Of necessity the city, province and nation of Zarahemla has already been
somewhat spoken of in the general layout of the land and the estabishment
of the details of the provincial land Bountiful. This was unavoidable for
all these places upon the Book of Mormon map are real places and they do
interelate and are very much a part of and do exist in relationship to each
other and not separate and apart from each other. Yet here we will further
explore Zarahemla upon the map, the city, the province and the national land
of Zarahemla and such details which the Book of Mormon may internally provide
us to work from in understanding a mapping of this national land of Zarahemla.
Though discussed previously, it will be recalled that like New York City,
New York County (Manhattan), and New York state; we are dealing with a
three level or three tier circumstance with Zarahemla. Zarahemla is a city
with its own local land which is a part of the city. Then there is a
province or region which is also named Zarahemla within which are a number
of cities and city lands; namely Zarahemla and Minon among others. Then
there is the great nation of Zarahmela which contains within it a number of
provincial regions all containing a number of cities and land within each
of these provinces. Though the number of provincial reigions will have varied
over the course of the history of the land, we can name at least seven which
we may also so correclate as being both governmental and religious centers
with their own governmental regional chief judges and with their own local
church leadership which may or may not be associated with the Church of
Jesus Christ as was the case of the provincial lands of Antionum and
Ammonihah, which because of their state of apostasy had become detached and
independant of the central church of Jesus Christ under Alma whose general
church offices were in the region of Zarahemla and the capital city of
Zarahemla within that region. With that short review we will now begin with
Zarahemla the city.
The Evolution of the Land
Those who think they will find a nice fit and a ready geography to the Book
of Mormon lands of yesteryear and today decieve themselves greatly. What
ancient lands and cities are in tact today? And if they are not does that mean
that they never existed? The lands which were the Jaredites under went a great
altaration as described in the Book of Mormon. The lands of the Nephites did
also. And lands evolve and develop and as they do they do altar themselves.
As to the evolution of the land or nation of Zarahemla we first know only of
the land about and city of Zarahemla. Was there more? Likely there was but
we may consider mentally retricking it to the central and lower valley of the
river Sidon basin. It was the general practice of the Nephites to name their
lands and cities after the person who first established it. We have done so
to a lesser extend with our own lands and cities. With that in mide when
considering such a place as Gideon, the City and valley of Gideon, it would
be correct to consider that it first established by those who followed Gideon,
the military leader and advisor of King Limhi. And therefore it is logical to
consider that its settlement and expansion did not happen until when the
people of Limhi rejoined the Nephites and Mulekites. In fact there is come
evidence that until such return of Alma and his people and King Limhi and his
people, the Nephites and Mulekites had remained centrally located in the
central and lower valley regions of the river Sidon and that other lands were
not began to be developed until after the uniting of the two Nephite groups.
Now at this point of its development, where the city and local land of Zarahemla
has been established to be in the heart, center and capital part of the land,
is to envision a spoked wagon wheel with local Zarahemla being at the hub of
the wheel. Forgive the oversimplification but perhaps it will keep east and
west separate and various lands on their right side of the map. It is just at
that time when the people of King Limhi and Alma reunited with the Nephites
and Mulekites that we have a report about the people beginnng to populate
in all quarters of the land.
"And there began to be much peace again in the land; and the people began
to be very numerous, and began to scatter abroad upon the face of the earth,
yea, on the north and on the south, on the east and on the west, building
large cities and villages in all quarters of the land." ~ Mosiah 27:6
'You tell them what you are going to tell them, then you tell them and then
you tell them what you told them.' And so beginning with Zarahemla and
Bountiful which was just presented in part two, a listing of what will be
spoken of as the other known provincial regions will here be listed, Gideon,
Melek, Ammoniah, Manti, Jershon, Antionum and even that mystery land '?'
between Zarahemla and Bountiful. These are the regions which will now be
developed beginning in the order which Alma does minister unto them or as
they are mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
Seven Churches ~ Seven Regions?
Within the same time frame that the people began to scatter abroad upon the
face of the land, to the north, south, east, and west; king Mosiah II gave
permission to Alma the elder to establish the church of God throughout all
the land, meaning the national land of Zarahemla (see Mosiah 25:19-22). As
the people had so scattered abroad throughout the land, what we might consider
'Stakes' were established, or as is reported in the Book of Mormon, Alma so
established seven churches, but 'notwithstanding there being many churches
they were all one church', or in other words one church established at seven
locations. Now whether this included the central 'church' at Zarahemla or
that these were in addition to that making 8 in all might be considered. In
any event it would seem logical that the number of churches matched the
number of regions to which the people had departed and so established
themselves as being in. Gideon was named after Gideon and logically would
be a part of the people of Limhi. The land name Melek, or land of the King,
could have reference to that land to which King Limhi and a portion of his
people so established themselves. An though Limhi was subject to King Mosiah,
the King of all of Zarahemla, Limhi may have still ruled under Mosiah in
Melek until such time as the people established the system of judges at the
time of King Mosiah's death.
There is also evidence that others of the people of King Limhi also founded
and established the land of Ammonihah. Both the fact that Ammonihah
apostatized from the true form of the church of God in favor of the Nehor
order of paid clergy as had been the case under wicked King Noah, and also
that when they burned the true believers they were fulfilling a part of the
prophecies of Abinidi (Mosiah 17:15); tend to lend to the premise that the
land of Ammonihah was settled by a group of the people of Limhi as well. Add
to this, that is was likely the valley in which Melek and Ammoniah were
established was likely that valley route taken in error by the 43 explorers
of King Limhi when they searched for Zarahemla in vain, and thus they would
be familiar with that valley and land to so be impressed to so settle it.
Antionum was settled by a group who called themself Zoramites, perhaps
relative both the man named Zoram who was their leader as well as a possible
connection to the servant of Laban named Zoram. The Book of Mormon is not
totally clear upon that point. As for that mystery land above the regional
land of Zarahemla in the course to Bountiful, it may be considered that that
region, being a part of the mid to lower valley of Sidon to the sea may well
have been previously settled and perhaps by a mixed group of Mulekites and
Nephites by this date. As to the settlers of Bountiful, Jershon, and Manti,
there is little to determine their make up other than they were a part of the
Nephite nation and considered of course Nephites.
Not specifically in every case is there mention of a regional chief judge
(govenor) and presiding high priest in each of these regional provinces,
but there is enough evidence to presume that such was the case. The land of
Gideon had its own chief judge and their own high priest named Giddonah
(Alma 30:21-23). Some consider this Giddonah as possibly being the father of
Amulek (Alma 10:2), but there would likely be more than one Giddonah in the
nation of Zarahemla. Ammonihah had it own 'chief judge' (Alma 14:5 & 23) who was
over not just the city but the 'land of Ammonihah'. Now this system of 'chief
judges' was that 'The Chief Judge' of Zarahemla was the highest over all the
others, but Alma had given that national seat up the Nephihah (Alma 8:12)
which the people of Ammonihah make point of to Alma. Now there is record
that Ammon was the 'high priest' over the people of the land of Jershon
(Alma 30:20). This system of judges and high priests is explained a bit
further in 3 Nephi 6:21-22 where it so limits the power of these lower
lawyers, judges and high priests in condemning one to death, which death
sentence had to be signed by the 'govenor of chief judge over the entire
nation. Though this condition seems to have been violated by the chief judge
of Ammonihah, it may have been just that situation which brought about the
law and limitation of the lower judge's power.
Now though there is not such statements concerning all of the regional lands
and churches, there is enough evidence in the highly abridged record to
presume that this was the order of things in each of the regional lands
which were likely divided with church and state existant in each such region,
each having their own high priest and chief judge of that regional land.
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GIDEON: Etal
GIDEON, CITY OF—east of river Sidon
Amla 6:7 built in valley of Gideon;
Helaman 13:15 wo unto city of Gideon for wickedness.
GIDEON, LAND AND VALLEY OF—east of river Sidon
Alma 2:20-26 people of Alma pitch tents in valley of Gideon;
Alma 6:7-8:1 Alma preaches in Gideon, establishes Church;
Alma 17:1 Alma meets sons of Mosiah while journeying from Gideon;
Alma 30:21 Korihor preaches in land of Gideon without successs;
Alma 61:5 Pahoran flees to land of Gideon;
Alma 62:3-6 Moroni unites with Pahoran in land of Gideon.
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ALMA 2
Hill Amnihu—Province of Gideon—Land of
Minon—Wilderness of Hermounts
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15 And it came to pass that the Amlicites came upon
the hill Amnihu, which was east of the river Sidon,
which ran by the land of Zarahemla, and there they began to make
war with the Nephites.
. . .
20 And it came to pass that when Alma could pursue the Amlicites no
longer he caused that his people should pitch their tents in
the valley of Gideon, the valley being called after that
Gideon who was slain by the hand of Nehor with the sword; and in
this valley the Nephites did pitch their tents for the night.
. . .
24 Behold, we followed the camp of the Amlicites, and to our great
astonishment, in the land of Minon, above the land of
Zarahemla, in the course of the land of Nephi, we saw a numerous
host of Lamanites; and behold, the Amlicites have joined then;
. . .
26 And it came to pass that the people of Nephi took their tents, and
departed out of the valley of Gideon towards their city, which was the
city of Zarahemla.
27 And behold, as they were crossing the river Sidon, the Lamanites and
the Amlicites, being as numerous almost, as it were, as the sands of the
sea, came upon them to destory them.
. . .
36 And they fled before the Nephites towards the
wilderness which was west and north, away beyond the borders of the
land; and the Nephites did pursue them with their might, and did
slay them.
37 Yea, they were met on every hand, and slain and driven, until they were
scattered on the west, and on the north, until they had reached the
wilderness, which was called Hermounts; and
it was that part of the wilderness which was
infested by wild and ravenous beasts.
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The hill Amnihu was likely part of the foothills of that range of
mountains which bound the mid to lower Sidon river basin upon the east.
Amlici had selected the high ground of Amnihu from which to begin his attack
upon the Nephites. Here in this first of a series of graphics is shown Alma
and his army departing land or city of Zarahemla and engaging Amlici's army
about the hill Amnihu. As the battle ensued, it would seem that Alma's forces
began to prevail, or at least Amlici's retreat would have indicated that, as
he withdrew to the south up the Sidon valley. Just what was Amlici's intent
in so taking his course on up the Sidon valley?
By the time they had reached the mouth of the valley of Gideon, which openned
to the east, the
day was almost spent. And when Alma saw that the Amlicites
crossed over the Gideon tributary to apparently continue south rather than
to take their retreat into the valley of Gideon, Alma determined to pitch
camp for the night in a manner which would protect the valley of Gideon less
Amlici would turn about. He would send spies to follow the Amlicites to
determine just what their design was, to continue south up the Sidon or just
what they'd do next and so that they might be found on the morrow.
Now Alma's spies, one of whom was named Manti, did follow Amlici's army and
they did find that Amlici did cross also over the Sidon to the land of
Minon and there Amlici's army did meet and join forces with a numerous host
of Lamanites who has come down into the national lands of Zaraheml from the
land of Nephi. Had Amlici so deviced this meeting with the Lamanites or was
it mere happenstance? The Book of Mormon does not reveal that information.
Well Alma's spies rapidly returned with the report that Amlici had joined
with the Lamanites and they were marching through the land of Minon toward
the land of Zarahemla killing and destroying the Nephites as they went.
Having received that report, Alma immediately broke camp and began his march
back toward Zarahemla also. And as Alma's army was again crossing the Sidon
river back over to the west side where the city of Zarahemla was located, the
combined armies of the Amlicites and the
Lamanites came upon them with the
intent to destory them. But through faith and by the power of God, Alma's
Nephite army again began to prevail against the Lamanites and Amlicites. And
they did drive them into the wilderness of Hermounts as previously discussed.
Now Amnihu was but a foot hill of the eastern mountain range of the national
land of Zarahemla. That mountain range bound the Sidon valley upon the east.
The valley, land and city of Gideon marks another provincial land as a
consideration of Alma's missionary efforts will support. As for the land of
Minon, it would seem that is was but a land which was a part of the greater
region and province of Zarahemla. It is not mentioned as being apart from it
later in Alma's missions.
