Additional - Miscellaneous Support
~ Cumorah Is Cumorah ~

by Don R. Hender

The evidences here do not clearly fit into any of the previous categories though they may relate to information presented there.

Our Hymns Support It

Our Hymns are not exactly Scripture in the canonized sense, but they where and are selected to be correct in terms of the teachings of the Church as they are praise to God and are for our further learning, edification, and understanding. One such Hymn that relates to the fact that Cumorah is Cumorah is the Hymn 'An Angel from on High' with verse written by Parley P. Pratt. And though Parley P. Pratt's word relative to Cumorah at considered in conjunction with the General Authorities section of this presentation, additional relevance is to be presented here in relationship to the Hymn and Parley's statements.

It is very obvious what the first verse clearly states. I have highlighted the relative portion in red. The Angel Moroni speaks the words that 'In Cumorah's hill the record laid concealed.' Yes, this is what Parley P. Pratt said that Joseph Smith always held, that the angel told him the hill's name was Cumorah. That is covered on Apostle Pratt's page. What is not covered there and doesn't fit any of the other pages is what the Church has annotated to the Hymns for our further study, edification, and understanding.

An Angel from on High

Hymn 13 & 328 - Parley P. Pratt

An angel from on high The long, long silence broke;
Descending from the sky, These gracious words he spoke:
Lo! in Cumorah's lonely hill A sacred record lies concealed.
Lo! in Cumorah's lonely hill A sacred record lies concealed.

Sealed by Moroni's hand, It has for ages lain
To wait the Lord's command, From dust to speak again.
It shall again to light come forth To usher in Christ's reign on earth.
It shall again to light come forth To usher in Christ's reign on earth.

It speaks of Joseph's seed And makes the remnant known
Of nations long since dead, Who once had dwelt alone.
The fulness of the gospel, too, Its pages will reveal to view.
The fulness of the gospel, too, Its pages will reveal to view.

The time is now fulfilled, The long-expected day;
Let earth obedience yield And darkness flee away.
Remove the seals; be wide unfurled Its light and glory to the world
Remove the seals; be wide unfurled Its light and glory to the world.

Lo! Israel filled with joy Shall now be gathered home,
Their wealth and means employ To build Jerusalem,
While Zion shall arise and shine And fill the earth with truth divine,
While Zion shall arise and shine And fill the earth with truth divine.

The Hymn, 'An Angel from on High' is in the Hymn book twice, once for the congregation and once as arranged for male voices, Hymn 13 & 328. At the end of the Hymns in our Hymn book today are found scriptural references which have been annotated there by the Church for our benefit and understanding. They relate specifically to the text of the Hymn. In the case of 'An Angel from on High,' there are three scriptural references given. At the end of Hymn 13 is given the references of JS-H 1:30-34, and D&C 128:20. At the end of Hymn 328 the references of JS-H 1:30-34 is given again and also Mormon 8:12-16. It is in JS-H 1:30-34 where the Angel Moroni first appears to Joseph Smith in his bedroom in 1823 and tells Joseph of the record that was concealed in the hill. It is in Mormon 8:12-16 where the Prophet Moroni hides up the record in the hill. And it is in D&C 128:20 where Cumorah is expressed by the Prophet Joseph Smith as the land from where the 'glad tidings' of the restoration of the Gospel as well as the fullness thereof from the Book of Mormon record.

And as given before, the scriptures themselves cross reference D & C 128:20 with JS-H 1:50-54 where the Prophet has come to the side of the hill and uncovered the stone the covered the hiding place of the plates. And in verse 52 the plates are cross referenced to Mormon 6:6, Ether 4:5 (4-7), and D&C 17:1. In Mormon 6:6, Mormon hides all the records deep in the vault in Cumorah's hill. In Ether 4:4-7 Moroni tells what the sealed portion of the plates consists of which is the 'Vision of All' (See Isaiah 29) of Mohonri Moriancumr, the Brother of Jared. And in the last reference of D&C 17:1 the Prophet Joseph Smiths tells the three witnesses, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris what they can expect to see as the three witneses.

D&C 17:1 Behold, I say unto you, that you must rely upon my word, which if you do with a full purpose of heart, you shall have a view of the plates, and also of the breastplate, the sword of Laban , the Urim and Thummim, which were given to the brother of Jared upon the mount, when he talked with the Lord face to face, and the miraculous directors [Liahona] which were given to Lehi while in the wilderness, on the borders of the Red Sea.

From this last verse we learn that the Urim and Thummin found with the plates in the Hill Cumorah was the one given to the brother of Jared. And we also note that the three witnesses where to be allowed to see 5 ancient artifacts in conjunction with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. There was the 'Golden Plates,' the 'breastplate,' the 'Sword of Laban,' the 'Urim and Thummim,' and the 'Liahona' which were to be witnessed by the three witnesses. Now the 'Sword of Laban' and the 'Liahona' where not contained in the box made of stones in the side of the Hill Cumorah. But they where deep within the Hill of Cumorah, and at least Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery have been in that room according to Brigham Young's report of what Oliver Cowdery had told him. Now the witnesses' testimony in the Book of Mormon only refers to the Golden Plates. Did the three witnesses actually behold more? Section 17 of the Doctrine and Covenants states it. The Hill Cumorah opens up. And Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith have been in and seen all of the records there, and the sword of Laban and the Liahona. And as taught by Brigham Young and numerous others of the early church, it is that same hill of Cumorah that is in the State of New York today that is the ancient Nephite hill of Cumorah where Mormon hid all the record deep within the hill. And it is that same hill Cumorah where Moroni hid the Golden Plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate in the side of the hill.

The message of this Hymn is a doctrial message only had if Cumorah is Cumorah. From the time of Adam it was promised to come forth. From the dust of the nations, from the dust of the dead of Noah, the Jaredites, and the Nephites was the restoration to proceed forth from the Land of Cumorah which would estabish Christ's Kingdom and the New Jerusalem. Through the seed of Abraham in the sons of Joseph, Ephriam and Manasseh was the fulness of the Gospel to come forth in the last days, bring salvation to the world. Moroni, the son of Mormon who was the son of Mormon who was a descendant of Nephi who was the son of Lehi who was a descendant of Joseph through Joseph's son Manasseh provided the assistance of bring forth the fullness of the Everlasting Gospel contained in the pages of the Book of Mormon to Joseph Smith a descendant of Joseph of Egypt through the loins of Ephraim. Just as the scriptures had testified that it would happen, it did happen. And when it came time for Moroni to show the artifacts to the witnesses, he did not travel thousands of miles back and forth, to and from, a hill in Central America. All those articles where right there, accessible within the hill of Cumorah. Now I suppose that Moroni, being an angel could have traveled those thousands of miles back and forth, but the facts are such that he didn't. He didn't have to. All those items where located conviently within the Cumorah land region of the restoration of the Gospel in the hill of Cumorah in the State of New York.