Examining the claims of Jonathan Neville and the Heartland movement

Monday, October 7, 2019

General Conference retrospective

Amid all the new and exciting changes that were announced at the October 2019 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one thing was notably absent: Any mention of the name Cumorah.

Jonathan Neville insists that an understanding of the true location of the hill Cumorah is an important doctrine.

It’s so important that it’s been mentioned by name in general conference…(wait for it)…in nine talks over the last 30 years.

Only one of those talks (President Thomas S. Monson, October 1990) even hints that the New York hill is the same hill in the Book of Mormon. (“I noted that in Moroni’s hand [on the Toronto Temple] was his familiar trumpet. He was gazing homeward—homeward to Cumorah.”)

And Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, in his October 2003 conference address, declared significantly: “Joseph was directed to obtain that record, buried near his family’s home in a nearby hill, which is now called Cumorah.”

What does Jonathan Neville know that the Brethren apparently don’t?

—Peter Pan

4 comments:

  1. It is interesting that in his last talk, Sunday afternoon, President Nelson referenced the Book of Mormon films being produced by Book of Mormon Central.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I believe you err in stating "Only one of those talks ... even hints that the New York hill is the same hill in the Book of Mormon." What about Marion G. Romney's 1975 conference talk where he was very specific and detailed about the New York Cumorah being the same as the book of mormon Cumorah. Or Mark E. Petersen's 1978 conference talk which made very similar connection.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KL,

      As I mentioned in my post, I only counted talks given in the last 30 years (1990–2009).

      It’s been over three decades since a general authority, speaking in general conference, has made an unequivocal statement tying the New York hill to the hill in the Book of Mormon. That seems extremely odd for a supposed truth that Jonathan Neville and other Heartlanders believe is one of the most important doctrines of the Church.

      All my best,

      —Peter

      Delete
  3. Oh - Got it!! I missed that quantifier in your post and forget how old those talks actually are. {Probably to do with my own age:)} Thank you for the clarification

    ReplyDelete

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