August 25th, 2025, 7:30pm MDT
Latter-day Saints’ Church of Jesus Christ announced plans to reorganize the historic location of Camora on Palmyra Hill, New York, on Sunday, September 21st.
Elder David A. Bednar, a quorum of the 12 Apostles, will preside and offer dedicated prayers. According to an August 25 news release from Churchofjesuschrist.org, participation on-site is an invitation and tickets are required.
The rededication will be available to watch live in two weeks on Sunday, September 21st at 1pm, EDT/3pm (MT) at Broadcastschurchofjesuschrist.org.
History of Hirukumora
The Kamora on the Hill is where Latter-day Saints believe an angel named Moroni delivered ancient records to the prophet Joseph Smith, and the latter translated the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon was originally written on metal plates in ancient languages and was often called metal plates. The last writer of ancient records, the prophet named Moroni, filled up plates on about 420 hills.
About a to 400 years later, Moroni, an angel, was sent from heaven to lead the young Joseph Smith to the hills and plates. Angel Moroni first visited Smith on September 21, 1823, and the next day he showed his first gold plate.
After four years of preparation on September 22, 1827, Joseph was allowed to take the plates from the hill and begin work on translation. Joseph translated ancient records into English through the gifts and power of God.
Today, the Book of Mormon is published in over 100 languages. More than $200 million copies of the Book of Mormon have been distributed by the summer of 2023, Church news reported.
Historical Site
Kamora on the Hill is one of 30 historic locations run by churches across the country. These sites highlight the church heritage and help visitors understand important events in the history of the church.
The church acquired the Kamora facility on the Hill in 1928 and has been welcoming visitors ever since.
The monument, featuring the statue of Angel Moroni, was dedicated to the hill in 1935.
From 1935 to 2019, Hill held a pageant celebrating the Book of Mormon and the history of the Church, attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year.
Why cancel the pageant? The first presidency was determined to be a growing global church that was exploiting millions of dollars in the costs of current and future maintenance, security and safety upgrades if only a relatively handful of members and visitors benefited from the experience, church news reported.
Reforestation Project
In 2021, the church launched a long-term planting project to help visitors concentrate more on the historical and spiritual importance of Kamora.
All the infrastructure (buildings, roads, paths, parking) used to aid the pageant was removed, allowing them to return to nature to forests similar to what Joseph saw in the early 1800s.
In November 2021, a group of Latter-day Saint Missionaries gathered to plant thousands of native tree seeds on the hillside.
As part of the project, the Visitors’ Center, originally built in 2002, was renovated. The center’s interior features new interactive exhibits, films and artwork, all sharing stories and messages about the site. The Visitor Center also features three new statues depicted by the resurrected savior who visits the American people, a Book of Mormon scene.
Visitors’ experiences on the hills are self-directed to allow individuals and families to move around the site at their own pace. There are access to the Visitor Center and many features of the Hill. Admission is free.
Additional information about the Hill Cumorah Historic site, including a new digital exhibit, is available at churchofjesuschrist.org.
