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The Hill Cumorah Historic Site in Palmyra, New York, will be rededicated on September 21, 2025. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will lead the event and offer the dedicatory prayer. Attendance at the site is by invitation and requires a ticket.
The Hill Cumorah is one of 30 historic sites managed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the United States. These locations aim to preserve church heritage and educate visitors about important events in its history.
According to Latter-day Saint belief, the Book of Mormon was originally written on metal plates by ancient prophets. The final writer, Moroni, buried these plates in what is now called Cumorah around A.D. 420. About 1,400 years later, Moroni—then described as an angel—directed Joseph Smith to the plates. Smith reportedly first met Moroni on September 21, 1823, at age 17. He saw the gold plates for the first time a day later and was allowed to take them from the hill four years after that, translating them into English.
Today, The Book of Mormon is available in more than 100 languages.
Since acquiring the property in 1928, The Church has welcomed visitors to Hill Cumorah. In 1935, a monument with a statue of Moroni was dedicated there. From that year until 2019, an annual pageant about church history drew large crowds.
In recent years, efforts have focused on reforesting the area to highlight its historical and spiritual meaning. This project began in 2021 with removal of structures once used for pageant support—including restrooms and storage buildings—and over nine acres of paved surfaces were taken out. Thousands of native tree seeds have been planted so that future visitors will see a landscape similar to what Joseph Smith might have seen.
The site's visitors’ center underwent renovation recently and now features interactive exhibits and new artwork about Hill Cumorah’s significance. Three new statues depict a scene from The Book of Mormon where Jesus Christ visits people in the Americas. Visits are self-guided; admission is free; many features are ADA accessible; and more information can be found online through digital exhibits.
The rededication ceremony will be broadcast live at BroadcastsChurchofJesusChrist.org on September 21 at 1 p.m., with access available for two weeks afterward.
