately ten thousand drumlins located south of Lake Ontario in the state of New York. These drumlins are teardrop-shaped hills that were formed by glaciers as they advanced and retreated across the landscape over long periods of time. Stretching north to south, the Hill Cumorah is more than a mile and a half long and just shy of a half mile wide. It is also seven hundred feet above sea level and rises one hundred forty feet above its surrounding lowlands. The hill’s summit is found on its north end, tapering into a plateau before gradually descending to the south, with its east side being steeper than the west. According to the Natural Resources Conservation Services of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the hill’s material composition is porous and permeable, which creates a high potential for erosion. Through natural erosion and human activity, the Hill Cumorah has experienced significant topographical changes since the region’s last glacier disappeared (approximately twelve thousand years ago).
“Prior to European colonization, western New York was occupied by groups of Native Americans. Towards the end of the Woodland Period (approximately 1000 CE), village life emerged as Native Americans relied more heavily on agriculture and less on hunting. These Indigenous groups shaped the land through cultivation, creating trail networks, and by building log palisades. By 1500 CE, the Iroquois Confederacy—an alliance between six Native American tribes—formed in western New York. The Seneca Tribe predominantly inhabited the region of present-day Palmyra and they named the land ‘Genesee’ meaning ‘beautiful valley’ or ‘pleasant clear opening.’ By 1779, American military expeditions during the Revolutionary War brought an end to the Iroquois Confederacy, who were allied with the British. Subsequently, many Native Americans in the region relocated to Canada or were displaced onto reservations, allowing further colonial settlement in New York state. To compensate New York’s soldiers for their participation in the Revolutionary War, Congress created the New Military Tract that divided Genesee lands into one hundred- and five hundred-acre allotments for military veterans. This distribution of land, together with private land sales in the area, resulted in the Euro-American population of Palmyra growing to over two thousand people by 1810.
“When Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith arrived in the region with their family … , the landscape surrounding the Hill Cumorah was most likely heavily wooded with partial clearings as early colonial settlers established roads and cleared fields for farming.”
Book of Mormon Geography
Visitors at the Church’s historic sites sometimes ask questions or make declarations about the locations of places described in the Book of Mormon. For example, some people believe that the land around the hill we now call Cumorah was the location of the final battle between the Nephites and the Lamanites, recorded in Mormon 6. Others believe that the battle occurred in Central or South America.
As a representative of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you should not participate in such speculation, even if you have strong personal opinions about the topic. Instead, you should refer visitors to the Church’s official statement titled “Book of Mormon Geography,” which includes the following counsel:
“The Church does not take a position on the specific geographic locations of Book of Mormon events in the ancient Americas. Speculation on the geography of the Book of Mormon may mislead instead of enlighten; such a study can be a distraction from its divine purpose.
“Individuals may have their own opinions regarding Book of Mormon geography and other such matters about which the Lord has not spoken. However, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles urge leaders and members not to advocate those personal theories in any setting or manner that would imply either prophetic or Church support for those theories. All parties should strive to avoid contention on these matters.
“Speaking of the book’s history and geography, President Russell M. Nelson taught: ‘Interesting as these matters may be, study of the Book of Mormon is most rewarding when one focuses on its primary purpose—to testify of Jesus Christ. By comparison, all other issues are incidental.’”
The Name of the Hill
When Joseph Smith first went to the hill now known as Cumorah, the local residents apparently did not designate the place by any special name. Joseph referred to it only as “a hill of considerable size, and the most elevated of any in the neighborhood” (Joseph Smith—History 1:51). However, after 1827, many locals referred to the place as “Gold Bible Hill” and “Mormon Hill.” It was labeled “Mormon Hill” on some maps published in the 1800s.
Oliver Cowdery was the first person to publicly refer to the hill as Cumorah. In an article he published in 1835, he stated that it was from this hill that Mormon and a few others watched the final battle between the Nephites and the Lamanites. As stated above, the Church does not take a position on this theory or any other about the locations of events recorded in the Book of Mormon.
