Brother Edward Hold, of South Jordan Ward had a vision of the hill (similar to the one the prophet Joseph Smith had), and described it very minutely before seeing the picture of it. He said, just above where he saw a portion of the top of the stone box there was a tree, and upon this point I interrogated him closely, stating that only two years previous Bishop Black, Brother Andrew Jenson and I had visited the spot of ground, and there was no tree there; but he insisted that there was a tree just above the stone box, a clumpy tree, for he saw one there. It became necessary for an explanation before he should see the picture.
At the period of discovery of the gold plates, there stood upon the side of the hill, about fifteen feet above where the stone box had so long reposed, a lone, solitary, sugar maple tree, and there continued to grow until twenty-two years ago, just as described by Brother Holt, who was so highly favored of God as to see the whole scene in a vision or dream.
What made Brother Holt’s vision all the more deeply interesting to me was that in 1871 I had enjoyed the great privilege and pleasure of visiting the hill in person, and of seeing the very identical spot of ground where Mormon concealed the stone box and its precious records and where Moroni, his son, finished the writing and sealed up these records. But there was no tree standing there as was described in the vision, for it had been cut down shortly before and was lying on the ground, not having as yet been removed. It was a clumpy sort of a tree, about two feet in diameter. For a long time it had stood there like a solitary sentinel guarding the sacred spot which contained the book that was to shape the destinies of thousands upon thousands of the human race, and people the heavens with the true sons and daughters of God. I have always regretted the removal of that tree, for it was a conspicuous mark on the northwest point of the now almost treeless hill. After satisfying Brother Hold as to the absence of the tree, which he had seen in his vision, he very readily recognized the painting as being a correct and accurate representation of the deeply interesting Hill Cumorah as he had seen it in his vision forty years before.
Brother Holt, with respect to his vision, stated that he “had retired to bed, after reading the Book of Mormon, and that he had entertained some doubts regarding the vision Joseph Smith had of the hill, and of his finding the stone box containing the plates. But the vision which he had himself received concerning the [p.12] matter served to remove every shadow of a doubt from his mind, for all future time. In the last chapter, written by Moroni just before closing or sealing up the box, he engraved upon the plates the following words: “And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few words, by way of exhortation, unto you; behold, I would exhort you, that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things. I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you.” Brother Holt, as well as hundreds of others, can testify that these words are true and in consonance with the words of Jesus Christ himself, “Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you,” and also in accordance with the words of James, who says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him,” but “let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.”
The boy Joseph did not ask in vain, neither will any other person ask in vain who asks in faith for the word of the Lord faileth not but endureth forever. My guide who accompanied me on my visit in 1871, pointed out to me many places of interest, and also entertained me hospitably at his table, where a number of harvesters had assembled. The covered carriage represented in the picture is conveying our party on my second visit to the house in which we all dined together, which is situated to the left of the painting. The dinner party to me was highly interesting, and all the more so as we sat conversing about the things of God right in the shadow of the Hill Cumorah. All spoke freely, and asked many questions, which I felt it a great pleasure to answer. They were anxious to hear something of the spread of the work since the gold plates were discovered in that remarkable hill, and I very gladly gratified them with a short account of the rise and progress of this “marvelous work and a wonder,” from the day the angel visited Cumorah and gave the plates to Joseph, the boy-prophet, down to the present time, when the work has gathered into its cause some two hundred and fifty thousand Saints, and founded the Territory of Utah in the west. The conclusion come to by this party of harvesters was that the subject of our conversation was indeed a “marvellous work and wonder.” Still, like many other time-servers and worldly-wise people, they felt their spirits weakening within them, and they exclaimed, “But Mormonism is so very unpopular!”
“Yes,” I replied, “it has been so since the Jews and Gentiles murdered the Chief Shepherd.”
Our pleasant entertainment and agreeable conversation here terminated, after bearing my testimony to the divinity of the restored gospel, and to the fact that more than fourteen hundred years ago the gold plates, that contained the same, were sealed up and deposited in this very hill, destined to come forth and revolutionize the world, in these latter days. Cordially bidding good-day to my hospitable host, I proceeded on my [p.13] way, and found an old gentleman who lived west of the hill and who was quite agreeable and conversational on the subject of my visit to Cumorah. He was well-acquainted with some of the history of the coming forth of the book which was to “speak out of the ground,” although spiritually, he did not seem to have greatly benefited by this “marvelous work and a wonder.” Still, from him I gleaned some useful information. He pointed out the spot of ground where the stone box was placed, near the summit, and on the west side of the point of the hill. He likewise stated that soon after the rumor so widely spread regarding “Joe” Smith finding a gold bible, that there was great excitement throughout the whole country, and that it was about this time the Rochester Company located and searched for hidden treasure.
Questioning him closely he stated that he had seen some good-sized flat stones that had rolled down and lay near the bottom of the hill. This had occurred after the contents of the box had been removed and these stones were doubtless the ones that formerly composed the box. I felt a strong desire to see these ancient relics and told him I would be much pleased to have him inform me where they were to be found. He stated that they had long since been taken away. He further said that he knew “Joe” Smith as a “money digger” and a “visionary man” and Martin Harris as an honest reliable farmer. Joseph in his history says that he worked in a mine for Mr. Stowel, hunting for hidden treasures, at fourteen dollars per month, hence his name as a money-digger. I then inquired if he ever knew Joseph Smith to be convicted of crime. He replied that he had not known him as having been convicted. The surrounding scenery, which embraced a young grove of beech, sugar maple, hickory, oak, bass-wood, etc., covering about five acres of ground, was very beautiful. The grove is about 200 yards southwest of where the plates were found. There was a fine, well-cultivated field of grain on the hillside. My loquacious guide showed me another and much deeper cavity made on the east side of the hill by the above-named Rochester treasure seekers, a company of prospectors. They said that science aided by mineral rods did not lie and that most assuredly there were rich treasures concealed in the hill, and they were determined to have them. But with all their science and laborious excavations they failed to get a glimpse of the coveted treasures and returned to their homes if not richer, at least it is to be hoped wiser men, for the only results of their efforts were the holes they left on the hillside. Notwithstanding this, there are strong and feasible reasons for believing that there is abundance of treasure hid up in Cumorah, but it is guarded by the hand of the Lord and none shall ever possess it until made known in the due time of the Lord. 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:
“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.