The Hill Cumorah in New York

Joseph Smith reported finding the golden plates on a hill near Palmyra, New York, which he and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call the Hill Cumorah. According to Smith's account, he first visited the hill in September 1823 after receiving a vision from an angel named Moroni. Smith said the angel told him the plates were buried there and instructed him to return four years later to retrieve them.

The Hill Cumorah sits in western New York, roughly 20 miles south of Rochester. Smith was living in the Palmyra area at the time and was familiar with the local geography. In his written accounts, he described the hill as a prominent natural landmark in the region, though it is not exceptionally tall—roughly 150 feet above the surrounding terrain.

Smith stated that he returned to the hill in September 1827 and removed the plates from a stone box buried beneath the surface. He said Moroni was present during the retrieval and warned him not to show the plates to anyone without permission. According to Smith's account, he wrapped the plates in cloth and carried them away from the hill.

Key Takeaways

  • Joseph Smith reported finding the golden plates buried on the Hill Cumorah near Palmyra, New York, in September 1827.
  • Smith said an angel named Moroni first appeared to him in 1823 and told him where the plates were located.
  • The Hill Cumorah is a real geographic location in western New York that still exists and is visited by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  • Smith claimed the plates were kept in a stone box beneath the ground and that he was instructed not to display them publicly.

Smith's Account of the 1823 Vision

Smith wrote that on the night of September 21, 1823, he experienced a vision while lying in bed at his family home. He described seeing a heavenly being who identified himself as Moroni, an angel sent by God. According to Smith, Moroni told him about a book written on golden plates that contained the religious history of ancient peoples who lived in the Americas.

In Smith's telling, Moroni gave him specific instructions about the location of the plates and warned him about the importance of the discovery. Smith said Moroni appeared to him multiple times that night, repeating the same message. The angel also told Smith that he would not be allowed to take the plates when ready but would have to wait and prove himself worthy of the responsibility.

The Four-Year Wait Before Retrieval

Smith reported that after the 1823 vision, he visited the Hill Cumorah each year on the anniversary of his first vision. During these visits, he said Moroni appeared to him and continued to instruct him about the plates and their importance. Smith described these annual meetings as a period of spiritual preparation during which he learned more about the content and purpose of the plates.

In 1827, Smith believed he had fulfilled the conditions Moroni set for him. He returned to the hill in September of that year, at age 21, and said he was finally permitted to remove the plates from the stone box. Smith reported that the box also contained other sacred objects, including interpreters he called the Urim and Thummim, which he said he used to translate the plates.

What Happened to the Plates After Discovery

Smith stated that after removing the plates from the hill, he kept them in his possession and began the work of translating them. He said the plates were written in a language he called "reformed Egyptian" and that he used the interpreters to convert them into English. The translation work took several years, and Smith dictated the text to scribes who wrote down his words.

Smith never publicly displayed the original plates for examination by scholars or skeptics. He said Moroni had instructed him not to show them to anyone without divine permission. Instead, Smith relied on the testimony of witnesses he selected—a group he called the "Three Witnesses" and another group called the "Eight Witnesses"—who he said had seen and handled the plates. These witnesses signed statements confirming their experience, which were published in early editions of the Book of Mormon.

According to Smith's account, the plates were eventually taken back by Moroni and returned to heaven. Smith said this happened after the translation was complete and the Book of Mormon was published in 1830. No physical plates have ever been produced for public examination since that time.

The Hill Cumorah Today

The Hill Cumorah remains a real location in New York that is owned and maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church has built a visitor center at the base of the hill and holds an annual pageant there during the summer months. Members of the church visit the site as a place of religious significance connected to the founding of their faith.

Historians and archaeologists have not found evidence supporting Smith's account of ancient civilizations in the Americas as described in the Book of Mormon. The hill itself has been studied by geologists, and no artifacts matching Smith's description of the golden plates have ever been discovered there. The location remains important to Latter-day Saint believers as a sacred site in their religious history, regardless of these scholarly findings.

Different Interpretations of the Hill Cumorah

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints generally accept Smith's account of finding the plates on the Hill Cumorah in New York. However, some scholars and researchers associated with the church have proposed that the Hill Cumorah described in the Book of Mormon text itself may refer to a different location in Mesoamerica, separate from the New York hill where Smith said he found the physical plates.

This distinction reflects a difference between the location where Smith reported finding the plates in his own time and the location where events described in the Book of Mormon text may have occurred in ancient times. The church has not made an official information on this question, and members hold varying views on how these two locations relate to each other.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did anyone else see the golden plates?

Smith said that selected witnesses saw and handled the plates, and these individuals signed statements confirming their experience. However, no independent verification of the plates exists, and they were never made available for public examination or scientific study. The witnesses Smith chose were mostly family members and close associates.

What language were the plates written in?

Smith claimed the plates were written in "reformed Egyptian," a language he said was unknown to modern scholars. He stated he used the Urim and Thummim—interpreters he found with the plates—to translate the text into English. No independent confirmation of this language or translation method has been documented.

Why can't the plates be examined today?

According to Smith's account, the angel Moroni took the plates back to heaven after the translation was completed. Smith said this happened after the Book of Mormon was published in 1830. No physical plates have been available for examination since that time.

Is the Hill Cumorah in New York the same location mentioned in the Book of Mormon?

Smith identified the New York hill as the location where he found the plates. However, some scholars connected to the church have suggested that the Hill Cumorah described in the Book of Mormon text itself may refer to a different location in ancient times. The church has not officially resolved this question.

Has anyone found evidence of the plates or the civilizations Smith described?

No golden plates matching Smith's description have been discovered, and archaeological evidence does not support the existence of the civilizations described in the Book of Mormon. The Hill Cumorah in New York has been studied by geologists and archaeologists without finding artifacts related to Smith's account.