As presented in developing animated form at the left the land features
begin to appear with Alma being at Zarahmela on the west of the river Sidon
which this series of references from Alma 2 establish. Amlici comes upon hill
Amnihu on the east of the river Sidon and there the battle begins. Amlici
retreats south crossing on over Gideon's river and Alma stops and camps in
the valley of Gideon. Alma's spies follow Amlici as he crosses west over
the river Sidon above Minon where Amlici meets with and joins a Lamanite
invasion force. The spies report back to Alma about the joint forces of
Amlici and the Lamanites that they are trashing Minon on their way towards
Zarahemla. Alma returns north toward Zarahemla and crosses the river Sidon to
head off the joint invading forces and by the aid of the power of God defeats
the Amlicites and Lamanites and drives them into the wilderness of Hermounts
on the west and north beyond the borders of Zarahemla where they are eaten by
wild beasts.
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All About Gideon
In the book of Mosiah Gideon was the military leader who first opposed
wicked King Noah. After Noah's death Gideon became a leading advisor to King
Limhi aiding in the protection of the Nephites and their escape to Zarahemla.
He was a very righteous man and those righteous people of Limhi who followed
him evidently establish themselves in the valley that turns east off of the
valley of Sidon. There they estabish the city of Gideon and a community of
righteous Nephites living in the valley of Gideon. The valley of Gideon
becomes one of the provincial regions and the city of Gideon appears to be
one of the established 'Stake Centers' or one of the 7 Churches, as well as
a provincial governmental center, it having its own high priest and chief
judge (Alma 30:21-23 named Giddonah 75 BC). Later as an old man Gideon verbally
contents against Nehor, Nehor likely being a remnant left over of the people
of Limhi who brings the concept of 'priestcraft' into the national lands of
Zarahemla where it had never before been practiced. Nehor kills Gideon by the
sword and is tried and executed by Alma in Alma chapter 1. In Alma chapter 2
reference to the valley of Gideon is again made as part of Alma's military
action against Amlici.
The province and church of Gideon is the first province outside of the
province of Zarahemla that Alma takes his mission of 82 BC to when he leaves
the judgement seat to revive the church in the national lands of Zarahemla.
Gideon also appears to be the valley route to the land east through those
mountians which border the valley of Sidon on the east. It would have been
through this valley that Alma would have taken his course to preach to the
Zoramites of Antionum. It is likely that the city of Aaron of the land of Jershon which
would border upon the plains of Nephihah to its east did sit near the eastern
side of the Gideon valley's passage to the east. It is also through this
valley that captain Moroni would have taken his 'shortcut' back to the Sidon
valley and the Sidon valley route south to Manti while the Lamanite/Zoramite
armies had to travel round about the southeastern mountains and then down
into the upper Sidon valley by way of a southeastern mountain pass by the
hill Riplah as recorded in Alma 43.
The anti-Christ Korihor had attempted to peach in the land of Gideon but he
did not have much success there and he was even taken and bound there to be
carried before the high priest Giddonah and also the chief judge over that
land. And from there Korihor was brought to stand before Alma in Zarahemla
(Alma 30:12-30.
Gideon also was the chief judge Pahoran's place of refuge when inserection
occured in the capital city of Zarahemla. And when captain Moroni rallied
the people and came to the aid of Pahoran in Gideon, the land of Gideon acted
as Moroni's and Pahoran's base of opperations to take action against those
who had taken over the government and city of Zarahemla (Alma 61-62). But by
the time of Helaman 13 the city of Gideon had become a wicked city (verse 15).
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MELEK: King's Land - Limhi
MELEK—Nephite land [regional province] west of Sidon [south of
Ammonihah]
Alma 8:3-4 Alma journeys [over] into Melek to teach;
Alma 35:13 Ammonites come to Melek;
Alma 45:18 Alma leaves Zarahemla as if to go to Melek.
NOTE: Melek is a regional province based upon three facts (1) It is one of
the 'Churches' which Alma takes him mission of revival to (of the seven
regional churches or stakes), (2) It must be a sizable extended regional land in
order to house both the Nephties who are there and the Lamanites of Ammon who also
will locate there, and (3) 'the people came to him throughout all the borders
of the land which was by the wilderness side. And they were baptized
throughout all the land.' for this description to be in effect Melek must
have been a sizable land with its people spread out in towns and villages
'throughout ALL the land' on the 'borders' of the land throughout'
which implies a land bordered by wilderness of great size, a regional size, a
provincial size.
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The Enigma of Melek
When considering the land of Melek there are a number of seemingly
conflicting concepts which need to be resolved. FIRST, when
first mention by name in Alma 8:3 it is 82 BC and Alma is taking his
missionary journey to the province of Melek, having just completed his
missions to the province of Gideon and that to the central province of
Zarahemla. Certainly the land of Melek had been existant and populated prior
to 82 BC and since the time the people of Limhi and Alma had arrived in the
land (about 120 BC), Alma had established seven stake or church centers
(Mosiah 25:23) throughout the land, Melek likely being one such center,
as the people began to scatter into all quarters of the land, north, south,
east and west (Mosaih 27:6). Thus for at least nearly four decades Melek had
been so developing. Now when Alma leaves the provincial land of Zarahemla to
continue his missionary efforts in 82 BC, he travels to the west of the
river Sidon, on the west by the borders of the wilderness 'OVER' and
'INTO' the land of Melek. And in Alma 2:36-37 we have learned that
'away beyond the borders of the land', that is the provincial land of
Zarahemla, upon the west and north was the wilderness of Hermounts. Thus one
may ask how can the wilderness of Hermounts and the lank of Melek both be
west of the land of Zarahemla, doesn't that make them to conflict one with
the other?
SECOND, we learn that the city and provincial land of Ammonihah
is three day's journey north of Melek (Alma 8:6). This means that the
Lamanite army which came from the land of Nephi which lay to the south of
the entire nation of Zarahemla including Melek, had to pass by the land of
Melek in some fashion to arrive at Ammonihah which was three days
further north of Melek. Now how is this to be explained, that they Lamanites
passed Melek undetected on their march to Ammonihah?
Next and THIRD, when the Zoramites defect to the Lamanites
taking with them thier provincial land of Antionum, making the southern
border of the land of Jershon to then border upon that land of 'Lamanites'
which included the land and people of Antionum (Alma 31:3), the People of
Ammon which had been living in the land of Jershon were then removed to the
provincial land of Melek. And it Melek is three days south of the land of
Ammonihah which is repeatedly attacked by the Lamanites, why was Melek south
of that land of Ammonihah so selected as a relatively 'safe' habitation for
the People of Ammon? It would seem that Melek was three days closer to the
land of the Lamanites than was Ammonihah one would think potentially more
dangerous for so being that much closer.
Now the Book of Mormon is true and all these matters can be resolved, but the
mystery of the enigma of these three potentially conflicting issues in
conjunction witht he land of Melek do exist, and they will be addressed in
this next section concerning the provincial land of Melek.
when the Lamanites came in to destroy the city of
Ammonihah, they by
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Alma 2
36 And they fled before the Nephites towards the
wilderness which was west and north, away beyond the borders of the
land; and the Nephites did pursue them with their might, and did
slay them.
37 Yea, they were met on every hand, and slain and driven, until they were
scattered on the west, and on the north, until they had reached the
wilderness, which was called Hermounts; and it was that part of the
wilderness which was infested by wild and ravenous beasts.
Alma 8
3 And it came to pass in the commencement of the tenth year of the reign of
the judges over the people of Nephi, that Alma departed from thence
(Zarahemla) and took his journey over into
the land of Melek, on the west of the river Sidon, on the west by the borders
of the wilderness.
Alma 35
11 And thus the Zoramites and the Lamanites began to make preparations for
war against the people of Ammon, and also against the Nephites.
. . .
13 And the people of Ammon departed out of the land of Jershon, and came
over into the land of Melek, and gave place in the land of Jershon for the
armies of the Nephites, that they might contend with the armies of the
Lamanites and teh armies of the Zoramites; and thus commenced a war
betwixt the Lamanites and the Nephites, in the eighteenth year of the
reign of the judges; and an account shall be given of their wars hereafter.
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Model of Population Settlement
Under the presumption that the lands of the nation of Zarahemla were indeed
kept as a natural preserve without any developed population centers we may
first consider the land but one continuous wilderness within which
settlements, villages, cities and provinces may develop in various suitable
pockets throughout the land. The four regional lands we will consider here
are Zarahemla,
Gideon, Melek and
Ammonihah. As the animated illustration
yields, these 'pockets' of developing population will have round about them
the wilderness, still there and so dividing the suitable bounds of each
population development. Because we are dealing with a highly condensed
abridged record not all cities, towns and villages are named. We have but a
few which we may associate with each regional province. In the province of
Zarahemla we have the city of Zarahemla and a community named Minon south of
the city of Zarahemla. In the region of Gideon we have but the city of Gideon.
In Melek no city names are given but many villages and communities are
implied. In Ammonihah we have named the city of Ammonihah, the city of Noah,
and the city of Sidom.
Melek and Hermounts
When one conprehends that real places are of highly complex natures, any
assumed conflict between Melek and Hermounts both being 'west' of Zarahemla
and Sidon are easily resolved. What is 'north' of Salt Lake County? The
Great Salt Lake is, Davis County is and as you continue north any countless
things are, cities, other counties, states, and even another nation Canada.
When Alma 2:36 speaks of the wilderness west and north
'away beyond the borders of the land, the question is 'which land'?
Certainly not the national land of Zarahemla for to the west of it is the
west sea and to its north is the land of Desolation, Bountiful being a part of
the nation of Zarahemla. Obviously and logically verse 36 speaks particularly
concerning the regional provincial land of Zarahemla and its borders and
certainly Hermounts amoung many other features and lands will also fall into
being a part of the greater nation of Zarahemla. And when it speaks of Melek
being west of the Sidon river, that river is a great and long river and what
is being specifically stated is that the land of Melek is to the west of the
Sidon river water basin valley. And when Alma 8:3 states that Alma journeyed
'OVER INTO' it is speaking of traveling over
those mountains which divide the Sidon river valley from the Melek valley,
or upper river valley, as it states he went 'into' the land after going over.
And like other developed lands, the borders of the wilderness were by all of
them round about.
Melek, Ammonihah and the Lamanites
Just because a land is nearer as a bird flies does not make it 'easier' or
even closer to enter by land. Going round about a mountain range is often
easier and preferred to climbing over it. The 43 explorers of Limhi missed
the Sidon valley likely in lew of the parallel valley, having been confused
by the many highland mountain ridges, passages and so forth. Melek very
likely had it own 'protective mountains surroundings' which the Lamanites
found it easier to skirt and travel in the wilderness west of the valley
river until they came to the land of Ammonihah. When Alma instructed Zoram
the Nephite captain where he was to go to find the retreating Lamanites he
told him 'away up beyond the borders of the land of Manti in the south
wilderness'. He also told him specifically that they would cross that very
top of the river Sidon there and that he was to meet them on the east of the
river' (Alma 16:5-6). When one quickly reads the story in the abridged Book
of Mormon, one may presume a matter of a day or two, but that is not the case
as is surely true of many of the Nephite war accounts. The number of days in
detail are not given and a 'quick reader' merely presumes shorter times than
what is the truth of the matter. It took Alma three day's journey from
Melek to Ammonihah and he likely had the advantage of traveling down stream
on the river to do that. For the Lamanite military action to come into the
land of Zarahemla and round about the mountain ranges and down along the
western river valley in its wilderness all the way to Ammonihah, then to
fight a battle destorying one city and taking captive many Nephites from
another city (Noah), and then to return with those captives way back up and
out of the land of Zarahemla into their own lands; we are talking about
weeks on end. No wonder that Zoram had time to consult the prophet Alma and
then to travel to not only meet the retreating Lamanites but to head them
off in their retreat as the crossed the upper Sidon river away up beyond the
borders of Manti.
