From a Forest to a Stage to a Forest Again

We have hiked the Hill Cumorah several times since we’ve been here. There is always a special feeling here. Usually we have been alone on the Hill and wander the many trails that wind across and through the trees. The Hill Cumorah was a special place for Wade while he was here as a young missionary. He stayed in what they called the “wind tunnel” (a long tent-like structure) adjacent to the Hill with several other missionaries when he first arrived before he was assigned to his first area. Then during Pageant time, he was at the Hill continuously for two weeks, rehearsing for the Pageant, holding study groups with the elders and sisters, and then proselyting in the great crowds of people who would come to view the Pageant.  He gets quiet and thoughtful when we come here, probably remembering all that happened.  But, then I think we both remember that some very special events occurred here. I think about Joseph coming on that dark night, by himself, at an angel’s command. And then returning four more times each year to receive instruction, and finally to receive the sacred plates. It is a miracle to me. I am in awe and gratitude for all that happened. The Hill is under a reforestation project now with new trees, fields of wildflowers and regrowth  where stages used to fill with Book of Mormon re-enactments. It is a blessing to be here. We will always remember this special time and these special places. 

The actual Hill looks different than it did even 50 years ago. In the early 1800s, it was a forest. Later that century and into the 1900s, many trees were cleared for farmland. And almost every summer from 1937 to 2019, workers built a stage here. As many as 750 performers filled the stage to present a theatrical production that came to be known as the Hill Cumorah Pageant. They united in faith and devotion to share the broad sweep of Book of Mormon history through music, dancing, and the spoken word. Now this area is being reforested with native tree seeds. The young trees might look a bit messy, but over time this part of the hill will become a mature forest again, much like it was in the early 1800s.

Fields of wildflowers where rows and rows of chairs were set up for spectators at the Pageant.

This part of the Hill was where the stages of the Pageant were set. 

The incomparable statue of the Angel Moroni at the summit of the Hill.