We came, we saw, we said the word “Verily” many times to one another

I have returned from my pilgrimage to the Hill Cumorah. And frankly it’s going to take me some time to process it all. To put into context all the discoveries and “revelations” if you will, that took place there. But, while I will hopefully synthesize some of this later on in a much more cohesive way, I wanted to at least give you a few highlights.

Observations on the Hill Cumorah:

There was lovely music that was piped across the hillside. Not exactly hymnal but swelling and nice and uplifting. It carried us along and it was totally pleasant. It made us feel good, optimistic. Like Disneyland. Also it was very clean there. Not a gum wrapper or stray tissue to be found.

There were anti-Mormon protestors, which I hadn’t counted on. A big yellow triangular shaped sign (like a rolling caution sign) was rolling down the street with the words, “What Mormons Don’t Tell.com” in big bold letters. It was cruising through the streets of Palmyra. Parked at the hill too.

There are something like 700 live performers in the show. In the hours before the show begins the performers, all in fabulous costume, mingle about the hillside and talk to people arriving. Many are whole families in costume. The mother dressed as a Lamanite Battle Banner Carrier, the father an Unbeliever With a Torch, the daughter a Harvest Dancer, a son a Nephite. Young women milled about with complimentary copies of the Book of Mormon for anyone who might want one — though in truth I saw very few being handed out as this was an “already in possession of the Book of Mormon” type of crowd.

We had our picture taken with the Evil Nephite King and the Prophet Mormon. We wanted to get our picture taken with Jesus and Joseph Smith but couldn’t find them.

It smelled sweet there. I kid you not – the whole hillside had a sweet smell to it. Wholesome; like flowers and a meadow and baked bread and Lilah and I wondered if there was a special Cumorah scent that was being piped in or it if was just the comingling of everyone’s soap and perfume.

The stage is built into the hillside and is at least 3 stories high. During the performance there is fire, bursting flames, a shimmering tree of life, a raging sea storm, and an exploding volcano. It was really quite exciting and dramatic. Oh and a seriously glowing Jesus floats down from high in the sky.

Some of the t-shirts we saw: “I heart Mormon boys”, “I heart Mormon girls”, the oddly negatively phrased “I don’t – I’m Mormon” and the one I’m kicking myself for not buying that said “Scrapbooking is my drug of choice”. Contrast this with the red sweatshirt Lilah was wearing our first night at the pageant, which said, “Sorry ladies I only date models”.

The language during the performance is very, hmmm, declarative I guess I would call it. For a taste I give you, “In the name of almighty god I command you: Touch Me Not! I am filled with the power of god and whoever lays his hands upon me shall wither like a dried reed.”

I’m not sure I could claim to feel like I know my great grandma Pearl any better after having taken this journey on her behalf, but I do think she would have liked this place. I really do.