Melek, Jershon and Antionum
The regional provinces of the nation of Zarahemla about the time of captain
Moroni were Zarahemla in the heart of the land, Gideon in the valley of
Gideon, Bountiful of the narrow neck, Manti at the head waters of Sidon,
Melek, west of Sidon, Ammonihah north of Melek, Jershon on the northeast
seashore coastline southeast of Bountiful and north of Antionum and Antionum
south of Jershon in the southeast. When the Zoramites of Antionum defected to
the Lamanites they took with them their provincial lands of Antionum. This
left Jershon's southern border that which was upon the border of the
Lamnanites/Zoramites and the people of Ammon had taken an oath not to take
up arms. Therefore the People of Ammon, being no longer protected by a buffer
province between the them and the Lamanites needed to be moved and to a land
that was protected. Just mentioned previously is how Melek was naturally
protected from Lamanite access thus the people of Ammon were removed to the
provincial land of Melek. Along with this, captain Moroni would build
defensive cities to protect the lands of the Nephites as well as the People
of Ammon now in Melek. In the east in the land of Jershon running up to the
narrow neck of Bountiful captain added defensive cites coupled with
existing cities to form his defensive network. On the eastern southern
border were Aaron, an already established city, then Nephihah, a new city
upon the plains between Aaron and the coast, and then upon the east coast
itself was the city of Moroni. From thence up the east coast to the narrow
neck were beginning with the city of Moroni, the city of Lehi, the city of
Morianton, the city of Omner, the city of Gid, the city of Mulek and thence
to the city of Bountiful. This with the natural geographic features of the
land secured the eastern sector, that corridor through Jershon to the narrow
neck of Bountiful and also the valley of Gideon into the interior of the
land. Still using the natural features of the land, Moroni secured the
southwestern border of the land, which was now geographically further south
than eastern defensive line because of the loss of Antionum, by placing
a defensive line which included such cities as Manti, Zeezrom, Cumeni,
Antiparah, Judea and the unnamed 'city by the sea' unless that was its name.
With that defense set in order the People of Ammon were about as secure as
the Nephites could provide. But as the cities began to fall into the hands of
the Lamanites the People of Ammon became restless and that sparked the
stepping forth of the Stripling Wariors, the young sons of the People of
Ammon who had not taken upon themselves the oath of their fathers.
[Note: In the animated map at the left the generic 'jug' shape has been
altered to give the land of Zarahemla a little more realistic looking
coastline and to give a better perspective to the relationships of the
various provinces and the Nephite defensive cities.
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AMMONIHAH: Remnants of Noah?
AMMONIHAH, CITY OF—in West, near cities of Melek [three day journey
down stream from province of Melek], Noah [a city member of the
province of Ammonihah], and Aaron ['NOT' Alma was journeying to
the next province on the east a great distance after being expelled from the
provincial capital of and there for the land of Ammonihah]
Alam 8:6-8 (9:1) Alma preaches at Ammonihah;
Alma 8:7 land of Ammonihah named after first possessor [perhaps one of Limhi's
43 explorers];
Alma 8:9-13 Alma cast out of [province of] Ammonihah;
Alma 8:16-18 Alma returns to Ammoniah [capital city];
Alma 9-14 words of Alma and Amulek to people at Ammonihah;
Alma 10:23 destruction of people [of city of Ammonihah] predicted;
Alma 14:8 people at Ammonihah burn scriptures, slay belivers [by fire as
prophesied by Abinadi (Mosiah 17:15)];
Alma 14:22 Alma and Amulek are imprisoned;
Alma 14:27 falling prison walls slay leaders [including chief judge of the
province of Ammonihah];
Alma 14:28 Alma and Amulek are freed [by hand of God];
Alma 14:29 people flee from prophets;
Alma 15:1 Alma and Amulek banished from Ammonihah;
Alma 15:15 people remain hard-hearted;
Alma 16:2-3, 9 (25:2) Lamanites destory people of Ammonihah;
Alma 16:11 called Desolation of Nehors;
Alma 49:3 rebuilt [after 7 year period of cleansing as a defensive city of
captain Moroni];
Alma 49:10-11 Lamanites dare not attack Ammonihah.
AMMONIHAH, LAND OF—to the west of river Sidon (see Ammonihah,
City of)
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Traveling the Land of Ammonihah
Again, at first the land, which would become the nation of
Zarahemla, was in a pristine natural preserve condition
without any 'lands' or 'cities'. And the wilderness was one continuous
wilderness with mountains and rivers and no artificial locations or barriers.
That wilderness of Hermounts (Alma 2:36-37) which was 'infested by wild and
ravenous
beasts' was that same continuous wilderdess which Lehi had journeyed
through (1 Nephi 18:25) which contained 'beasts of the forests of every kind',
domestic animals, and 'all manner of wild animals'. It was also that same
continuous wilderness spoken of in terms of the land Bountiful, 'it being
the wilderness which is filled with all manner of wild animals of every kind,
a part of which had come from the land northward for food' (Alma 22:31), it
having been made scarce by Shiz's 'scorched land' war policy of sweeping the
land clean before him (Ether 14:18).
Upon landing, Lehi first planted and grew crops for a season obtaining a
'bountiful' crop. Then Lehi's party journeyed in the wilderness that was
the wilderness of animals of every kind. And he continued on south up the
parallel valley to the valley of the river Sidon, and on south
beyond the highlands and thence on down south and west to that 'land of first
inheritance', which was upon the east of the land of Nephi (Alma 22:28), 'west
of the land of Nephi, in the place of their father's first inheritance'.
This parallel valley of the Sidon and the province of Zarahemla was also that
valley the 43 explorers of King Limhi took in error looking for the city and
land of Zarahemla. They were diligent in their search and continued north
and into that land of Desolation covered with bones and ruins (Mosiah 8:7-9).
It is likely these 43 explorers who retained their knowledge of that land
which they did explorer and did eventually aid in some of the people of Limhi
in settling Ammonihah and eventually fulfilling a part of the prophecies of
Abinadi when he said that the descendants of those of wicked King Noah would
also cause many righteous believing souls to suffer death by fire even as
he Abinadi was so suffering (Mosiah 17:15 & Alma 14:8).
And when the Lord would punish those of Ammonihah in the
11th year of the reign of the judges (about 81 BC)
for so burning to death the righteous, those Lamanites under the influence of
the wicked priest of king Noah came into the
land and in part traveled up this same parallel valley on
the west under the cover of wilderness until they came in and totally
destoryed the wicked people of the city of Ammonihah (Alma 16:2-3). And also
after the passage of the 7 years of purification when Ammonihah began to be
rebuilt under the direction of captain Moroni, in the latter end of the
ninteenth year of the judges (about 73 BC) the Lamanites under Amalickiah
again by this same route sought to again destroy Ammonihah and gain access to
the northern passage by the western valley route. But they were defeated by
Lehi at Noah after being to afraid to attack the rebuilt and fortified city
of Ammonihah (Alma 49).
And it would seem that when captain Moroni marched to the aid of Teancum when
the Lamanites threatened to break
through to the north beyond Bountiful that
captain Moroni used this west valley route with Lehi to come to Bountiful in
the beginning of the 28th year of the judges (about
63 BC) to stand
against the Lamanites who had taken possesion of the city of
Mulek (Alma 52). And here we begin to see that when the proper internal
mapping and relationships of the land, its regions and its geological features
is placed into view a whole variety of understanding comes to understaning
such as the interrelationship of all these passages and uses of the parallel
west valley of the nation of Zarahemla being used from Lehi, the 43 explorers
of Limhi, the Lamaanites in their attacks upon Ammonihan and even by captain
Moroni. And the land becomes real and tangible as it can be pictured from the
Book of Mormon record.
NOTE: Of all the recorded attempts of the Lamanites to breach the northern
narrow neck we have have only three avenues which were tried, (1) the east
coast route via the coastal cities of defense, (2) the western valley route
via Ammonihah, and (3) the 'central capital' Sidon or Zarahemla Valley route
by the city of Zarahemla (Helaman 1). Never do the Lamanites simply attempt
to skrit the national land of Zarahemla by marching up along the west coast.
Thus we are left to presume that some natural feature of the land did block
that route of access be it everglade swamps or whatever. This is also the
support evidence as to why Lehi's party would have taken the western valley
route south in their journey to the land of first inheritance rather than to
simply follow the coastline south.
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Mosiah 11
3 And he [King Noah] laid a tax of one fifth part . . .
4 . . . to support himself . . . and also his
priests . . . thus he had changed the affairs of the kingdom.
. . .
6 . . . they were supported in thier laziness, and in their
idolatry, and in their whoredoms, by the taxes which king Noah had put upon
his people; thus did the people labor exceedingly to support iniquity.
Mosiah 19
4 And now there was a man among them whose name was Gideon, and he being a
strong man and an enemy to the king, therefore he drew his sword, and swore
in his wrath that he would slay the king.
. . .
6 And Gideon pursued after him and was about to get upon the tower to slay
the king, . . .
7 And now the king cried out in the anguish of his soul, saying Gideon, spare
me, for the Lamanites are upon us, . . .
Alma 1
3 And he [Nehor] had gone about among the people, preaching to them that which
he termed to be the word of God, . . .declaring unto the people
that every priest and teacher ought to become popular, and they ought not to
labor with thir hands, but that they ought to be supported by the people.
. . .
5 . . . many did believe on his words, even so many that they
began to support him and give him money.
. . .
9 Now, because Gideon withstood him with the words of God he was wroth with
Gideon, and drew his sword and began to smite him. Now Gideon being stricken
with many years, therefore he was not able to withstand his blows, therefore
he was slain by the sword [of Nehor].
. . .
12 But Alma said unto him: Behold, this is the first time that priestcraft
has been introduced among this people [people of Zarahemla]. And
behold, thou art not only guilty of priestcraft, but hast endeavored to
enforce it by the sword [Nehor had killed Gideon over priestcraft]; and
were priestcraft to be enforced among this people it would prove their entire
destruction.
Alma 14
14 . . . the chief judge of the land [land of Ammonihah] came and
stood before Alma and Amulek, as they were bound . . .
. . .
16 Now this judge was after the order and faith of Nehor, who slew Gideon.
. . .
18 And when they [Alma and Amulek] had been cast in prison three days, there
came many lawyers, and judges, and priets, and teachers, who were of the
profession of Nehor, . . .
Alma 15
15 But as to the peole that were in the land of Ammonihah, they yet remained
a hard-hearted and a stiffnecked people; and they repented not of their sins,
ascribing all the power of Alma and Amulek to the devil; for they were of the
profession of Nehor, and did not believe in the repentance of their sins.
Alma 16
11 . . . people did not go in to possess the land of Ammonihah for
many years. And it was called Desolation of Nehors; for they were of
the profession of Nehor, who were slain; and their land remained desolate.
Alma 8
17 For behold, they [the people of Ammonihah-their leaders] do study at this
time that they may destroy the liberty of thy people, (for thus saith the
Lord) which is contrary to the statutes, and judgments, and commandments
which he has given unto his people.
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The Tapestry of Ammonihah
The tapestry of reality is woven so tight and is so complex that indeed life
is much more interesting than fiction could ever be. When the writer of
history becomes amazed at the contextual implications of his text then for
certain there is more in a real true story than in any that could be made up
out of the mind. One of the testimonies to the true of the Book of Mormon at
not only the doctrinal levels of understanding revealed which were likely
even beyond the realization of the writer of them but also the reality of
the story or history comes out in such details which not even the translator
of even abridged author so realized or understood them. Such is the case in
considering the tapestry of Ammonihah.
The Threads of Priestcraft
It was the wicked king Noah of the Nephites in the land of Nephi who first
introduced the practice of 'priestcraft' among the Nephites in that land.
Priestcraft is the paying priests money for the religious position that they
hold, a paid ministry if you will. Now besides Abinadi who confronted king
Noah and his priests with the word of God, there were others who did also
oppose the system which king Noah had integated among the Nephites in the land
of Nephi. One such person was Gideon. And Gideon, and whosoever did follow
after him, did raise up. And it was Gideon's intent to slay king Noah and
reclaim the kingdom back to a state of righteousness by force.
It become important in the tapestry of priestcraft to recognize that it was
Gideon who stood against the king, his high taxation and the concept to paid
priest and priestcraft. It was this same Gideon who aided in the escape of the
people of Limhi from the land of Nephi and the 'return' to Zarahemla. Upon
returning to Zarahemla, as already set forth, it was Gideon and his followers
who settled in the valley which would be called after him and establish the
city of Gideon there. As further deduced, the people of Limhi also settled in
the land of Melek and the land of Ammonihah. And here the treads of
priestcraft and the order of 'Nehor' becomes supporting evidence.
