Book of Mormon Location of Events No Preview Available External Link The Joseph Smith Papers, Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1844-1845, pgs. 43-44 Evening Recitals Lucy Mack Smith 1844-45    In the course of our evening conversations Joseph would give us some of the most ammusing recitals which could be immagined he would decribe the ancient inhabitants of this continent their dress thier maner of traveling the animals which they rode The cities that were built by them the structure of their buildings with every particular of their mode of warfare their religious worship as particularly as though he had Spent his life with them (Note:  According to Lucy's account, these recitals occurred in the Fall of 1823, between the angel's visit on September 22nd and the death of Alvin on November 19th.) No Preview Available External Link 1833 Letter to the American Revivalist Joseph Smith Jr. 2 Feb, 1833    The Book of Mormon is a record of the forefathers of our western tribes of Indians; having been found through the ministration of an holy Angel, translated into our own language by the gift and power of God, after having been hid up in the earth for the last fourteen hundred years, containing the word of God which was delivered unto them. By it, we learn, that our western tribes of Indians, are descendants from that Joseph that was sold in Egypt, and that the land of America is a promised land unto them... No Preview Available External Link History, 1838-1856, volume A-1, The Joseph Smith Papers Discovery of Zelph Joseph Smith Jr. 3 Jun, 1834    Tuesday the 3rd. During our travels we visited several of the mounds which had been thrown up by the ancient inhabitants of this country, Nephites, Lamanites &c, and this morning I went up on a high mound, near the river, accompanied by the brethren. From this mound we could overlook the tops of the trees and view the prairie on each side of the river as far as our vision could extend, and the scenery was truly delightful.    On the top of the mound were stones which presented the appearance of three altars having been erected one above the other, according to ancient order; and human bones were strewn over the surface of the ground. The brethren procured a shovel & hoe and removing the earth to the depth of about one foot discovered the skeleton of a man. almost entire, and between his ribs was a Lamanitish arrow, which evidently produced his death. Elder Brigham Young retained the arrow, and the brethren carried some pieces of the skeleton to Clay county. The contemplation of the scenery before us produced peculiar sensations in our bosoms; and the visions of the past being opend to my understanding by the Spirit of the Almighty I discovered that the person whose Skeleton was before us, was a white Lamanite, a large thick set man, and a man of God. He was a warrior under the great prophet Onandagus, who was known from the hill Cumorah, or eastern sea, to the Rocky Mountains. His name was Zelph. The curse was taken from him, or, at least, in part. One of his thigh bones was broken by a stone flung from a sling, while in battle, years before his death. He was killed in battle, by the arrow found among his ribs, during a last great struggle with the Lamanites and Nephites. (Note:  This account took place while Zion's Camp was in eastern Illinois, at a location currently known as Naples Mound #8. This mound has been identified as a Hopewell burial site dating between 100 BCE and 500 CE.) No Preview Available External Link Letter to Emma Smith, 4 June 1834, The Joseph Smith Papers, JS Letterbook 2, pp 56-59 Letter to Emma Joseph Smith Jr. 4 Jun, 1834    The whole of our journey, in the midst of so large a company of social honest and sincere men, wandering over the plains of the Nephites, recounting occasionaly the history of the Book of Mormon, roving over the mounds of that once beloved people of the Lord, picking up their skulls & their bones, as a proof of its divine authenticity, and gazing upon a country the fertility, the splendour and the goodness so indescribable, all serves to pass away time unnoticed... (Note:  This letter, written in the handwriting of James Mulholland, recounts the passage of Zion's Camp through Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.) No Preview Available External Link Tower Hill Joseph Smith Jr. 19 May, 1838    Saturday, 19.