Where is the Hill Cumorah???

I have a question? Where is the Hill Cumorah? Most of the Church would say that it is in the New York area but there is a movement in the Church, especially by a BYU Professor by the name of Joseph L. Allen, Phd who thinks that the Hill Cumorah is in Mesoamerica in the Central America area. In his book, "Sacred Sites," 'Searcing for Book of Mormon Lands,'

on page 77, he says, "I believe that the Hill Cumorah where Mormon deposited "all the records" is different from the hill
where Joseph Smith retrieved the plates that Moroni had "hid up in the earth." In my opinion, the only place where the
Hill Cumorah of the Book of Mormon cannot be is in New York ..."

I will post later some convincing evidence that he is wrong. By-the-way He owns LDS Travel and I have a flier that says that a single individuall cost to go to Central America is, $2995 plus air (per person, double occupancy). This flier was given to me with the departure date of July 11 - July 25, 2003. It was a 15 day tour and it could possibly be much more now as of November 30, 2007. It was entitled, 'Bood of Mormon - Nephi To Cumorah Tour.' So you see he has a reason to promote this idea in dollars and cents.

Kay D. Jenkins

What President Joseph Fielding Smith said on this subject.

"It is known that the Hill Cumorah where the Nephites were destroyed is the hill where the Jaredites were also destroyed. This hill was known to the Jaredites as Rama. It was approximately near to the waters of Ripliancum, which the Book of Ether says, "by interpretation, is large, or to exceed all." Mormon adds: "And it came to pass that we did march forth to the land of Cumorah, and we did pitch our tents round about the hill Cumorah; and it was in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains; and here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites." "It must be conceded that this description fits perfectly the land of Cumorah in New York, as it has been known since the visitation of Moroni to the Prophet Joseph Smith, for the hill is in the proximity of the Great Lakes and also in the land of many rivers and fountains. Moreover, the Prophet Joseph Smith himself is on record, definitely declaring the present hill called Cumorah to be the exact hill spoken of in the Book of Mormon. "Further, the fact that all of his associates from the beginning down have spoken of it as the identical hill where Mormon and Moroni hid the records, must carry some weight. It is difficult for a reasonable person to believe that such men as Oliver Cowdery, Brigham Young, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, David Whitmer, and many others, could speak frequently of the Spot where the Prophet Joseph Smith obtained the plates as the Hill Cumorah, and not be corrected by the Prophet, if that were not the fact. That they did speak of this hill in the days of the Prophet in this definite manner is an established record of history...." (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation , Vol.3, Bookcraft, 1956, p.232-43.)

Who is The Spirit of the Lord?

There is a small dispute between some General Authorities on just who the Spirit of the Lord really is in I Nephi 11:1-11.

James E. Talmage wrote in 'Discourses on the Holy Ghost' by James E. Talmage compiled by N.B. Lundwall on page 13.

That the Spirit of the Lord is capable of manifesting Himself in the form and figure of man, is indicated by the wonderful interview between the Spirit and Nephi, in which He revealed Himself to the prophet, questioned him concerning his desires and belief, instructed him in the things of God, speaking face to face with the man. "I spake unto him," says Nephi, "as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another." However, the Holy Ghost does not possess a body of flesh and bones, as do bote the Father and the Son, bus is a personage of spirit. Much of the confusion existing in human conceptions concerning the nature of the Holy Ghost arises from the common failure to segregate His person and power. unquote p. 13.

Here we have Elder Talmage advising us to examine more carefully the attributes of the Holy Ghost and he does exactly what he advises us not to do. (In another place McConkie said that 'the appearance to Deity to man since the fall of Adam has been God, the Father or God, the Son and not the Holy Ghost.') The Holy Ghost just doesn't appear to men in the form of a man but comes in the heart as the D&C 8:2, says, "Yea, behold I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart."
v. 3, Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; ...

Here is Elder McConkie’s Mormon Doctrine, P. 752, has to say, under SPIRIT OF THE LORD.

“To gain a sound gospel understanding, the truth seeker must determine in each scriptural passage what is meant by such titles as Spirit, Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Lord, Spirit of God, Spirit of truth. In many instances this is not difficult; in some cases, however, abbreviated scriptural accounts leave so much room for doubt that nothing short of direct revelation can identify precisely what is meant. We know for instance, that the Spirit personage who appeared to the Brother of Jared was the Spirit Christ, for he so identified himself. (Ether 3.) But when we read the account of the appearance of “the Spirit of the Lord” to Nephi (I Ne. 11), we are left to our own interpretive powers to determine whether the messenger is the Spirit Christ of the Holy Ghost. Presumptively it is the Spirit Christ ministering to Nephi much as he did to the Brother of Jared, for such is in keeping with the principle of ADVOCACY, INTERCESSION, and MEDIATION, the principle that all personal appearances of the Father and the Son together, have been appearances of Christ.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie is the only general authority who has given a rational explanation of
I Nephi 11:1-11. All the others said, oh, it is nice that the Book of Mormon talks about the Holy Ghost and now we can tell the world that the Holy Ghost has a body even if it is a spirit body. I don't think Elder Talmage gave too much thought to it in my opinion.

In Lecture Fourth in Lectures On Faith we read the most important doctrine as given by Joseph Smith: 1. Having shown, in the third lecture, that correct ideas of the character of God are necessary in order to the exercise of faith in him unto life and salvation; and that without correct ideas of his character the minds of men could not have sufficient power with God to the exercise of faith necessary to the enjoyment of eternal life; ...

What do you think? Important? I should think so!

Kay D. Jenkins

Read the Book of Mormon

In 2005 in the Saturday Church News, President Hinckley told the Church membership to read the Book of Mormon by the year's end. The letter was read on a Sunday on July 25th of 2005.

Originally I read a talk by Dallin H. Oaks called, "Another Testament of Jesus Christ," given on June 6, 1993. I read this talk the next October and was impressed with it. However, I didn't follow his advice until March 1, 1996. I started reading 10 chapters a day and found I could read all 531 pages every 24 days. I did this for some two years and at the same time I started reading 10 sections of the D&C and found I could read it every 16 days cover to cover. Then I started reading the New Testament and found I could read it every 26 days cover to cover. I read these books some 15 or 20 times and then I tried the Old Testament by reading 30 chapters a day, but only read it once. I found I could read it every 31 days cover to cover. As I was reading some 60 chapters a day I decided to read only the Book of Mormon at 30 chapters a day and found I could read it every 8 days cover to cover. This I am doing at the present time and I am on my 420th reading at this date, November 24, 2007.

Jenkins Family

Evan Jenkins - my great-great grandfather, born in Wales, England and immigrated to Utah
John Jenkins - my great grandfather who crossed the plaines some 7 times
Lewis Ira Jenkins - my grandfather who lived in Star Valley in Freedom, Wyoming
Royal Aquilla Jenkins, my father born in Afton, Wyoming and lived in Salt Lake City, Utah
Kay D. Jenkins, twin son of Royal & Mable Jenkins, I am the 5th generation from Wales