It must be considered that some of the people of Limhi had been influenced by
the practice of 'priestcraft' under King Noah to the point that they did later
attempt to establish such a practice in the land of Zarahemla. The primary
instigator of this effort was one name Nehor. Nehor was both strong and large
of stature as well as being younger than Gideon who in the land of Zarahemla
had become old. As Nehor went about spreading the concept of priestcraft it
was Gideon who confronted Nehor and by the word of God did contend against
Nehor's doctrine of priestcraft. It was Gideon who had opposed that system
under king Noah and now Gideon found himself again contesting against that
same conept in a younger man most likely of the people of Limhi who was
attempting to bring that corrupt and evil system among them again in the land
of Zarahemla. This connection of the continued faith and position of Gideon
against the institution of priestcraft becomes significant in identifying
further the relationships not only between Nehor and Gideon but that with
those who once again began to adopt the system of priestcraft such as those
who dwelt in Ammonihah.
Now when Alma took his mission to Ammonihah he was to come face to face with
many of those whom Nehor had converted to the 'faith' or 'profession' of
Nehor or priestcraft, which included the concept of a fully paid government.
And it would have been widely known that Nehor, their 'leader' was punished
unto death under the judgment of Alma. Thus when Alma came in among them they
were quick to point out that Alma was no longer the chief judge and had no
position over them as they were neither of the same faith as Alma but of
Nehor and they did cast Alma out of Ammonihah (Alma 8:11-13).
And thus we gain a picture of Ammonihah as being those citizens of the
people of Zeniff, king Noah and of Limhi who retained their feelings of
acceptance of the concept of priestcraft, at least the leading faction of
the people. And we have placed the peole of Limhi into three land regions
as they did come into the land of Zarahemla and did there seek to settle in
their own cities among their own people. There were those who followed Gideon
who remained faithful to opposing the practice of priestcraft, those who
went with king Limhi to still be associated with the 'king', 'Melek'. And then
those who sought there own direction under what leadership that remained and
included such as Nehor and others still influenced by the practice of
priestcraft.
The Greatest Irony in the Book of Mormon?: Withut putting
up countless references, in short those Lamanites who would come in to
destory the city of Ammonihah were Amalekites and Amulonites who were after
the order of Nehor (Alma 24:29). And the Amulonites were specifically those
descendants of the wicked priests of King Noah. So one great irony is that
the 'order of Nehor' of the Lamanties did destory the 'order of Nehor' of
the Nephites at Ammonihah. That is one irony. A Second irony, perhaps even
greater is that alreay presented that Abinadi prophecied that, 'so shall it
come to pass that thy seed (the seed of the wicked people of king Noah) shall
cause that many shall suffer the pains that I do suffer, even the pains of
death by fire; and this because they believe in the salvation of the Lord
their God.' (Mosiah 17:15) Now according to the Book of Mormon condensed
abridgment a part of this prophecy is fulled when these 'Amulonites' did
cause many Lamanites to parish by fire because of their belief (Alma 25:5).
But the greater irony is that a greater part of that prophecy was already
fulfilled and is not to be presented in the abridged Book of Mormon record
as such but can only be deduced, that the Nehors of Ammonihah were also such
descendants, pure Nephite descendants, while the Amulonites were half
Lamanite due to their Lamanite mothers; and it was these pure Nephite
descendants of the wicked people of King Noah who did so cause their own
kinsmen Nephites to so suffer according to Abinadi's word when they did
murder by fire those women and children who believed in the salvation of the
Lord (Alma 14:8-11). And thus perhaps the greatest irony of all is the
combination of these events, that the pure descendants of Ammulon and the
wicked Nephites of King Noah did put to death there own kinsmen by fire for
believing in God as Abinadi prophecied, and that the half Lamanite descendants
of the wicked priests of King Noah did destory their own kinman and brother
and sisters, cousins all of the oreder of Nehor when they destoryed
Ammonihah, and then they further fulfilled Abinadi's prophecy by also murdering
by fire any Lamanites who had turned unto the Lord in their beliefs in
salvation.
Now in all this saddness of ill irony, there is another irony to consider.
And that is represented by Amulek and Zeezrom, two other Ammonihah citizens
who escaped the destructions and burnings by fire of those of Ammoniah. And
that is representative of those who did turn unto God and were preserved. For
Amulek and Zeezrom both seem to have ended up living with other of the
people of Limhi in the land of Melek after the destrution of Ammonihah as
is suggested by (Alma 31:6) when they were later called upon to attend the
Zoramite mission to Antionum from where they then were in Melek. And thus we
see the fates of the wicked and the righteous and the mercies of God and that
whether in life or in death the reward is great and the punishment is great
also.
The Bad Seed
In most any society there is pro and con, but in the society of King Noah and
then his son Limhi there was a 'bad seed'. To first identify this 'bad seed'
let us return to the days of king Limhi in the land of Nephi. In king Limhi's
day the expelled wicked priest of king Noah who had fled into the wilderness
did abduct daughters of the Lamanites in order to take themselves wives. When
the Lamanites came to accuss the Nephites of stealing their daughters is was
correctly deduced that the wicked priest of king Noah were the ones who had
stolen the Lamanite daughters. This was told the Lamanites who accepted as the
fact of the matter but this also presented the Nephite's with a ready
'scapegoat' for future infingments against the people.
At one point much grain
and many precious thins were stolen and according to the Book of Mormon
record of the people of Limhi used by Mormon to compile his abridgment, they
had attirbuted this thief to the wicked priests who were living in the
wilderness with their Lamanite wives (Alma 21:21). But this does not agree
with the other facts Mormon places in his abridgment from the records of the
people of Alma. When the Lamanites sought after the excaped people of king
Limhi in the wilderness but they became lost. But the Lamanites did find
living in the wilderness the wicked priest of king Noah and their Lamanite
wives and families at a place they had named Amulon after their leader (Mosiah
23:30-35). These Amulonites joined with the Lamanites but as the facts were
they in securing themselves safely from the people of Limhi who they thought
would kill them, they had also became 'LOST' in the wilderness. Now
the Amulonites joined with the Lamanites and together they again journeyed in
search of the land of Nephi. It was then that they came upon the land of Helam
where Alma the elder and his people had established themselves. They told
Alma and his people that they would spare them if they would show them the
way back to the land of Nephi (Mosaiah 23:36-37).
Now whether Mormon picked up on the conflict of the facts of the two records
of Limhi's people and Alma's people is not stated in the Book of Mormon. And
Mormon leaves this conflict unresolved in the Book of Mormon record. But we
having the entire record to study may view these 'facts' side by side. In the
first case the Nephite grain and precious things were being stolen and they
acused the wicked priests of king Noah. But in Alma's record we learn that
those wicked priest had themselves become lost in the wilderness and could not
find their way back to the land of Nephi. The conflict is that those wicked
priest could not be the one's who were stealling the grain and the precious
things. So if not the wicked priests then who? The Lamanites need not steal,
they were already taxing and taking all they could from Limhi's Nephites. The
only other option is that there were 'thieves' and 'robbers' living in and
amongst the people of king Limhi already. A bad seed who like the 'robbers' to
come could not survive on their own, likely because they had become to lazy
to work the land successfully under king Noah; and their only way of so
surviving was to steal from their brother Nephites. And they would have been
those of the 'Nehors' who were not the wicked priests themselves but
beneficiaries of that system of 'priestcrafts'.
Now remember the people of king Limhi did divide themselves into at
least three identifiable groups to spread forth upon the land and settle
it. Gideon and his true followers, who were good people, did go with
Gideon into the valley which would become known as the valley of Gideon.
Other who were true followers of king Limhi did depart with king Limhi
to the west of Sidon and they settled in the land of Melek, the land of
the king refering to king Limhi. A third group sought to establish
themselves after some other unidentifiable leader and they did settle
themselves in the land of Ammonihah. But their belief and profession
betrays those leaders and a part of that people. They were after the
order of 'priestcraft' as in the time of king Noah or after the order of
Nehor.
And this was not all. Bend upon subjecting the nation of Zarahemla unto
themselves as rulers over the people as the high officials as in the
kingdom of king Noah, they had in the time of Alma the younger already
began to plot the destruction of liberty and the over through of the
free goverment in lew of their order of Nehor government according to
Alma 8:16-17. This 'underground' movement to overthrow the free
government of Zarahemla to the benefit to kings and people of position
never does leave the Nephites completely, nor does the 'robbings' within
the people. Eventually this 'undergroud' will become identified as the
Gadianton Robbers. But it may well have had its beginnings in the day
of king Noah and the thiefts going on under king Limhi. And all this can so
be reconstructed to yield a more complete picture than what is in the
abridged Book of Mormon when read and combined into a reconstituted history
from the condensed form than it is in. Mormon may not have had the whole
picture. Joseph Smith, the translator, likely did not either.
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Why Ammonihah?
When one pauses to consider why the Lamanites came so deep into the land of
Zarahemla and particularly selected the city of Ammonihah to destory of all
the lands and cities of the Nephites, one is left to ponder. Of course on the
one hand it was by the hand of the Lord that they came directly to Ammonihah
to so destory that city and that particular land. But there are other
considerations of logic which may have so contributed to the Lamanite
decission. After the Lamanite defeat when the Lamanites were scattered into
the wilderness of Hermounts to be eaten by reavenous beasts when they
directly attacked the regional land of Zarahemla (Alma 2), it would have taken
some emotional added influence for them to again brave an attack. That
imotional 'high' came in the form of anger, they were angry that the
Anti-Nephi-Lehis would fight and so they determined to take their war anger
out upon the Nephites. Whether they were attempting to again attack directly
at Zarahemla and became confused as did the 43 explorers of king Limhi and
in error selected the wrong valley or whether they purposefully skirted
Zarahemla in favor a what they considered a softer target is not known. They
were headed and influenced by defecting Nephite force in the Amulonites,
those wicked priests of king Noah and thus their leading 'intelligence' may
have been that same information which caused the explorers of Limhi to also
so go astray. So one is left to consider, did they think that had destroyed
the city of Zarahemla, the capital city and thus they were totally not on
guard by the retalitory attach of Zoram above Manti when cross the Sidon
there? Could that have been a contributing factor? Go figure.
In Summary - Province of Ammonihah and Bountiful
Now then in summary, the province of Ammonihah is in the mid to lower parallel
valley to the valley of Sidon. It marks one of the passing bys of the many
who have journeyed the course past it from Lehi before it was to captain
Moroni on his
way to assist Teancum. The known cities of the province are
Ammonihah the capital city of the province, the government seat with that
land's ruling chief judge. Also of that province is the city of Noah, perhaps
reflective of the origins of the people being of King Limhi but still holding
to the 'Nehor' traditions of 'priestcraft' installed by king Noah in the land
of Nephi. Another city is that of Sidom where Zeezrom went for refuge when
expelled from the city of Ammonihah. Now in relationship to the province of
Bountiful, it is not determined that it absoluted bordered that province,
there more likely being some wilderness between as a part of the wilderness
of Hermounts which was a part of Bountiful's southern border. So in summary
as to Bountiful's neighbors we have Jershon on its southeastern border, then
perhaps that mystery province 'inbetween' which goes unnamed in the Book of
Mormon, the wilderness of Hermounts, and then here we have pictured that also
south of Bountiful either bordering Bountiful or both bordering the wilderness
between them is Ammonihah, and finally to the southwest on Bountifuls border
would be that natural barrier which prohibits travel along the western coast.
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MANTI: Crossroads of the South
MANTI, CITY OF—chief city in land of Manti
Alma 56:13-14 ~ possessed by Lamanites;
Alma 57:22 ~ Lamanites driven back to Manti;
Alma 58:1 ~ Helaman desires to take Manti;
Alma 58:13 ~ Nephites go forth against Lamanites in Manti;
Alma 58:39 ~ Ammonite youth are with Helaman in Manti
MANTI, LAND OF—[generally*] most southerly [provincial] land of Nephites
Alma 16:6-7 ~ Zoram and sons march beyond borders of Manti;
Alma 17:1 ~ Alma meets sons of Mosiah while on way to Manti;
Alma 22:27 ~ proclamation sent to people of Manti;
Alma 43:22 ~ head of river Sidon near Manti;
Alma 43:24-25 ~ Nephite and Lamanite armies converge on Manti;
Alma 43:26 ~ Moroni gahters people in land to battle Lamanites;
Alma 43:27-54 ~ Nephites defeat Lamanites near borders of Manti;
Alma 56:13-14 ~ Lamanites posses Manti;
Alma 58:26-30(59:6) Nephites march toward Manti by night.
