Drumlins are unique geologic formations found in central and western New York. They are elongated mounds of glacial till formed during the last ice age and can be over 3000 feet long, 1000 feet wide, and 150-200 feet high. One of the most well-known drumlins in the Palmyra area is the Hill Cumorah where one of our mission’s historic sites is located. It was here in 1827 that Joseph Smith received a set of gold plates containing the record of an ancient people that eventually was translated and became “The Book of Mormon”. 

     The Hill Cumorah has experienced quite a bit of change over the years as various owners made their mark on it. Prior to any private ownership, the Hill was completely covered in old-growth forest. Later, it was used as grazing land, and most of the trees were stripped except those on the far south end. Our church purchased the property and several adjacent farms in 1928, and the Hill was eventually reforested with a mixture of deciduous and conifer trees. It became the site for a visitor’s center and an annual pageant that drew thousands of people each summer. Sister Collins participated in that pageant in 1970 and has fond memories of joining with hundreds of other volunteers to help portray some of the miraculous events in the history of our church. 

     In 2019, the pageant was ended, and a plan was developed to return the Hill to its natural state. As part of that plan, a group of us, including young missionaries, older missionaries, leaders from the Church’s Historical Department, and our resident arborist, Bob Parrott, gathered several weeks ago and spent a morning replanting an area of the Hill where trees had been removed to stage and present the pageant. We planted oak, locust, maple, hickory, cherry and walnut seeds. Some seeds we cast by hand, and others we planted by “dibbling,” (See video: The Dibbling Sisters) a process in which a stick is used to open a hole in the ground and a seed is dropped in and then covered with loose soil. As soon as we finished our work, the heavens opened and a soaking rain fell for the rest of the day. We all felt the satisfaction that comes from working together on a worthy project, and we could almost feel the newly planted seeds rejoicing as they experienced their first drenching rain. In 15-20 years, the Hill will have come full circle and will once again be returned to its original state. It will be completely covered with native forest, and we are thankful to have played a small part to help bring this about.