On the evening of September 21, 1823, the Angel Moroni made his first visit to Joseph Smith in the upper bedroom of the Smith family farmhouse in Palmyra, New York. Recording this event later in his own history, the Prophet Joseph recalled: “He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent….He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it.”

Four years later, Joseph obtained the plates and began translating them, and the Book of Mormon was published in 1829.

In commemoration of the 200^th anniversary of those events, The Daily Universe sent several reporters to Palmyra in May 2023 to gather insights into the faith-filled lives of Palmyra residents. The following stories highlight the ways that the gathering of Israel and the Book of Mormon have influenced the lives of individuals in Palmyra.