* A 'general rule' often may have exceptions. This speaks of Manti
in terms of its membership in the nation of Zarahemla, that is it is the most
southerly spoken of provincial land of that nation. 'Generally' this is true,
but the Book of Mormon is an abridged record, only one hundreth part. Other
sites may have been south of Manti such as the 'city by the sea' as well as
others not mentioned. One just does not know. And more specifically this
speaks of Manti only in terms of the nation of Zarahemla, for certainly prior
to the formation of that nation of the Nephites and Mulekites, the Nephites
did live further south in the land of Nephi. So more specifically and beyond
the intended scope of this general statement, there were previously held lands
of the Nephites held prior to when the nation of Zarahemla was formed and
even after in that the Nephite Zeniff did so estabish a 'colony' of Nephites
in the land of Nephi even after the nation of Zarahemla was formed. All must
properly be considered in the context in which it is spoken of for true
understanding to be obtained.
The name Manti: Now we are left to contemplate the name of Manti. If Joseph
Smith's translation was to take the actual Nephite word and phonitically
transform it into a representative English form then Manti is only known to
the Nephites for no meaning is given to it. But is Joseph Smith's
translation at time was to give the English word meaning to a descriptiver
name, then we may ponder what in English 'Manti' is. In a world of English
evolution where plurals are made with 's's added to the end of words or
in some cases as in Latin and science the letter 'i' makes it plural in and
of itself. We are also familiar with what a 'praying mantis' is. Was Manti
a name form of the concept of a 'praying mantis'? What does a mantis do? It
moves quietly, undetectibly in a 'stealth' type of mode. It is how a spy tracts
his prey, there but unseen. Like a ninja or artful Indian scout. It this is
the 'descriptive' meaning then the province and city of Manti is like that of
a 'lost city', hard to find which is exactly what the region of the upper
Sidon seems to be. A literal maze confusing to it traveler. One time finding
and the next time have lost what is suppose to be there but is not. Remember
the difficulty which the Lamanites had in becomeing lost in the wilderness as
they attempted to tract down the fleeing people of Limhi, and how even the
Amulonites, the priest of king Noah had become lost in the wilderness. The
43 explorers of king Limhi fell victim of this land of Manti, this land of
'stealth'. This is the best descriptive meaning I can associate with the word
Manti, the land of lost; the spy Manti and his MO. This is the strategy of
the Nephite warrior to conceal himself in his natural surroundings only to
catch his prey by surprise unaware. This is exactly that which Moroni and Lehi
did to the Lamanites above 'Manti'. And as a protective outpost of surveillance,
what better descriptive word to apply to the land and city of Manti, the
'hiden' surveillance outpost of the Nephite southern boarder. Mantis is the
singular, 'Manti' is the plural, and the Nephites of the upper Sidon valley
were the protectorant 'Manti' of the southern front of the land of Zarahemla.
The developing Engish language has failed to apply the scientific plural 'i'
to the word mantis and have a mess of it acceptable plural form today,
'mantises', 'mantes' or 'mantids' - take your choice. This was the Nephite
'Operation Praying Manti'. The praying mantis male will give his life to
ensure the survival of the species; for family, freedom and religion. (See
Indian tales of the mantis & Giant Indian Praying Mantis) The 'praying mantis'
strategy was used by Moroni at Mulek and by Helaman at Manti.
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Strategically Located Provincial Land and City of Manti
Strategically located upon the southern border of the national land of
Zarahemla, the city and regional province of Manti is most often spoken of in
terms of warfare and the events of war. Perhaps first established in the days
of king Benjamin when it speaks of various wars that the Nephites did wage
with the Lamanites, though those accounts are so generally condensed,
abridged and abreviated that place names are not mentioned; it seems quite
logical that Manti would have been established as a strategic outpost of
fore warning against Lamanite intrusion. And as will be brought out in our
presentation as it is developed, it would seem the the three north-south
mountain ranges which make up the valley which houses the provinces of Melek
and Ammonihah in the west parallel valley to the Sidon and Zarahemla valley
to its east do converge in the highlands above Manti creating a maze of riges,
passes and high mountain terrain which does stand to confuse the unknowing
exlore and adventures. The province of Manti and the city thereof reside in
the highland valley of the upper Sidon River. The river continues south away
beyond the borders of the province of Manti as indicated in Alma 16 when Alma
explains to Zoram where to meet the retreating Lamanites 'away beyond the
borders of Manti into the south wilderness, which was on the east side of
the river Sideon'; but also with branching tributaries such as the one to the
east by the hill Riplah which Lehi concealed his forces behind in Alma
chapter 43 (see verses 25-54).
Now interest enough though thought to be a sentinel 'outpost' in the days of
king Benjamin, it is not named in the Lamanite invasion accounted in Alma
chapter 2. Perhaps the Lamanites had skirted the outpost and found their way
down north to about Minon before Alma's spies did observe them joining forces
with the Amlicites. Perhaps an interesting coincidence one of Alma's spies was
named Manti (Alma 2:22). And one may think to suspect that it is his name
after which the highland sentinel province is thenafter called and perhaps
even formed into a city and province by his presence and leadership? At any
rate, Manti is well established as a province by the time that Alma is
traveling thence when he is met by the returning sons of king Mosiah from
there successful Lamanite missionary efforts (Alma 17:1 & 27:16). Now one
needs to take care in reading with understanding not to be come confused. We
have already established that Zarahemla is the name of the entire nation of
the Nephites and in that contextual perspective when the 'land of Zarahemla'
is spoken of as the nation of the Nephites it does included all the regions
and provinces of the Nephite in their national land called Zarahemla. But
often when speaking of the 'land of Zarahemla' in the Book of Mormon it but
speaks of the provincial land of Zarahmela which contains the city of
Zarahemla and other such lands and cities that are within more local borders
of the provincial region of Zarahemla such as is spoken of in Alma 17:1 and
Alma 27:15 by Ammon and Alma when they meet north of Manti in the course of
the province of Zarahemla. Certainly they are already in the nation of
Zarahemla and but speak in terms of the provincial land and capital
governmental city of Zarahemla of the chief judge over all the land/nation of
Zarahemla who was Nephihah at that time. And there is even potentially the
occasion when speaking of the 'land of Zarahemla' one but speaks of that
which is immediately about the city of Zarahemla and apart from such as Minon
as Minon in one respect would be a part of the province of Zarahemla, and
certainly a part of the nation of Zarahemla, but spoken of separately from
the immediately land about the city of Zarahemla. This care in reading and
understanding can add many insight and expand one's thought of the geography
of the internal map of the Book of Mormon.
Concerning the Internal Geography of Manti
There is a report that Joseph Smith said something about a site near
Huntsville, Randolph County, Missouri being associated with the ancient city
of Manti. As reported in Church History it is associated with a contempoary
site, a Stake formed and named in honor of the ancient city of Manti. Another
report says that the Prophet Joseph said the ancient city of Manti was
located there. Some debate has taken place, whether the reports are fully
accurate and whether Joseph was speaking of another ancient city also named
Manti if indeed he did state that that stake center located in Randolph
county was located where the city of Manti had been. If Joseph Smith, as
critics would have one believe, wrote the Book of Mormon himself, then he
would certainly recognize that the Randolph area did not match the
information revealed in the Book of Mormon concerning the location of Manti
and the city thereof as recorded in the Book of Mormon. We will leave that
external bit of information to external matters and only concentrate upon the
actual internal evidences which leave us with a piture of the land and city
of Manti in the Book of Mormon.
Manti and Zarahemla
Now some make the province of Manti 'near' to the city and province of
Zarahemla. And in this respect 'nearness' may be a matter of relativity.
But by 'near' many consider Manti about a day's journey from Zarahemla. And
the basis of this may come from that same source as those who propose that
it could be of a greater distance. And in realtivity respects one needs be
careful of their use and definition of terms. For example, is the city of
Manti a day's journey from the city of Zarahemla? Probably NOT. Is the
southern border of the province of Zarahemla a day's journey in the wilderness
from the northern border of the province of Manti? That brings it closer but
then the story begins. Helaman decoys the Lamanite army into leaving the city
of Manti to pursue him into the wilderness [not likely initially toward
Zarahemla, westward to start lets say]. But Helaman turns his course north
toward the land of Zarahemla, but note they are still in the wilderness, that
wilderness which is inbetween the province of Zarahemla and the province of
Manti. Just how long they run around in the wilderness is not for certain
given. We might presume todays until the Lamanites relize that they are
beginning to follow the Sidon river north and perhaps nearing the borders of
lets say Minon and from there another day to city Zarahemla. When the
Lamanites determine to withdraw their pursuit of Helaman and his Stripling
Warriors, that now need not keep up that force march pace of pursuit. Remember
a Zulu army can march at a rate of 50 miles a day and still fight a battle
that same day at the end of their march. But in mountainous terrain, lets
conserve to about 25 to 30 miles a day. Let's say 30 miles from Minon to
Zarahemla on relatively flat descending river side valley floor. From where
the Lamanites site and determine that they are approaching the province of
Zarahemle beginning at the borders of Minon a 15-30 mile visibility from the
side of a mountain trail down into the approaching central valley is fair.
Now it does not state how many days Helaman and the Lamanites had spent in
their chase in the wilderness. Remember the Stripling warriors already lead a
chase and pursuti of three days north of Antiparah. But lets say that it is
two days back to the city of Manti, another 50 miles at reduced pursuit rate
with a night's sleep between. Helaman over takes and out distances the
Lamanites by traveling at night, perhaps of an oposite side of the Sidon,
Lamanites on the Minon west side and the Helman Warriors traveling on the
Gideon to Manti route on the east of Sidon, so that on the marrow they are
beyond the Lamanite and a safe distance beyond them to arrive at the city of
Manti before them (one day or two or more?). Lets just say that two days from
south of Minon to Manti and two days from south of Minon through Minon of
Zarahemla. Something like from Logan to Brigham City to Ogden to Salt Lake;
maybe about 120 miles. Now is that close? And still the limited model theorest
make it less and 'near' just to meet their chosen land site. Without a
predetermined land site the distances may so increase along the lines that
we are reconstituting a highly condensed abridgement which does not give us
the day by day details but just the genreal flow of the story, expand or shrink
as one may will to do, but don't attempt to force a fit to a predisposed land
site already picked. A hundred and twenty miles, a six day or a working weeks
journey from Zarahemla to Manti is quite realistic and compatible with the
Book of Mormon record. That distance may be increased or decreased but that
seems to be a good supportable medium.
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Manti: The Events of Warfare
So strategically placed at the southern border of the nation of Zarahemla,
Manti would indeed experience a good share of telling military events. Here
each of these will be reviewed in some detail which will yield insights into
the nature of the internal map of the Book of Mormon lands.
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Alma 16
6 And it came to pass that Alma inquired of the Lord concerning the matter.
An Alma returned and said unto them: Behold, the Lamanites will cross the
river Sidon in the south wilderness, away up beyond the borders of the land
of Manti. And behold there shall ye meet them, on the east of the river
Sidon, and there the Lord will deliver unto thee thy brethren who have been
taken captive by the Lamanites.
7 And it came to pass that Zoram and his sons crossed over the river Sidon,
with their armies, and marched away beyond the borders of Manti into the
south wilderness, which was on the east side of the river Sidon.
Alma 43
22 Behold, now it came to pass that they durst not come against the Nephites
in the borders of Jershon; therefore they departed out of the land of
Antionum into the wilderness, and took their journey round
about in the wilderness, away by the head of the river Sidon, that
they might come into the land of Manti and take possession of the land; for
they did not suppose that the armies of Moroni would know whither they had
gone.
23 But . . . Moroni sent spies . . . and Moroni, also, knowing of the prophecies
of Alma, sent certain men unto him, desiring him that he should inquire of
the Lord whither the armies of the Nephites should go to defend themselves
against the Lamanites.
