Wikimedia Photo Joseph Smith was the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, also known as Mormonism. Smith's connection to the Rochester area was his discovery at Hill Cumorah in Palmyra of the golden plates which contained the writings of the Book of Mormon. ... Smith visited the hill each year on 22 September between 1823 and 1827 and claimed to be instructed by "holy messengers", including Moroni. Smith said he was finally allowed to take the record on September 22, 1827.
No one else saw the plates until June 1829, when twelve other men claim to have seen them. 1 On April 6, 1830, a church was formally organized as the Church of Christ, and a branch was set up in Palmyra. 1Hill_Cumorah contains descriptions of events at Hill Cumorah