There is no record of the angel Moroni referring to the hill as Cumorah. The Prophet Joseph Smith referred to the hill by this name in a letter he wrote in 1842, 15 years after obtaining the gold plates: “What do we hear? Glad tidings from Cumorah! Moroni, an angel from heaven, declaring the fulfilment of the prophets—the book to be revealed” (Doctrine and Covenants 128:20).
Today, Latter-day Saints throughout the world refer to this place as the Hill Cumorah. This is the Church’s official name for the hill, and it is the best way for you to refer to it when you talk with visitors.
Changes on the Hill from the 1820s to the 2020s
More than 200 years have passed since Joseph Smith first saw the gold plates buried in the hill we now call Cumorah. In those two centuries, the uses of the hill have changed. Consequently, the appearance of the hill has changed as well. The slideshow in the visitors’ center theater shows photographs that highlight some of these changes.
The following timeline provides a brief overview of the changes on the hill from 1823 to the present. Most of the information is taken from the Hill Cumorah Cultural Landscape Report. The Church commissioned a professional consulting firm to create this document in 2016. The document is not available to the public or to missionaries. The details and recommendations in the document have guided some—but not all—recent developments on the hill. The document is essential for the preservation and maintenance of the hill, but it is not essential for helping visitors understand the sacred significance of the site.
1823 to 1923—Agricultural Land
When Joseph Smith first climbed the hill, it was agricultural land, with treeless pasture on the north, scattered trees near the top on the west side, and forest on the south side. The hill continued to be used as agricultural land for the next 100 years. By 1888, all the trees had been cleared except for a forested area on the south end of the hill. For a time, the land included buildings at the base of the north slope: farmhouses, a barn, a silo, and other structures.
1923 to 1928—The Church’s Purchase of the Hill
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased the hill, one parcel of land at a time, over a period of five years. Willard Bean—who, with his wife, Rebecca, was called to live on the nearby Smith Farm and take care of it—oversaw the purchasing effort, with support from Church leaders.
1928—Reforestation of the Hill
Willard Bean began overseeing the planting of about 65,000 seedlings and transplants on the hill. Some of the seedlings were from the Sacred Grove. Others were non-native evergreen trees donated by the state of New York. This effort lasted several years. In addition to reforesting the hill, Willard Bean constructed paths leading to the top of the hill. He also planted a privet hedge that spelled the word Cumorah, with letters 42 feet (13 meters) high.
1935—Dedication of the Hill Cumorah Monument
President Heber J. Grant, the seventh President of the Church, dedicated the Hill Cumorah Monument on July 21. Sculptor Torleif Knaphus had spent the previous five years designing and fabricating the monument. When the monument was installed, the statue of Moroni faced north, toward the Smith family farm and the Sacred Grove. President David O. McKay, who attended the dedication ceremony as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said, “We are not erecting [the monument] to perpetuate the deeds of Moroni; we are not erecting it to honor his father Mormon, nor indeed to perpetuate the life and deeds of Joseph Smith. … This monument is built as an expression of gratitude for the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and as a manifestation to all the world of our faith in the personality and divine Fatherhood of God.”
1936—First Performance of a Pageant at the Hill
The hill became the venue for a pageant titled Truth from the Earth, with a cast of 60. The audience sat on the hill and watched the performers below them.
1937—Dedication of the First Visitors’ Center by the Hill
The Church completed construction of the Hill Cumorah Bureau of Information, a visitors’ center, on land northwest of the hill, farther from the hill than the current visitors’ center. Elder John A. Widtsoe of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the building on August 29.
1937 to 2019—Annual Performance of America’s Witness for Christ
The hill served as the stage for a pageant titled America’s Witness for Christ, with performers on the hill and audience members at the foot of the hill looking up. The pageant changed over the years, growing from a presentation with 110 performers in 1937 to a large-scale production with 750 performers, a musical score, choreography, lighting, and elaborate costumes. Pageant infrastructure on the hill included more than 20 structures, including dressing rooms, kitchen facilities, restrooms, and administrative buildings.
1970s—Rerouting of Canandaigua Road
The state of New York rerouted the historic Canandaigua Road—the road young Joseph Smith probably took when he walked to the hill. This realignment formed a gentle curve past the hill. The road is now known as Route 21.
