Reminiscences of Cumorah by Stevenson
Reminiscences of Joseph, the Prophet And the Coming Forth of The Book of Mormon, "The Hill Cumorah. [p.10]
The first name given to this hill (and by a lost nation who left the Tower of Babel 2000 B.C.) was Ramah, as found in their history, page 606, new edition. This history is called the Book of Mormon, and this portion is written by a historian named Ether. It was named the second time by an entirely different people, and called Cumorah, as found on page 559, new edition, of the same book, by the historian whose name was Mormon. The third name is Bible Hill, or Mormon Hill, and was given in the year 1829."
The first name given to this hill (and by a lost nation who left the Tower of Babel 2000 B.C.) was Ramah, as found in their history, page 606, new edition. This history is called the Book of Mormon, and this portion is written by a historian named Ether. It was named the second time by an entirely different people, and called Cumorah, as found on page 559, new edition, of the same book, by the historian whose name was Mormon. The third name is Bible Hill, or Mormon Hill, and was given in the year 1829."
"The great and mighty nation of the Jaredites, having departed from God and shed the blood of the prophets, became divided into bloodthirsty factions, who waged relentless and merciless wars against each other for many years; finally, after millions were slain, they arrayed themselves into two mighty opposing armies and mutually agreed to give each other four years in which to gather their entire forces of men, women and children around Ramah, and there make one last appalling death struggle for victory, but so well were these colossal [p.14] armies matched in numbers, valor, fury and hatred that they continued to fight day after day till both sides were completely destroyed from the face of the land. One man of all these great and mighty armies alone remained alive. Ere they begin the dreadful carnage, they made excavations and hid up in Ramah their immense treasures.
The Lord again peopled the land and they too became haughty and lifted up in the pride of their hearts, renounced God and slew his prophets, and division, war and bloodshed again filled the land with horror. Once more were immense hosts arrayed into two great armies, the one called the Nephites, the other the Lamanites, and strange to say they also marshalled their forces, and undertook to make one last death struggle for victory or death. The battle ceased when the Nephites were destroyed, and again millions lay dead upon the fatal ground. The Jaredites’ Ramah was the Nephites’ Cumorah, and their ashes commingle and repose in death. Ere this last horrid conflict commenced, they, too, hid their untold treasures in this HIll Cumorah, and it was said by President Young at Farmington, Davis Co., Utah, June 17, 1877, just two months and twelve days before his death:
[Page 12] “There were a great many treasures hid up by the Nephites. * * * I lived right in the country where the plates were found from which the Book of Mormon was translated, and I know a great many things pertaining to that country. I believe I will take the liberty to tell you of another circumstance that will be as marvelous as anything can be. This is an incident in the life of Oliver Cowdery, but he did not take the liberty of telling such things in meeting as I take. I tell these things to you, and I have a motive for doing so. I want to carry them to the ears of my brethren and sisters, and the children also, that they may grow to an understanding of some things that seem to be entirely hidden from the human family. Oliver Cowdery went with the Prophet Joseph when he deposited these plates. Joseph did not translate all of the plates: there was a portion of these sealed which you can learn from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. When Joseph got the plates, the angel instructed him to carry them back to the Hill Cumorah, which he did. Oliver says that when Joseph and Oliver went there, the hill opened, and they walked into a cave, in which there was a large and spacious room. * * * They laid the plates on a table; it was a large table that stood in the room. Under this table there was a pile of plates as much as two feet high, and there were altogether in this room more plates than probably many wagon loads; they were piled up in the corners and along the walls. * * * I tell you this as coming not only from Oliver Cowdery, but others who were familiar with it. * * * I relate this to you, and I want you to understand it. I take this liberty of referring to these things so that they will not be forgotten and lost.
“Carlos Smith was a young man of as much veracity as any young man we had, and he was a witness to these things. Samuel Smith saw some things, Hyrum saw a good many things, but Joseph was the leader. Now, you may think I am unwise in publicly telling these things, thinking perhaps I should preserve them in my own breast; but such is not my mind. I would like the people called Latter-day Saints to understand some little things with regard to the workings and dealings of the Lord with his people here upon the earth.”—Journal of Discourses, Vol. 19, p. 36.
It was likewise stated to me by David Whitmer in the year 1877 that Oliver Cowdery told him that the Prophet Joseph and himself had seen this room and that it was filled with treasure, and on a table therein were the breastplate and the sword of Laban, as well as the portion of gold plates not yet translated, and that these plates were bound by three small gold rings, and would also be translated, as was the first portion in the days of Joseph. When they are translated much useful information will be brought to light. But till that day arrives, no Rochester adventurers shall ever see them or the [p.15] treasures, although science and mineral rods testify that they are there. At the proper time when greed, selfishness and corruption shall cease to reign in the hearts of the people, these vast hoards of hidden treasure shall be brought forth to be used for the cause and kingdom of Jesus Christ."
[Page 17] "At one time a fierce battle was fought near where Buffalo, N. Y., now stands, wherein two million were lying strewn upon the earth, slain in battle and no one to bury them, till the stench drove them southward to the Hill Ramah, which was called Cumorah by the Nephite race. A contract was entered into between Kings Coriantumr and Shiz, giving Coriantumr four years to gather together all who were on the side of Coriantumr, and all for King Shiz were gathered together unto his camp. Ether has recorded in the Book of Mormon that:
“The army of Coriantumr did pitch their tents by the hill Ramah. And it was that same hill where my Father Mormon did hide up the records unto the Lord, which were sacred. * * * When they were all gathered together, every one to the army which he would, with their wives and their children, both men, women and children being armed with weapons of war, having shields, and breast-plates, and head-plates, and being clothed after the manner of war, they did march forth one against the other to battle; and they fought all that day, and conquered not, and when it was night they were weary, and retired to their camps; and after they had retired to their camps, they took up a howling and a lamentation for the loss of their people who were slain; their howling and lamentation did rend the air exceedingly.”
A continuation of this lamentable slaughter, with weeping and howling, was kept up for six successive days, till only thirty-two of the people of Shiz and twenty-seven of Coriantumr’s were left, and on the seventh day Coriantumr with his twenty-seven retreated, which gave the opposing King Shiz fresh courage. He said, “I will slay Coriantumr or perish by the sword,” and indeed his words were fulfilled after a severe battle, in which all were slain, excepting King Shiz, who had fallen faint and weak, and Coriantumr, who leaned upon his sword to rest, after which he smote off the head of Shiz and fell to the ground as if he was dead. Here the history leaves this, the only survivor of those two mighty armies, around this historic Hill Cumorah, thus bringing to pass the words of the prophet Ether, who prophesied to King [p.19] Coriantumr that unless he and his people should repent, every one of them should be slain except himself and he should live to see a strange people possess the land and be buried by them. Now, in order to verify the prophet’s words, I will refer you to the book of Omni, Book of Mormon, which says:
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