24 And it came to pass that the word of the Lord came unto Alma, and Alma
informed the messengers of Moroni, that the armies of the Lamanites were
marching round about in the wilderness, that they
might come over into the land of Manti, that
they might commence an attack upon the weaker part of the people. . . .
25 Now Moroni, . . . took the remaining part of his army and marched over into the land of Manti.
. . .
31 . . . [Moroni] divided his army and brought a part over
into the valley, and concealed them on the east, and on the south of
the hill Riplah;
32 And the remainder he concealed in the west valley, on the west of the river
Sidon, and so down into the borders of the land of
Manti.
Alma 44
21 Now the number of their dead was not numbered because of the greatness of
the number; yea, the number of their dead was exceedingly great, both on the
Nephites and on the Lamanites.
22 And it came to pass that they did cast their dead into the waters of
Sidon, and they have gone forth and are buried in the deaths of the sea.
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Saving the Captive Nephites of the City Noah
When the Lamanites, who had been frustrated by the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's total
lack of resistance, came into the land of Zarahemla to take vengance out upon
the Nephites they were led by Nephite descenting factions of the order of
Nehor of the Amulonites; that is the people of the wicked priest of king
Noah did lead the invading Lamanite forces. Ironicly they led the Lamanites
against there own kinsmen, those who had also adhered to the order of Nehor
and where of the people of king Noah/Limhi. Now there course may look to be
'round about' but often it is much easier to journey around a mountain than
to climb up and over and back down. Their course was from the through the
south wilderness above and beyond the border of Manti and back again. This
tells us that though Manti was in highland valley of the upper Sidon, the
Sidon river's head waters continued on south and up further to where its
actual mountain sources were located. And it was there in the wilderness
above Manti that Zoram headed the Lamanites and did retrive the Nephite
captives. Now this 'southern wilderness' above and beyond the borders of the
land of Manti is that same wilderness which is identified by Mormon as the
'narrow strip of wilderness' which divided the national land of Zarahmela from
the national land of Nephi (Alma 22:27).
Captain Moroni's Shortcut and Manti
Drawn with a little different perspective with the three mountain ranges so
merging into the one highlands of the south is this map which illustrates
'Moroni's shortcut'. Though the precise distance relationship is not ever
given in the Book of Mormon, the general directional relationships between
the regional lands, cities and land features may be represented. While the
actual route of the combined armies of the Zoramites
(green) and the Lamanites (red) may be a bit
exagerated here it may be noted that not only would they have had to travel
'round about' the southern end of the eastern mountain range, they would also
have had to make there way in 'wilderness' conditions which always slows down
a marching army. Coupled with the fact that the march occured over a matter
of a number of many days and not just a single day as the 'quick read artist' of
the highly condensed and abridged' Book of Mormon may assume, Moroni's march
certainly had means to out march the Lamanite/Zormanite armies. Now Captain Moroni's course (blue) would have been a well
traveled route marked and well worn into the land. He would have used the
course from the city of Aaron through the Gideon valley passage way and on up
to the land of Manti on the south. This route from Gideon to Manti is already
established as a travled route in that it was the course being taken by
Alma from Gideon to Manti when he met the returning sons of Mosiah from the
land of Nephi (Alma 17:1). Also upon the map is marked 'S' for Siron (Alma
39:3), likely a sizable land of the Lamanites already upon the south of 'A'
Antionum which would have already provided the Zormanites a communal
relationship with the Lamanites as it had with Alma's son Corianton.
As a side note of interest here a word is said concerning 'Nephite messengers'.
Like any such 'messengers or runners' they would have been the fastest means
of communication. Alma was noted as having returned to Zarahemla and Moroni's
messengers/runners would have had to leave the southern borders of Jershon
about the city of Aaron and negociate the valley of Gideon to the land of
Zarahemla. In the direction of Aaron to Zarahemla they may well have taken a
'down steam' course upon the tributary river and on down to Zarahemla,
arriving a 70 mile distance in about a day's time. Recall that 'Nephite
Messengers' had such a reputation for so crossing the narrow neck of land
on the border of Bountiful and Desolation from sea to sea in a day and a half.
So in about three day's time Moroni would have received his response from
Alma. Then on a well traveled route of a shorter and smoother distance Moroni's
armies would have out marched the Zoramite/Lamanite armies to above Manti
where a tributary canyon allowed the Zoramite/Lamanite armies access to the
upper reaches of the valley of Manti on the wilderness border south.
Both Moroni's army and the Zoramite/Lamanite armies had to cross 'over' the eastern north-south running mountain range.
Morori crossed over mid-range at the relatively easy route via the valley of
Gideon immediately near the city of Aaron. The Lamanite/Zoramite armies had
a tough wilderness march up and into the higher souther end of the range
in the southern wilderness above Manti to effect their cross over. Moroni
beat the Lamanites/Zoramites to the land and valley of Manti and stationed
his forces strategically to catch the opposing forces in the middle of his
his armies as they would cross the river Sidon.
As the provided detail map attempts to present, the Zoramite/Lamanite forces
find their way down a canyon tributary of the upper river Sidon. Moroni has
stationed a part of his army with Lehi in commanded concealed about the Hill
Riplah on the east. As the opposing forces enter the upper wilderness valley
and proceed to cross the river Sidon Lehi's forces come upon the rear of the
Zormite/Lamanite army. Once across the river Morori's remaining forces
confront them also. Strategically the Zoramite/Lamanite army is sandwiched
inbetween on the west and south of by Moroni's forces, on the east and south
by Lehi and the tributary river, and likely on the north by mountains. They
are boxed in and surrounded.
As a testament to the size and magnitude of the Sidon river and the Sidon
river water basin which feeds that great river, we have the truth of the case
of Moroni disposing of the thousands upon thousands of bodies. He merely
casts them into the Sidon river and that great river from the water shed
mountains of its headwaters has size, current, magnitude and swiftness from
thence all the way to the sea (ocean) to carry theses thousands of bodies
all the way down from Manti, past Minon and the regional province of
Zarahmela with its capital city of Zarahamela, on past and through the mystery
province between Zarahemla and Bountiful and out to sea about Mulek. It would
seem to have avoided the effects of dead bodies contaminating the waters used
from the Sidon, that even at that early date the people were not relying upon
the Sidon river for their 'drinking water' but likely the many purer streams
and rivers that did feed into it.
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JERSHON: Defining the Land East
JERSHON, LAND OF—land on east by sea, south of Bountiful,
[north of Antionum, bounded by mountains on the east]
Alma 27:22, 26 ~ Nephites give Jershon to people of Ammon;
Alma 27:23-24 (28:1) ~ is protected by Nephites;
Alma 28:1 ~ Church established in Jershon;
Alma 28:1-3 (30:1) ~ is attacked by Lamanites;
Alma 30:19-21 ~ Korihor teaches in Jershon;
Alma 35:6, 14 ~ out cast Zoramites come into Jershon;
Alma 35:13 (43:3, 15) ~ Ammonites leave land so that Nephite armies can gather
to fight Lamanites;
Alma 43:18 ~ Nephites battle Lamanites in borders of Jershon;
Alma 43:25 ~ Moroni leaves part of army in Jershon.
ADDED REFERENCES
Alma 31:3 ~ Antionum east of land of Zarahemla nearly bordering upon seashore,
[Antionum] south of land of Jershon,
[Antionum] also bordered upon the wilderness south; which wilderness was full
of Lamanites;
Alma 43:15 ~ Nephites in land of Jershon prepared to meet Lamanaites/Zoramites
gathered together in the land of Antionum;
Alma 43:22 ~ Lamanites/Zoramites durst not come against Nephites in borders of
Jershon; they depart out of land of Antionum into wilderness, journey round
about in wilderness by head of river Sidon, might come into the land of Manti.
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Alma 27
22 And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: Behold, we
will give up the land of Jershon, which is on the east by
the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south of the land
Bountiful; and
this land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an
inheritance.
23And behold, we will set our armies between the land
Jershon and the land Nephi*, that we may
protect our brethren in the land Jershon; and this we do
for our brethren, on account of their fear to take up arms against their
brethren lest they should commit sin; and this great fear came because of
their sore repentance which they had, on account of their many murders and
their awful wickedness.
[* ~ Note that that which is set between the province of Jershon
and the southern wilderness land of Nephi is Antionum, the land of the
Zoramites; Zoram being the military chief captain of the army during the
time of the establishment of the land of Antionum. This will be discussed
more in relationship to Antionum.]
Alma 31
3 Now the Zoramites had gathered themselves together in a land which they
called Antionum, which was east of the land of
Zarahemla, which [Antionum] lay nearly bordering
upon the seashore, which [Antionum] was south of the land of Jershon, which
[Antionum] also bordered upon the wilderness south, which wilderness
was full of the Lamanites.
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Establishing the Lands upon the East
When early in the development of the nation of Zarahemla (Alma 22), since
the nation of Zarahemla develops from its central captial heartland of the
city of Zarahemla, there is time when upon the coasts, west and east, the
Lamanites have began to move into these coastal regions as described in
Alma 22:28-29. Yet other than the Lamanites upon the south of Antionum and
likely upon its east to the seashore, we will ignore that representation and
picture the land more as when captain Moroni protected and developed it.
In RED are the so stipulated regional provinces having
church and government centers of their own with such villages, cities and
towns as the population would
have so developed in each. Theres regional
provinces coincide with the 'seven church' and those 'regional centers' which
Alma takes his missionary efforts to, first respecting the capital city, its
chief judge and local high priest it not so in a state of apostasy. These
regional provinces are 'Z' ~ Zarahemla, 'G' ~
Gideon, 'M' ~ Melek, 'A' ~ Ammonihah, 'M ~ Manti,
'J' ~ Jershon, 'B' ~ Bountiful, and 'A' Antionum.
There is also a 'mystery' regional land between that of
Zarahemla and Bountiful, '?' for which we are never
given its name directly so as to know what its name was. Each of these regional
provinces would have had their beginning amid the wilderness and so cut out
of that wilderness its member cities, towns, villages and lands as the
population so developed the land round about it. The map representatively
approximates such by so showing such pockets of populous community settlement
of each province. Of course this is just a representation to obtain a
relationary perspective concerning these provinces both to each other and
to the various deduced geographic features of the land.
Order of the Land East
Here now as simply as may be deduced is the unmistakable order of the land
of the Nephites upon the east coast of the greater nation of Zarahemla. And
rather than to pretend these as just being mere 'cities' it must be fully
understood that we are speaking of 'province' sized partials of land from
them to run from the southern border of the Lamanites all the way to the
narrown neck of land. That narrow neck of land was also known by the name
of the regional province of Bountiful filling the narrow neck from sea east
to sea west and down into the national land of Zarahemla like an upside down
cork having its northern border upon the land of Desolation and its southern
border coming into the wildernes of Heremounts and as further so stipulated
here upon its southeast joining with the border of Jershon on Jershon's
north. That border though not definitely determined has some evidence of
being were the river Sidon empties into the sea with the cities of Mulek and
Bountiful being two cities within the province of Bountiful. Then as the
scriptures reads, Jershon's eastern border would be on the east by the sea.
Now Jershon's southern border is so stated by inverse logic that Antionum
was it neighbor to the south. And that Antionum then borders upon the
southern wilderness filled with Lamanites and thus claimed by them at this
period of time as a part of the Lamanite lands, the land of Nephi. The city
of 'S' ~ Siron to which Corianton had gone to
would have been so located there, adjacent to the land of Antionum. And while
Antionum was the home province of the Nephite military stationed to protect
the land of Jershon to the north, it was also a land in which truth religion
was in a state of corruption and apostasy. And 'traficing' had began between
the 'Zoramites' and Lamanites of that greater region. Mormon's highly
condensed abridgment leaves much of these details out but certainly the land
of Antionum was in a precarious situation which Alma had determined to attempt
to remedy by the preaching of the gospel.
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JERSHON as a Provincial Land
We have the facts now to review the reason of logic upon them. The
'people of Ammon', the Anti-Nephi-Lehis, were a vast and great people in
number. They represented people form many of the cities of the land of
Nephi: the land of Ishmael; the land of Middoni, the city of Nephi, the land
of Shilom, the land of Shemlon, the city of Lemuel and the city of Shimnilom
(Alma 23:8-12). That is seven lands and cities along with those who were also
converted that day upon the battlefield when more were converted than were
killed. You cannot merely place all these people into one city of Jershon.
