The new Visitors Center at the Hill Cumorah has a lot of nice features.
I have a suggestion for improvement overall.
How about re-reading what Oliver Cowdery wrote about Cumorah when he was the Assistant President of the Church?
His words, which were endorsed multiple times by Joseph Smith, should be prominently displayed in the Visitors Center and should be included in all websites and curriculum about Cumorah.
That should be obvious.
But the Church History Department has an inexplicable aversion to Oliver Cowdery.
Not only do they ignore what he (and Joseph) taught about the translation of the Book of Mormon, and not only do they ignore what Oliver wrote about the fact that the "hill in New York" is the Cumorah/Ramah of the Book of Mormon, but they even ignore his description of the hill itself.
It is amazing.
The Church History Department claims they have reforested the Hill Cumorah to make it look like it did in Joseph Smith's day.
"We want as many visitors as possible to experience the hill as Joseph did."
But instead of returning the hill to its condition in Joseph's day, they've decided to "reforest" it.
All they had to do was re-read what Oliver Cowdery wrote. After all, unlike modern historians, Oliver actually visited the hill with Joseph Smith.
He explained what the hill looked like in 1823-1830, and it was not forested.
Oliver Cowdery described Cumorah quite clearly.
The hill of which I have been speaking, at the time mentioned, presented a varied appearance: the north end rose suddenly from the plain, forming a promontory without timber, but covered with grass.
As you passed to the south you soon came to scattering timber, the surface having been cleared by art or by wind; and a short distance further left, you are surrounded with the common forest of the country. 1
It is necessary to observe, that even the part cleared was only occupied for pasturage, its steep ascent and narrow summit not admitting the plow of the husbandman, with any degree of ease or profit.
It was at the second mentioned place where the record was found to be deposited, on the west side of the hill, not far from the top down its side; and when myself visited the place in the year 1830, there were several trees standing: enough to cause a shade in summer, but not so much as to prevent the surface being covered with grass—which was also the case when the record was first found.
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/93
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| Cumorah in the 1800s, as Oliver described it |
Oliver's description corroborates what Lucy Mack Smith related. She said when Moroni first visited Joseph, he instructed Joseph that "the record is on a side hill on the Hill of Cumorah 3 miles from this place remove the Grass and moss and you will find a large flat stone pry that up and you will find the record under it laying on 4 pillars of cement"
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1844-1845/41
Instead, today the hill Cumorah is being "reforested."
Unbelievable.
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| Cumorah today |
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