We're exploring the area around Cumorah. There are some amazing things here, best seen from the air.
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The Hill Cumorah |
"In this valley fell the remaining strength and pride of a once powerful people, the Nephites—once so highly favored of the Lord, but at that time in darkness, doomed to suffer extermination by the hand of their barbarous and uncivilized brethren. From the top of this hill, Mormon, with a few others, after the battle, gazed with horror upon the mangled remains of those who, the day before, were filled with anxiety, hope, or doubt." Oliver Cowdery, Letter VII, available here.
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Valley west of Cumorah |
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The Sacred Grove |
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The Palmyra Temple |
I have a question. Why would this tiny hill be of any significance to multiple massive civilizations? "Meet us for the final battle on that one little hill..." I would think that it would be a more important landmark that people from far and wide would know about. There are plenty of much bigger hills in North America to choose from. Why would the Jaredites and the Nephites both place such importance in it? Cerro Vigia in Central America is definitely a prominent landmark from what I've seen.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the Book of Mormon doesn't say that Moroni buried the plates in Cumorah. If Joseph, Oliver and others called the hill Cumorah, that's fine -- but that doesn't necessarily make it the same hill. It's the same as the Saints calling that town across the river from Nauvoo "Zarahemla" before it was ever mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants.
Mainly, it's the hill's lack of noticeable size that I and others get hung up on when thinking about a North American model. What's your take on this? I appreciate your thoughts.