The Hill Cumorah Historic Site in Palmyra will be rededicated this Sunday, Sept. 21, following a multi-year restoration and reforestation project led by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The 1 p.m. ceremony will be presided over by Elder David A. Bednar of the Church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The event is ticketed, but members of the press are invited and interviews will be available immediately afterward.
Bringing history — and nature — back to life
The Hill Cumorah is a sacred site for Latter-day Saints. According to Church history, it’s where an angel named Moroni directed Joseph Smith to ancient metal plates, which Smith translated into the Book of Mormon. That first encounter happened on the night of Sept. 21, 1823 — exactly 202 years before this weekend’s rededication.
In recent years, the Church launched a long-term plan to reforest and restore the hill to how it may have looked in the early 1800s. Crews removed buildings, roads, and infrastructure once used for the long-running Hill Cumorah Pageant, which ended in 2019. Thousands of native tree seeds were planted in 2021.
What’s new at the site
The Hill Cumorah Visitors’ Center, originally built in 2002, has also been fully renovated. It now features interactive exhibits, a new film, and artwork — including statues depicting scenes from the Book of Mormon. The entire site is ADA accessible and open for self-guided tours.
Admission is free.
For more information and digital exhibits, visit ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
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