Therefore Jershon had to be a provincial region with many towns and cities
for these Lamanites to posses. A second great logical sequence which testifies
that Jershon was a provincial land of great size is that when Moroni undertook
to construct defensive cities from the southern borderd of Jershon to Bountiful.
There were the cities of Moroni, Lehi, Morianton, Omner and Gid all along that
eastern coastal land of the province of Jershon. And then there was the
cities which formed the souther line of defense. From Aaron which had been
previously existant, Moroni built the great city of Nephihah upon the plains
of Nephihah which stood on that sothern borderline from Aaron of the foothills
of the estern mountains to Nephihah on the plains to Moroni upon the east
sea coast. Now these were only the border cities of the south and sea coast.
Other unnamed cities, towns and villages would have also existed in the
provincial land of Jershon.
And while we have estabished the north, east and south borders of Jershon,
it has also been presented what was to the west. When captian Moroni left
Jershon on the east coastal region to meet the Lamanite/Zoramite forces at
Manti he went 'OVER INTO' (Alma 43:31),
implying crossing over a mountain range and down into the next valley, the
valley of Sidon. And when the Lamanite/Zoramite forces had traveled round
about in the south wilderness from Antionum of the land east near the east
sea, they too did go 'OVER INTO' (Alma 43:24)
in order to arive at Manti. Now what they both went over what was the eastern
range of mountains which divides the Sidon river valley from the eastern
lands of Jershon and Antionum. And this then was Jershon's western boundry,
the eastern mountain range of the national land of Zarahemla.
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Secession of Antionum from Zarahemla ~ Defection to 'Nephi'
It ought to be viewed in both ways. Alma's greatest fear concerning Antionum
had taken place but his silver lining was that he saved the souls of many in
his efforts. Opposed to many a Book of Mormon scholar's determination, when
Antionum 'seceded' from the Nephite union of the nation of Zarahemla, the land
or province of Antionum went with them and became a part of the Lamanite
nation, the nation of Nephi. The humane policy of the Nephites was not to
ever engage in a war of aggression, of entering into another's 'home land'
to ravage and kill men, women and children. And they DID NOT do this to
Antionum. Antionum was the homes of the Zoramites who did remain in that land
when those who converted did move into the land of Jershon with the
missionaries of Alma. Part of the misconception of many a Book of Mormon
student is their failure to properly identify Antionum's status as being
a 'provincial region' as well as so properly locating it upon the Book of
Mormon map, south of Jershon, near the east coast and bordering with the
southern wilderness which was filled with Lamanites. In fact that southern
wilderness is what actually was a part of that land which was between
Antionum and the sea, thus Antionum was 'near' but not bordering upon the
sea east. And this position was that which Alam saw Antionum in, the were
softly couched in the land of the Lamanites, having a degree of commerce and
trade with them and departing from the truth beliefs in God of the nephites.
Further, the 'Lamanities' with which a part of that 'inter-reaction' was
taking place were themselves but descenting Nephites and those of the wicked
priest of king Noah, 'half-Nephites'. And thus in effect when Antionum
seceded and defected to the 'Lamanites', the effective southeastern border
between the Lamanites and Nephites did change. And this was the greatest need
to remove the people of Ammon for there was no longer a Nephite land between
them and the Lamanites. And this too give additional significants to that
defensive border and the cities which Moroni did place upon it, particularly
the great defensive city of Nephihah. When this is understood, one may begin
to feel more deeply Moroni's outrage and concern when the city of Nephihah
did fall to the Lamanites and when he wrote such letters to Phahoran the
chief judge of the land. The failure of Nephihah effectively compromised the
Nephite southeastern line of defense leaving that entire province subject to
the Lamanites with only the city of Aaron of defense remaining to guard the
way into the central capital and heart of the land of Zarahamela through the
valley of Gideon.
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ANTIONUM: Southeast Quarter Lost
ANTIONUM, LAND OF—east of Sidon, [west of east sea, north of
and bordering on the southwilderness filled with Lamanites, and south of
Jershon]
Alma 31:3 ~ Zoramites gathered in Antionum;
Alma 43:5 ~ Lamanites arrive under Zerahemnah;
Alma 43:22 & 24 ~ Lamanites departed out of
Antionum traveling round about in wilderness to head of
Sidon river and over into land of Manti.
ADDED REFERENCES
Alma 43:15 ~ Nephites in land of Jershon prepared to meet Lamanaites/Zoramites
gathered together in the land of Antionum;
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Alma 31
3 Now the Zoramites had gathered themselves together in a land which they
called Antionum, which was east of the land of
Zarahemla, which [Antionum] lay nearly bordering
upon the seashore, which [Antionum] was south of the land of Jershon, which
[Antionum] also bordered upon the wilderness south,
which wilderness was full of the Lamanites.
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The Province of Antionum
In dealing with various related lands one cannot speak of one without some
reference to the others. Thus much concerning Antionum has already been
presented. Yet here we will again present and summarize all that has been
stated as well as perhaps covering some addition information about the
province of Antionum.
Now as already established the position of the province of Antionum was that
it was 1) east 'nearly' bordering the east sea shore as its eastern
perspective and why it was only 'nearly' might be considered that that
round about population of east wilderness dwelling Lamanites did still posses
a part of that land [Alma 22:29 ~ '...there were many Lamanites on the east
by the seashore, whither the Nephites had driven them..."]. 2) Antionum was
south of the land of Jershon as its northern perspective. 3) Antionum also
bordered upon the wilderness south, which was full of Lamanites. And 4) as
was established in speaking about the land of Jershon, both the armies of
Moroni from Jershon and the armies of the Zoramites/Lamanites did journey
'OVER' the eastern mountain range in order to then come into the valley of
Sidon where Manti was located (Alma 43:24 & 31). This identifies the
province of Antionum with all four of its surrounding asspects, Jershon to
the north, the east sea to the east, the southern wilderness filled with
Lamanites to the south and eastern mountains of the Sidon river basin to the
west.
Now the strategic implications of Antionum seceding from the Nephite union
of the nation of Zarahemla was that the Lamanite forces, which now included
the Zoramites, had a land base from which they could further attack the
Nephite land holdings beginning with the land of Jershon. Thus the Lamanite
forces entered into the land of Antionum to not only join with the Zoramites
but they also joined under the direction of the Zoramite military leader
named Zerahemnah (Alma 43:5). From thence in Antionumn they prepared to come
against the Nephites in the land of Jershon, but the Nephites there had
prepared themselves under captain Moroni (Alma 43:15). Then when the
Zoramite/Lamanite army came against the land of Jershon and saw all the
preparations for war which captain Moroni had made they were afraid to come
against the Nephites there and they withdrew back to Antionum where they
determined to come against the Nephites elsewhere in Manti. And that is what
they did traveling 'round about' the eastern Mountains to the south in
the wilderness near the head of the river Sidon where they had come 'OVER'
the Mountains by a 'round about' easier course than climbing directly up and
over them (Alma 43:22 & 24). Moroni had inquired of Alma and found out the
design of the opposition and taking the 'shortcut' through the Gideon
valley pass directly into the Sidon valley and on up to Manti he did lie
in wait and did defeat the Lamanite/Zoramite army there just above Manti
(see Alma 43).
Now, though the Zoramite/Lamanite union had been defeated, the strategic
threat remained. The land of Antionum was now a part of the Lamanite nation.
And under other defecting Nephites it would again be the base for the
Lamanite attacks upon both the east and the west. Captain Moroni understood
this and went about creating many defensive cities to combat that threat.
Among those defensive cities Moroni created a southern border of Jershon
defensive line consisting of the city of Aaron on the west at the foot of the
eastern mountains to the great defensive city of Nephihah upon the plains and
on down to the seashore where was built the defensive city of Moroni. It is
this situation of now only the province of Jershon being between the Lamanites
and the narrow neck of Bountiful that brings added life to the peril which
the Nephites were in because of the defection of the Zoramites and their
land of Antionum over to the Lamanites.
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Misconceptions of Tradition
: Here, while first presenting
the concept of the 'land of first inheritence', a warning against the
commonality of presuption and tradition will be given. It has been presumed
by readers of the Book of Mormon, which has become a misconception of 'traditional
stance', that the site of Lehi's First Landing and the Land of First
Inheritence are both at the same general location. That is a
presumption based outside of what the book states. Yet the traditional
presumption persists. There is nothing in the Book of Mormon that
substanciates that conclusion that the site of their 'first planting' where
they reaped in abundance is where they stayed and settled. In point of fact
in the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon where there is no division between
chapters 18 and 19 as we have today, the verse which in condensed abridged
form clearly speaks of Lehi's next 'journeyings' in the land of promise (1
Nephi 18:25) is immediately followed by the next paragraph in the same
chapter explaining that Nephi did engrave upon his large plates further
concerning these 'journeyings', there being more particulary given. This
rather hints that Lehi's party did not settle at the
site of their first landing, but rather then took their journey into the
land of promise's wilderness finding all manner of animals and ores of every
kind as they journeyed. And these details are upon the large plates. And at
the end of that next journey in the land of promise wilderness did Lehi's
party then finally arive at the land of first inheritence on the east of what
would become known as the land of Nephi. Another careless presumption outside
the Book of Mormon is that Lehi's descendants did ever journey northward. The
only thing which fuels this assumption is the notion of a coast of Chili
landing, which is not a part of the internal information of the book either.
Remember Lehi's first journey was some 200 miles from Jerusalem to the
Valley of Lemuel, his second journey was across Saudi Abrabia, his third
journey was across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and not his 'fourth
journey' in the land of promise was no more than a walk around the block?
That is not consistant to the manner and way the Book of Mormon uses the term
to journey. The concept rather is that for Lehi to journey in the land of
promise he left the site of first landing and traveled on in the wilderness
to where the 'land of first inheritance' where they would then be established
and settled. Many a would be successful coloney has failed just because they
did not further journey and explore the land to find out it resorces and to
settle nearer to where those they'd need were located. Is that not what the
Book of Mormon presents that Lehi's party did?
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The land of their fathers' first inheritance was on the western seashore
of the Land of Nephi. This is where many a Book of Mormon geographer will
make an unsupported assumptive jump. They tie Lehi's Landing site with the
site of the fathers' land of first inheritance. No where in the Book of
Mormon do it support this conclusion. In fact a careful reading of the text
associated with Lehi's Landing Site in the last verses of 1 Nephi 18 will
suggest just the opposite. After Lehi plants and harvest for a growing season
in verse 24 of that chapter, verse 25 of Nephi's 'abridged' small plate
record states that they 'journeyed' in the wildernes. Now a journey to me is
from one place to another, not just exploring the neighborhood. Some see it
differently of course. This will be discussed more later.
What is important here is to note the
location of the 'Land of First Inheritance' and that the more 'idle' part of
the Lamanites dwelt in tents and lived along the western regions of the land
of Zaramhela and of the Land of Nephi.
One last note, this generic bulb shaped map will begin to vary in shape
as other facts are revealed. It is being built from Mormon's records and it
will take on more form and detail as it progresses.
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29 And also there were many
Lamanites on the east by the seashore, whither the Nephites had driven them
. And thus the Nephites were nearly surrounded
by the Lamanites; nevertheless the Nephites had
taken possession of all the northern parts of the land bordering on the
wilderness, at the head of the river Sidon, from
the east to the west, round about on the
wilderness side; on the north, even until they came to the land which
they called Bountiful.
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The Lamanites where also east of Zarahemla having been driven there in battle
with the Nephites. Note here, though not as obviously stated in terms of the war involving Hermounts, the Lamanites are locating in the vacant Nephite lands where the Nephites have driven them in their battles (Alma 2:35-38). The Nephite major emphasis has been to keep the Sidon Valley regions clear without as much concern for the wilderness on the west and the plains and seashore on the east. Thus the Nephites where nearly surrounded on all sides with the exception of the Nephite Sidon River route to the Land of Bountiful in the northern parts. The Nephites had taken possession of all the northern parts bordering on the wilderness. From the head waters of the river Sidon near Manti east and west, all the way back down the Sidon Valley as bordered by the wilderness (Hermounts on the west which we know was west and north of Zarahemla), and round about the river's course and thus on up into Bountiful. In an awkward manner,
Mormon has stated once again that the wilderness of Hermounts pushed in on the
north of Zarahemla. This implies that the River Sidon either flows in a north by northeastern direction over all or at least takes an northeastern turn before it reaches its outlet to the sea. Thus the Mulekite and Nephite settlers who followed the river's course had left the wilderness' direct north-south line through Hermounts between Zarahemla and Bountiful and followed the valley 'round about' going northeast from Zarahemla before, near the seashores, turning back northwest to make their way to Bountiful. This is the 'round about' course described as underlined which is confusing without this assumption clarifying it.
