https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Island_mystery

The Oak Island mystery refers to stories of buried treasure and unexplained objects found on or near Oak Island in Nova Scotia. Since the 19th century, a number of attempts have been made to locate treasure and artifacts. Theories about artifacts present on the island range from pirate treasure, to Shakespearean manuscripts, to possibly the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant, with the Grail and the Ark having been buried there by the Knights Templar. Various items have surfaced over the years that were found on the island, some of which have since been carbon dated and found to be hundreds of years old. Although these items can be considered treasure in their own right, no significant main treasure site has ever been found. The site consists of digs by numerous people and groups of people. The original shaft, in an unknown location today, was dug by early explorers and known as "the money pit." "The Curse" is said to have originated more than a century ago and states that seven men will die in the search for the treasure before it is found. To date, six men have died in their efforts to find the treasure.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2019 06:58AM by anybody.

up Cumorah.

I'm waiting to see if the church hits oil during their Salt Lake foundation project. The thought of fracking on Temple Square tickles me.

Perhaps.

But there were multiple stories of buried treasure in New England/New York in JS's day, including those surrounding Captain Kidd and his supposed hoard in the Comoros Islands whose capital city was, and is, Moroni. My guess is that JS was inspired by many of those stories although the Comoros/Moroni version seems to have made a particularly deep impression.

Most likely during his stay in Salem MA when he was young. He would have heard of Captain Kidd, buried treasure etc.

Also possibly the city of Moroni on the Island of Cumora as one of Kidds port of calls.