1976—Reorientation of the Statue of Moroni
The statue of Moroni at the top of the monument was reoriented to face west so it would be more visible to people driving past on Route 21.
2002—Dedication of the Current Visitors’ Center
President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the current visitors’ center on July 1. At the time, the exhibit in the visitors’ center was designed to serve as a gateway to other historic sites in the region. It provided an overview of the sacred events of the Restoration that occurred in the 1820s in New York and Pennsylvania.
2018—Announcement of the End of the Pageant
In an official statement, the First Presidency said: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is growing across the earth. As this occurs, local Church leaders and members are encouraged to focus on gospel learning in their homes and to participate in Sabbath worship and the Church’s supporting programs for children, youth, individuals and families. The goal of every activity in the Church should be to increase faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and to share His gospel message throughout the world. Local celebrations of culture and history may be appropriate. Larger productions, such as pageants, are discouraged. … The Hill Cumorah Pageant will end in 2020.”
2020—Cancelation of the Final Production of the Pageant
The final production of the Hill Cumorah pageant was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021—Devotional Honoring the Legacy of the Pageant
Then-Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who had participated in the Hill Cumorah Pageant as a young man, presided at a devotional to honor the influence of the pageant. He said, “I express profound thanks to each and all of the thousands who over the years, since 1937, have had any role in or made any contribution to the Hill Cumorah Pageant: America’s Witness for Christ.”
2021 to 2024—Reforestation and New Paths
Pageant infrastructure was removed, new walking paths were created, and native seeds were planted to reforest the hill.
2025—Dedication of a New Exhibit in the Visitors’ Center
After closing the visitors’ center for months, the Church reopened the center with a new exhibit focusing on the sacred events that occurred on the Hill Cumorah, highlighting the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles rededicated the building on September 21, 2025.
Information About the Features of the Visitors’ Center
Paintings on the East Wall
The three oil paintings on the east wall are original works created specifically for this visitors’ center. The artists are Michael Malm and Linda Curley Christensen. These two artists also created the paintings that are displayed in the Sacred Grove Welcome Center and the paintings of the restorations of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods that are displayed in the Priesthood Restoration Site Visitors’ Center.
Statues in the Rotunda
The statues in the rotunda were created specifically for this space. The sculptor is Michael Aaron Hall. Visitors are welcome to touch the statues, but they should not be led to believe that touching the statues is an essential part of the experience.
Artwork from Around the World
The kiosk near the rotunda features artwork depicting accounts in the Book of Mormon. Many of the pieces come from the Church’s International Art Competition, which is hosted once every three years at the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah. Each piece of art is accompanied by information about the artist.
Replicas of the Gold Plates, the Breastplate, and the Urim and Thummim
The replicas of the gold plates, the breastplate, and the Urim and Thummim are based on historical descriptions of those items. The writing on the plates is based on a document, probably written by John Whitmer, that may contain characters copied from the gold plates.
For information about the size, weight, and composition of the gold plates, see “Gold Plates,” Church History Topics, Gospel Library.
Theater
The video in the theater is titled “Moroni Invites All to Come unto Christ.” A similar video is available in Gospel Library—under “Scriptures,” “Book of Mormon Videos,” and “Mormon 8–9; Mormon 1, 10; Title Page.”
This video repeats itself in the theater throughout the day. Before it starts, visitors can watch a slideshow featuring photographs of the Hill Cumorah from the early 1900s to 2020.
Book of Mormon Experience
The Book of Mormon experience is based on a program called the Book of Mormon Experiment, created by a group of Brigham Young University marketing students and their faculty adviser, Jeffrey A. Sheets. This group conducted their “experiment” in seven large cities—London, England; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cape Town, South Africa; Sydney, Australia; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; and Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. In each city, they set up a display on a busy street. They invited passersby to stop for a few minutes, read one page from the Book of Mormon, mark references to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ on that page, and share their thoughts about the experience. People of diverse backgrounds and religious beliefs, even people with no belief at all, shared inspiring insights about the Book of Mormon.
Since then, Latter-day Saints and friends of other faiths have enjoyed participating in the Book of Mormon Experiment at other places, including Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and the Idaho Falls Temple Visitors’ Center.