It has been reported over and over that Joseph Smith taught that the Hill Cumorah of the state of New York was the Hill Cumorah of the Book of Mormon. It would be a great thing to have every word that fell from Joseph's mouth concerning what he knew and understood concerning the Book of Mormon and its peoples. He knew far more than what we have recorded. Joseph use to sit with his family and tell them tells about the life and times of the ancient Americans. What wealth of knowledge lied there, and is now lost? Outside of the official proclamations that come to us in the form of the Doctrine and Covenants we have more of the Prophets words in his journals and histories. But we do little to study these compilations and when we do, we do so with some contempt of disbelief in them. Such is shown in the acceptance of the story of Zelph which should, as stated by Joseph Fielding Smith, go far in answering many questions about the geography of the Book of Mormon. Others have recorded certain instances, some of questionable authenticity and other of substantial reliability. Yet there is much more that we have not simply becuase what was spoken commonly was not written commonly amoungst them.
It was a matter of every day conversation with the Prophet Joseph Smith, and often as not the little common every day words would float right by the record keepers. His mother only once in her history quotes the young Prophet as having referred to the hill as Cumorah. The Prophet himself only once made it a matter of scriptural utterance in the 128 section of the Doctrine and Covenants. Others recorded that they where taught by Joseph in his daily speech that indeed Cumorah was Cumorah, but so commonly accepted were the words that they were just a matter of every day understanding, such as the sun rising and the sun setting. Cumorah was just Cumorah.
Even when the Second Elder Oliver Cowdery published the facts and that publication is republished under the editorship of the Prophet, there are those that say the Prophet never knew that Cumorah was Cumorah. So let it be stated once more here in itemized fashion.
I might continue on, but enough is enough. And if this is not enough then more could hardly make a difference. It make me ponder the question of why is it so difficult to accept that Cumorah is Cumorah. Is the word of man and man's learning so much more than the words upon words of the servants of God? And then I conclude with some understanding that thus it has been throughout all history. And I suppose that I to am of such to an extent. We all tend to make of the Lord's Church what we would want it to be. And with such in mind the corruption of the gospel through the ages becomes quite understandable. The children of Adam did it. The children of Noah did it. The Israelites have done it. The Jews have done it. Those of the time of Christ have done it. The Jaredites did it. And the Nephites did it. Is it any wonder that there is that same tendency to do it today? And thus I have an answer.
Many have asked the Church to prepare an officially sanctioned geographic mapping of the Book of Mormon Lands. And the Church has stated that it will not and that they do not sanction any such prescribed Book of Mormon map. Yet I content that such a 'beginning' map has already been supplied and sadley been rejected. And it is totally scripturally bases and it is from the mouth of Joseph Smith, yet they will not belief nor accept even this firt 'line of precept' upon the matter. God reveals to us line upon line, precept upon precept. And if we reject the first line and first precept, then there is not upon which we can build.
What is that first 'beginning' map you may ask? Will consider two state- ments recorded which the Prophet spoke. His mother says that in 1827 Joseph said, ". . . As I passed by the hill of Cumorah, where the plates are . . ." Thus from the Prophets earliest utterances on the matter, if you will accept it, Joseph states plainless that Cumorah was not just a hill but a land. The 'hill' was of 'Cumorah' the land. I will restate that, as it seems to be brushed aside due to the simpleness of the fact. Cumorah was a 'Land!'
How large of a land was Cumorah? Will we have both a map within our scriptures and a scriptural reference spoken by Joseph Smith himself which defines the expanses of the Land of Cumorah. First I will present the map as it is in the LDS Scriptures today.
D&C 128:20 "And again, what do we hear? Glad tidings from
Cumorah! [the land!] Moroni, an
angel from heaven, declaring the fulfilment of the prophets--the book to be
revealed. A voice of the Lord in the wilderness of Fayette
, Seneca county,
declaring the three witnesses to bear record of the book! The voice of
Michael on the banks of the Susquehanna,
detecting the devil when he appeared
as an angel of light! The voice of Peter, James, and John in the wilderness
between Harmony, Susquehanna county, and
Colesville, Broome county, on the
Susquehanna river, declaring themselves as
possessing the keys of the kingdom,
and of the dispensation of the fulness of times!"
And there it is if you will accept it, your first map of the Book of Mormon
lands. The Land of Cumorah. The red dots indicate some of the sites of the
early happenings in the Chruch which are referred to as happening in the land
of Cumorah according to D&C 128:20. God and Jesus Christ made their first
appearance to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove of this very Land of Cumorah.
Moroni entombed and restored the Golden Plates from the hill of Cumorah.
Michael or 'Adam' detected the devil when he appeard as an angel of light in
this very land of Cumorah. John the Baptist and Peter, James and John restored
authoritative baptism and the Priesthood of God within the Lands of Cumorah.
The glad tidings of the restoration and organization of the Church and Gospel
of Jesus Christ rang forth from within the borders of the Land of Cumorah.
Now without such an understanding, D&C 128:20 loses much of its doctrinal meaning, scriptural significances, and artistic majesty. Accept such as the ancient land of Cumorah and you have the Gospel of the promise to the father raising up out of the dust of the earth of the 'dead of the past' who benefits from it. 'For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive,' even the dead of the flood of Noah, even the dead of the Jaredties, even the dead of the Nephties who where destoryed because of their great wickedness. Christ's atonement will have claim on them all. And it is why we do vicarious work for the dead such of 'baptism' in our temples. The framed picture of accplication is grand if Cumorah is Cumorah, the land of such 'Glad Tidings of Great Joy.' If Cumorah is not Cumorah then the artist of the Doctine of the Gospel has just missed a grand opportunity to personify the significance of it all.
I will repeat that last concept, If if Cumorah is rejected, and is placed somewhere else, much of the doctrinal significants of the Church restoration and the fulfillment of the promises to all the ancient fathers and prophet from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Joseph to Nephi to Moroni are lost. I chose to believe that Cumorah is the land of the restoration, the Prophet Joseph Smith has so stated it. It is scriptural and it is significant. And its by-product is that it gives us the first line of a beginning map of the geography of the Book of Mormon. I believe it is the first 'line precept' map of the Book of Mormon lands to those who will accept it. Yet because we do not, the Church in its grace to those who 'quibble,' says that we do not have an 'official' map of the Book of Mormon geography that we have to accept.
Thus I don't believe even if you have more direct statements right from the mouth of the Prophet it would make any more difference when we can't accept the many witnesses to the facts that there are already. And perhaps it is to our best good that we do not have more such from the mouth of the Prophet to find exception to. For just as assuredly science would contend with it, those who are not of the Church would find exception to it, and so I would sadly conclude would many of we ourselves. For we have done so and do continue to do so.
Some discount the history of Zelph as recorded in the History of the Church Volume II. President Joseph Fielding Smith did not and I do not. And in addition to that record of the revealation from the 'almighty' recieved by the Prophet Joseph Smith, there is the simple testimony as authenticated by hand written letters to his wife Emma Smith which state,
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