Page:A dictionary of the Book of Mormon.pdf/118

This page has been validated.
Cumeni.
108
Cumorah, Hill.

leaving a numerous posterity, his son Kish reigned in his stead.

CUMENI. A Nephite city in the southwest of their possessions, or near the Pacific coast. When first mentioned it was in the possession of the Lamanites (B. C. 66). In B. C. 63, the Nephites under Helaman lay siege to it, captured the trains of provisions sent to its relief, and eventually compelled it to capitulate. A desperate but ineffectual attempt was soon after made by the Lamanites to recapture it, in which both sides suffered much loss. This victory of the Nephites was largely due to the intrepid valor of the 2,000 young Ammonites under the command of Helaman. Cumeni is only mentioned in connection with this war.


CUMOM. A useful animal known to the Jaredites, (Ether 9:19). By some supposed to be the Mastodon, by others the Alpaca or Llama.


CUMORAH, HILL. One of the most noted places in ancient American history was the land in which was situated the hill known to the Jaredites as Ramah, and to the Nephites as Cumorah. In its vicinity two great races were exterminated; for it was there that the last battles were fought in the history of both people. There also the sacred records of the Nephites found their final resting place. When iniquity began to increase in their midst, Ammaron hid the holy things in the hill Shim (A. C. 321). About fifty-five years after (say in A. C. 376) Mormon, seeing that his people were fast melting away before the Lamanites, and fearing that the latter would get possession of the records and destroy them, removed all that had been placed in his care by Ammaron, and afterwards hid up in the hill Cumorah all that had been entrusted to him by the hands of the Lord, save the few plates which he gave to his son Moroni, Moroni afterwards concealed the treasures committed to his keeping in the same hill,