-This morning we struck our tents and formed a line of march, crossing Grand River at the mouth of Honey Creek and Nelson's Ferry. Grand River is a large, beautiful, deep and rapid stream, during the high waters of Spring, and will undoubtedly admit of navigation by steamboat and other water craft. At the mouth of Honey Creek is a good landing. We pursued our course up the river, mostly through timber, for about eighteen miles, when we arrived at Colonel Lyman Wight's home. He lives at the foot of Tower Hill (a name I gave the place in consequence of the remains of an old Nephite altar or tower that stood there), where we camped for the Sabbath. External Link The Joseph Smith Papers, "Church History," 1 March 1842, pg 2 Wentworth Letter Account Joseph Smith Jr. 1 Mar, 1842    I was also informed concerning the aboriginal inhabitants of this country, and shown who they were, and from whence they came; a brief sketch of their origin, progress, civilization, laws, governments, of their righteousness and iniquity, and the blessings of God being finally withdrawn from them as a people was made known unto me: I was also told where there was deposited some plates on which were engraven an abridgement of the records of the ancient prophets that had existed on this continent. No Preview Available External Link Traits of the Mosaic History Joseph Smith, Jr 15 Jun, 1842 No Preview Available External Link Times and Seasons Conclusion Joseph Smith Jr. 15 Jul, 1842 No Preview Available External Link Times and Seasons, Vol 3, pgs 921-922 Facts are Stubborn Things Joseph Smith Jr. 15 Sep, 1842    From an extract from "Stephen's Incidents of Travel in Central America," it will be seen that the proof of the Nephites and Lamanites dwelling on this continent, according to the account in the Book of Mormon, is developing itself in a more satisfactory way than the most sanguine believer in that revelation could have anticipated. It certainly affords us a gratification that the world of mankind does not enjoy, to give publicity tosuch important developments of the remains and ruins of those mighty people.    When we read in the Book of Mormon that Jared and his brother came on to this continent from the confusion and scattering at the Tower, and lived here more than a thousand years, and covered the whole continent from sea to sea, with towns and cities; and that Lehi went down by the Red Sea to the great Southern Ocean, and crossed over to this land, and landed a little south of the Isthmus of Darien, and improved the country according to the word of the Lord, as a branch of the house of Israel, and then read such a goodly traditionary account as the one below, we can not but think the Lord has a hand in bringing to pass his strange act, and proving the Book of Mormon true in the eyes of all the people. The extract below, comes as near the real fact, as the four Evangelists do to the crucifixion of Jesus.-Surely "facts are stubborn things." It will be as it ever has been, the world will prove Joseph Smith a true prophet by circumstantial evidence, in experiments, as they did Moses and Elijah. No Preview Available External Link Orson Pratt Statement 1 Orson Pratt 11 Feb, 1872    The great and last battle, in which several hundred thousand Nephites perished was on the hill Cumorah, the same hill from which the plates were taken by Joseph Smith, the boy about whom I spoke to you the other evening. No Preview Available External Link Orson Pratt Statement 2 Orson Pratt 6 Apr, 1874    In the latter part of the year in which Jesus was put to death, he descended among a certain portion of the people on this continent, gathered in the northern part of what we term South America. No Preview Available External Link Orson Pratt Statement 3 Orson Pratt 25 Aug, 1878    Thirty-six years prior to this time his nation was destroyed in what we term the State of New York, around about a hill, called by that people the Hill of Cumorah, when many hundreds of thousands of the Nephites-men, women and children, fell, during the greatest battle that they had had with the Lamanites. No Preview Available External Link James Talmage Account in Articles of Faith James E. Talmage 1899    On the occasion of Moroni's first visit to Joseph Smith, the angelic visitor declared the existence of the record, which, he said, was engraved on plates of gold, at that time lying buried in the side of a hill near Joseph's home. The hill, which was known by one division of the ancient peoples as Cumorah, by another as Ramah, is situated near Palmyra in the county of Wayne, State of New York. No Preview Available External Link Doctrines of Salvation,Vol. 3, p. 592-593 Joseph Fielding Smith Statement Joseph Fielding Smith 1956    It is known that the Hill Cumorah where the Nephites were destroyed is the hill where the Jaredites were also destroyed. This hill was known to the Jaredites as Rama. It was approximately near to the waters of Ripliancum, which the Book of Ether says, "by interpretation, is large, or to exceed all." Mormon adds: "And it came to pass that we did march forth to the land of Cumorah, and we did pitch our tents round about the hill Cumorah; and it was in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains; and here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites.    It must be conceded that this description fits perfectly the land of Cumorah in New York, as it has been known since the visitation of Moroni to the Prophet Joseph Smith, for the hill is in the proximity of the Great Lakes and also in the land of many rivers and fountains. Moreover, the Prophet Joseph Smith himself is on record, definitely declaring the present hill called Cumorah to be the exact hill spoken of in the Book of Mormon.