The Hill Cumorah

I woke up Pageant early (around 8am) and walked to my favorite private bathrooms near the Hill Cumorah.  The hill was so quiet and is now so filled with fun memories for me and my family.

As I sat here in the audience chairs, listening to the chirping birds and feeling just a whisper of morning coolness in the air, I read once again the Introduction to the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel. 

The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Their words, written on gold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon. The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C. and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians. 

The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after His resurrection. It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come. 

After Mormon completed his writings, he delivered the account to his son Moroni, who added a few words of his own and hid up the plates in the Hill Cumorah. On September 21, 1823, the same Moroni, then a glorified, resurrected being, appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and instructed him relative to the ancient record and its destined translation into the English language. 

In due course the plates were delivered to Joseph Smith, who translated them by the gift and power of God. The record is now published in many languages as a new and additional witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that all who will come unto Him and obey the laws and ordinances of His gospel may be saved. 

Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” 

In addition to Joseph Smith, the Lord provided for eleven others to see the gold plates for themselves and to be special witnesses of the truth and divinity of the Book of Mormon. Their written testimonies are included herewith as “The Testimony of Three Witnesses” and “The Testimony of Eight Witnesses.” 

We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.) 

Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah. (Book of Mormon, Introduction)

I feel this morning like I have felt so many times in my past, I wish I had words to convey the depth of conviction in my soul.  I am a truth seeker!  I am someone who feels quickly in my soul when something is wrong and someone who is willing to die for what I know is right.  

I know that The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ.  I feel Christ's love as I read the Bible and I feel it even more clearly as I read the Book of Mormon.  Of course the Savior of the world would teach and visit His people all over the world, not just in Jerusalem.

If you have read this blog, you know that I don't believe life is supposed to be easy.  Character is built as we stretch and seek.  My religion has not guaranteed me a life free from pain or trials.  But, it has given me PEACE and perspective through the trials of life. 

I wish everyone could see and feel what I feel as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  There is so much joy and safety being a member of a community of people trying to be loving and unified.  I could not raise my children without the constant examples and mentoring they receive from our community.  Sure, there are times that being a member of a church family is uncomfortable.  But the benefits far outweigh the sacrifices.

As I'm typing this, I just happened to look to my right and noticed Jakob (my oldest) throwing a frisbee with one of his leaders.  The teenagers play a lot of ultimate frisbee here at Pageant.  Jakob came home yesterday morning drenched in sweat and laughingly told me he is no good at throwing a frisbee but is a fast runner.  I'm not surprised at all to hear his leader coaching him and teaching him as they throw back and forth together before the rest of the kids arrive. My children are blessed to be a part of this community.

Yes, being a part of this Hill Cumorah Pageant was hard for me and my family.  We were hot and tired and far from the conveniences of home.  But, oh how amazing it has been to be surrounded by a cast of over 750 good, good people.  How blessed my children have been to listen to devotionals and to interact with happy, kind, modest, good people.  

I would love to send you a copy of The Book of Mormon if you are interested.  Email me at toddnjenifermoss@gmail.com

Life is good!

This book is true!

I will miss this hot, crazy time of life.