The Coolidge examiner., 1935-07-05

~ JULY II several thousand people
viii gather in western New York
90 witness the unveillnE % tall
monument the summit ~ hlil
near Palmyra. Known locally as
~ Mormon hill Il Is officially called
nm Cumorah by members of the
Church 81 Jesus Christ ~ Latter
Day saints and veuerated by them
Hs the place where the Angel Morou gave 70
Joseph smith. the frsl prophet of the church,
the golden plates from which be translated the
Book 81 Mormon.
According 20 Mormon history the Angel Mo
ranl /. heavenly parsonage who lived the
American continent centuries ago and who vas
the last writer Of the Book of Mormon met
Joseph smith on this hni each year for
four years before enirustins him with the Gus
tody of the gold plates hidden therein sub
sequeut appearance o. the angel was made TO
oliver Coygdcry. Martin Harris and David Whit
men during which be showed the golden plates
to them and bore witness thar the translation
made from them was correct They were again
shown 10 cl-hl witnesses who received the mes
sage Of their truthfulness by Inspiration.
when the monumen, il unveiled there viii be
revealed az the top of n +0-foot granite shaft
the nlne-foot sculp;ured figure OF the Angel
Moronl bearing the plates 10 bis left arm and
holding aioft his right arm as a signal 10 the
world that the message contained In the gold
plates had been returned 90 the modern world
Al the base OF the monument viii be four
plaques.
one win show the boy Joseph smith, recels-
lns the plates from the angel A second viii
seplct the scene o. the three witnesses viewing
the plates AZ the hands 81 the angel third
win show the eight witnesses receiving testi-
uony concerning the plates. and the fourth viii
contain The exhoriation Of Moron found In the
Book OF Mormon
Although the three-day feie OF which the mon
ument unvelllng Is a part. Is celebration by
the members of the Mormon church 10 mark
fttIncly the place which they regard as the Mt
Sinai Of the New World" II Is % Interest to all
Americans because this hin In western New
York marks the starting place Of migration
which Is one OF the real epics In the history OF
American pioneering. Especially Is this true Of
It's last phase-the march across the Great
Plains OF the West 10 the valley OF the Great
Salt lake In Utah.
soon after the organization ot the church in
1870 In Fayeite. Seneca county, New York.
branch was set up In Kirkland, Ohio. and rs
the Saints began to gather there In large num-
bers Il became for a time the headquarters OF
the churchs activities. A printing press had
been set up. a large mercantile house opened
and In June. 1873. the building OF temple had
begun.
Prom the very beginning tAt eAIahsion ui ttt
new sect had met with violent opposition from
the adherents Of other religious faiths and It
now famed out even stronger The printing press
was destroyed. houses pulled down and the
goods from the stores scattered In the streets
About 100 Of the Mormons were driven from
their homes and went 10 Missouri, to which
Joseph Smith and some Of the Mormon elders
had gone I'm the meantime and established
branches OF the church In jackson county and
other places. The refugees from Ohio settled in
Clay county and by industry aud economy began
Ia acquire land and other wealth But oppos
tion TO them again developed and when they
were forbidden TO purchase land make i'm
prOvemenis. they moved TO a new location on
government land in Caldwell county
Here the foundations for another temple were
laid but again the Saints found rest. Gov
ernOr BoSgs issued an order for the exteTmina-
ton OF the Mormons from the lree republic OF
Missouri" and after a period o. persecution.
1900 OF them driven from their homes
in mdwInter and crossed over the Mississippi
10 Illinois where they established the city of
Nauyoo in Hancock county.
But the frontier population of Illinois proved