True Book of Mormon Geography

The entire field of Book of Mormon geography hinges on Cumorah and nothing else. Either Cumorah is in Palmyra, or it's not--not one in Mesoamerica and another in Palmyra--not a second hill called after the first. The Book of Mormon was written to confound confusion, not to cause it. Theorists supporting two Cumorahs claim Moroni called a second hill after the name of the first in order to honor it, yet Moroni made no such claim.

And again, what do we hear? Glad tidings from CUMORAH! Moroni, an angel from heaven, declaring the fulfilment of the prophets—the book TO BE REVEALED. (D&C 128:20)

The Hill Cumorah near Palmyra, NY is central to all Book of Mormon events. It is the place where Moroni (The last contributor.) hid the record, and the place where Joseph Smith found it. It is also near the location of the final battle where the Nephite race was destroyed. (Not the Jaredite race.)

Satellite view of the Hill Cumorah with the road winding to the top.

Locating this hill within the geography of the Book of Mormon is paramount to understanding all other Book of Mormon locations.

Let's locate the Hill Cumorah as it is stated in the Book of Mormon text.

1 And now I finish my record concerning the destruction of my people, the Nephites. And it came to pass that we did march forth before the Lamanites.
2 And I, Mormon, wrote an epistle unto the king of the Lamanites, and desired of him that he would grant unto us that we might gather together our people unto the land of Cumorah, by a hill which was called Cumorah, and there we could give them battle. (Mormon 6:1-2)

So the question is, from which direction did they come to gather to the Hill/Land of Cumorah? The following reveals much regarding the way they came and the lay of the land.

5 And it came to pass that I (Mormon) did cause my people that they should gather themselves together at the land Desolation, to a city which was in the borders, by the narrow pass which led into the land southward. (Mormon 3:5)

34 And it came to pass that they did not head them until they had come to the borders of the land Desolation; and there they did head them, by the narrow pass which led by the sea into the land northward, yea, by the sea, on the west and on the east. (Alma 50:34)

Here we learn that Mormon's people gathered at the Narrow Pass, which was located at the furthest point west, along the West Sea and from there they fought eastward until they came to the Hill Cumorah.

The Hill Cumorah Answer: the Nephites gathered from the west to Cumorah, therefore Cumorah should be located on the east of the Land Northward.

It was located outside of populated areas since neither party wanted to bury the dead (Mormon 6:15); and far enough away that the scent would not carry to their populated areas.

Should bones be found there today? So far as we know, nobody buried their dead, the bones moldered upon the land.

What about their weapons and armaments? Those were the "spoils of war" and of course removed. Nevertheless, some evidences remain:

It has been stated that there is no evidence near Cumorah of fierce battles in the past. That statement is completely answered in the following letter from Sister Susa Young Gates to the author:

 

"In 1901 Elder Claude Taylor and myself visited the Hill Cumorah and had an interview with Mr. and Mrs. Samson who then owned the Hill and the farm adjoining. Mr. Samson was the brother of Admiral Samson, but he was very prejudiced against the Mormon people. However, we spent some time talking with him.

 

"Outside the farmhouse Elder Taylor and myself noted several bushel baskets filled with arrow heads and I asked Mrs. Samson what they were. She said they had just begun to plow up the hill Cumorah and around the hill, to plant some crops, and they turned up these arrow heads BY THE BASKET FULL.

 

"I asked her what she did with them. She replied that she sold them to tourists who passed by. I inquired the price of them, and she replied, 'Twenty-five cents.' I purchased two and when I returned home I gave one to President Joseph F. Smith. The other one I have kept and it is still in my possession.

 

"This seems good evidence of the wars which have been fought around this historical hill." (J. M. Sjodahl, An Introduction to the Study of the Book of Mormon, pp.7-8)

What else do we know about the Hill/Land of Cumorah? There are two more references. One says Omer traveled east past the Hill Cumorah to a seashore called Ablom. The other says some Nephites escaped from there during the final battle by going south.

3 And the Lord warned Omer in a dream that he should depart out of the land; wherefore Omer departed out of the land with his family, and traveled many days, and came over and passed by the hill of Shim, and came over by the thence eastward, and came to a place which was called Ablom, by the seashore, and there he pitched his tent, and also his sons and his daughters, and all his household, save it were Jared and his family. (Ether 9:3)

 

15 And it came to pass that there were ten more who did fall by the sword, with their ten thousand each; yea, even all my people, save it were those twenty and four who were with me, and also a few who had escaped into the south countries, and a few who had deserted over unto the Lamanites, had fallen; and their flesh, and bones, and blood lay upon the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those who slew them to molder upon the land, and to crumble and to return to their mother earth. (Mormon 6:15)

It is interesting to note the direction those who escaped took - south. Why did they not go north, east, or west? 1600 years ago Cumorah was surrounded by wetlands on the north and a sea on the east. (Current day Sodus Bay extending south to Cayuga Lake.) The enemy was on the west to north/west, leaving the south as their only way to escape.

Moroni Stayed Nearby

No doubt Mormon and Moroni were aware of the outcome prophesied of their people being destroyed, and took every precaution to ensure the records, breast plate, and urim and thummim were safely hidden away PRIOR to going to battle for Joseph to later find. Moroni may have carried a few plates (as it says) to write the outcome on - if he survived, but it is unrealistic to believe he was toting the entire gold plates (between 40-60 lbs), the breastplate and urim and thummim to the battle:

11 And when they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son Moroni) and WE HAVING SURVIVED the dead of our people did behold on the morrow when the Lamanites had returned unto their camps from the top of the hill Cumorah the ten thousand of my people who were hewn down BEING LED IN THE FRONT BY ME.

12 And we also beheld the ten thousand of my people who were WHO WERE LED BY MY SON MORONI. (Mormon 6)