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~ Bountiful ~
It is important to interrupt here to point out that we are now going to
identify the land of Bountiful with some vary direct and candid statements,
and though they are abridged, they do pin point the land of Bountiful quite well.
Not only that, it directly associates the land of Bountiful with other
previously known, named and significant sites. It is here, that those who
want to limit and compact the lands of the Book of Mormon into neat little
packages divert from their very own methods of operation in failing to note
the significance of these very compacting and confining statements written by
Mormon as a part of his abridgement. How can they miss the obvious? It is
my the means of the same fact that they do not comprehend that Mormon's
record is such an abridged but precise record that they over condense on the
one hand. And then on they other hand they miss the direct inference of such
a precise and direct inference that Mormon's abridgement makes, not allowing
himself to give all the various statements and restatements of the facts in
the matter which an unabridged
accounting would have given with full laborious explanations.
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~ The Antecedent of "it" is Bountiful ~
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30 And it [Bountiful]
bordered upon the land which they called Desolation, it [Bountiful] being so far
northward that it came into the land which had been peopled and been
destroyed , of whose bones we have spoken, which
was discovered by the people of Zarahemla, it
[Bountiful] being
the place of their first landing.
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This whole verse is speaking in reference to the land of Bountiful throughout,
to and including the last statement of the verse. 'It' equals 'Bountiful.'
Bountiful's northern bordered was the land called Desolation, Desolation at
this juncture being all the land north of Bountiful though Mormon will later
point out its name to be 'Mulek' (Helaman 6:10). This would include consideration
of the far reaches of the lands of the Jaredites. In fact the Land of
Bountiful extended so far north that, while it is said to have bordered
Desolation, Bountiful came into the southern fringe of the land of bones and
remains. And it likely included the remains of the Jaredite city which was
in the narrow neck. It being the Jaredite jump off into the preserve land
for their 'safaries' and hunting expeditions (Ether 10:19-22). What is said
is significant in relation to the People of Zarahemla, the Mulekites, because
it takes them all the way back to Mulek's landing when Mulek was alive.
Bountiful extended into the land of bones discovered by the Mulekites upon
their landing. The Mulekite landing was north of the 'narrow neck' but not
so far north that is was not readily associated with the Land of Bountiful,
as Bountiful extended into the land of Desolation, to the very point of the
Mulekites landing. This is very reasonable from two separate perspectives
beyond the obvious association stated here. How did the Mulekites find
Coriantumr? It is a grim picture of logic and reality that Coriantumr would
have retraced the flight of the Jaredites from the far reaches of the Hill
Ramah in search for life. 'Could it really be that all where dead? Did not
at least one or two others survive?' And Coriantumr had searched in vain
until he came to the 'narrow neck' borders of the land of the southern
wilderness. There
was the logical meeting place, and finding Coriantumr did not take much of a
search. The other point is, where else would the hand of providence, the
Lord whose hand is in all things, have brought the Mulekites but to the place
where the remaining animals of the Jaredites would have fled to for the want
of food. The remaining domestic animals where there, to be gathered up for
their use in the new land?
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~ Two or More Landing Sites ~
In verse 30 it states that Bountiful, at least the north side difinition
of Bountiful, is where the people of Zarahemla 'first landed'. Now lets us
ask the question, it there was a 1st landing does not that
imply at least a 2nd landing and it certainly does not rule out
other 'landings' as well. So what does that all imply? Might not that imply
that from this '1st landing site' the party of Mulek may not have
traveled by land 'up and into' the land south, they very well could have
sailed up and into it. Was not the river Sidon a navigable river? The Amazon
is and the Magdalena is at least a majority of its course. For the people of
Mulek to be found in the heart of the land rather than upon a coastal area,
could they not have 'navigated' their way to the site of their colonial
landing up and into the land south from Bountiful?
Now consider this abridged account of Mormon concerning the lands of landing now
takes a very interesting but almost always missed direction. Mormon has
just recorded the approximate 1st landing site of the Mulekite's
group to be in north Bountiful just a little north of the Isthmus of the
Narrow Neck of land. He completes that thought telling of the Mulekites'
course on up into the land of Zarahemla. And then he gives, in his precise,
candid, pointed condensation of abridged words, the
location of the landing of Lehi's group. Read the following verse before you
read the direct commentary and see if you can pick it out.
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31 And they came from there up into the south
wilderness. Thus the land on the northward
was called Desolation, and the land on the southward was called
Bountiful, it being the wilderness which
is filled with all manner of wild animals of every kind, a part
of which had come from the land northward for
food.
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From their landing site, just north of the isthmus, the Mulekites came up,
following, either by foot or by ship, the course of the Sidon River, its
valley, into the heart of the land of Zarahemla. Mormon then restates that
Desolation was northward, not necessarily directly north, and that Bountiful
was southward of their common border. It sounds as though the common border
may not have been a direct east-west line. But now comes the shocker. Ever
want to know where Lehi landed? Mormon tells you right here, 'Bountiful, it
being the wilderness which is filled with all animals of every kind.' There
is only one other place in the entire Book of Mormon which uses this exact
same phraseology, and that is in 1 Nephi 18:25. Ture, Bountiful is also
associate with the wilderness of Hermounts, it being the extended wilderness
of wild animals. But Mormon here takes care to use the same words or
'reformed Egyptian' characters which Nephi used in his record. Why did he
take such care, but to candidly state that this land of Bountiful was the same bounteous land where Lehi landed finding
the animals of every kind? And just as it was the logical providence of God
to bring the Mulekites to where they could gather up the domestic herds of
the Jaredites within the reaches of the 'Isthmus of the Narrow Neck,' so it
was the providence of God to afford Lehi and his group the same convenience
and blessing. Shiz had swept the land before him. Nothing remained. What
domestic animals of the Jaredites where left and able to make their escape,
would have to come into the land south from the land northward for food. This
was the 'second land Bountiful,' so named, where
Lehi's group landed. They had sailed from 'Bountiful' and they had landed
in 'Bountiful.'
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Now, stop, consider. When I first realized what Mormon was saying in his
abridgment, a thrill traveled my spin and goose bumps formed. Mulek landed a
little north of the Isthmus of the Narrow Neck, likely on the East Coast. And
Lehi landed a little south of the Isthmus of the Narrow Neck of land on the
West Coast. Thus the Lord brought Mulek into the land north and Lehi into the
land south. And while the immediate land just north of the narrow neck was
known as Desolation, the name associated with all the land north was Mulek.
And while the immediate land just south of the narrow neck was known as
Bountiful, the name associated with all the land south was Lehi.(Hel. 6:10)
And 'Lehi' was divided into two great nations recored by the Nephites as
the Land or Nation of Nephi where the Lamanites dwelt having forced the
Nephites to be removed from their first original lands of occupation. And
the other great nation of Lehi was that of Zarahemla which was occupied by
the Nephites and Mulekites during this juncture in time.
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A Small Narrow 'Neck' of Land
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32 And now, it was only the distance of a day
and a half’s journey for a Nephite, on the line Bountiful and the land
Desolation, from the east to the west sea; and thus the land of Nephi and the land of Zarahemla were nearly
surrounded by water, there being a small neck of land between the land
northward and the land southward.
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The 'Narrow Neck' was a day and a half's journey for a
Nephite on the line Bountiful and Desolation from the East to the
West Sea. Much is discussed about the size of this width.
Depending on mode and ease of travel it could well range from 45 to well over
100 miles and that was a 90 BC measurement. But there are more telling
matters about the 'small neck of land' than its measured width. First
is
what is next said, if Mormon is taken at his word with no ifs, ands, or buts.
The land of Zarahemla was nearly surrounded by the Lamanites on the south,
east, and west except the Land of Bountiful which led into the narrow
neck of land. Mormon knew what being nearly surrounded meant! The lands of
Nephi and Zarahmela were nearly surrounded by water. There was water to the
east of them, there was water to the west of them, and there was water to the
south of them. Only in the north was this not the case. That is what being
surrounded means! The only exception was the 'small neck of land'
between the land northward and the land southward.
Second, NO LAND TODAY in America fits the
description as it is mapped TODAY. South America is too wide
AS MAPPED TODAY to be the Lands of the Book of Mormon. MesoAmerica is
attached in the south by the Isthmus of Panama AS MAPPED TODAY. Whatever
you conceive as the Lands of the Book of Mormon, they will be significantly
different from how the lands of America map TODAY in 2001 AD. Mormon's
description was of the land of 90 BC, before the destruction at the
Savior's death. A lot of twisting and turning of words with fallacious
manipulations would have to be used to get the Book of Mormon lands to
exactly fit a map today. The Church is wise in not publishing a map.
Lastly, but not least, Mormon says that it is a neck of land not a
waist. A neck is elongated and in verse 30 it said that Bountiful 'came into
the land' of Desolation. Bountiful reached from south of the nap of the neck
where it had sealed off the Lamanites up into the neck until is reached the
lowest regions of the Jaredite remains, the Jaredite City that was by the
narrow neck of land. And the 'neck' was at least as tall as it was wide.
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Mormon's Abridged 'Time Capsule'
There any number of points to consider in Mormon's 'Time Capsule'
abridged description of the geography of the lands in 90-77 BC. One is that
Mormon lived some 300-400 years removed and after this time and the
destruction at the time of the Savior's death. Another is, Mormon lived over
1600 years before today. While Mormon is trying to remain true to the
description of the land in 90 BC, he also faces the likelihood that it may
not be the same hundreds of years from his time. Another point is in
Mormon's abridged record, not all times and descriptions are to scale as he
is condensing. One tool of this condensation that Mormon uses is the phase,
'And it came to pass.' It usually means that time has passed and removes
what he is about to say from what has been said by an indefinite distinction.
And whether Mormon does this by the nature of abridging the account while
knowing the details or recording the events not knowing the details is beside
the point. It is important to take note that he is using the tool 'And it
came to pass,' to bridge information given in his abridgement. Next we have such a 'And it came to pass.'
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33 And it came to pass that the Nephites had
inhabited the land Bountiful, even from the east unto the west sea, and thus
the Nephites in their wisdom, with their guards and their armies, had hemmed
in the Lamanites on the south, that thereby they should have no more
possession on the north, that they might not overrun the land northward.
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Whatever the state of the land of the Nephites at the precise dating of
the King of the Lamanites' proclamation, which Mormon here jumps from, the
Nephites would in short order occupy the narrow neck region of the land of
Bountiful as Mormon indicates with its stated purposes. This occupation
was an evolution in defense of the lands of the Nephites and likely was not
the exact state of the land at the precise time of the proclamation. Mormon
indicates this with the 'refrain,' "And it came to pass." And since this was
more of a military purpose statement, it well may not have been totally the
state of affairs until the time of Captain Moroni, when such needs of securing
the passages to the land north was right at hand. Later it will be further
noted that Mormon's description here is somewhat generalized over a space of
time, as there are other details which are missing from his presentation of
this simple mapping, which Mormon in his abridged Book of Mormon will
add in and further stipulate in other passages.
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~ Northward and Southward ~
It is now time to the point that we can discuss a little further the
relationship between the land 'northward' and the land 'southward.' The word 'northward' is used every time Mormon refers to the Land North which has been five times. And though it is not as frequently used, as the common perspective is from south to north, the word 'southward' has been used twice from the perspective of north to south. Each of this instances of use you will have noticed, I have underlined the work in the scriptural verses. When something is not precisely north or precisely south in resect to each other, the more generalized words of northward and southward are used. Mormon, or the divinely inspired translation of the Book of Mormon text by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has persistantly given this more generalized aspect to the relationship between the land 'northward' and the land 'southward.' What this indicates is that the relationship between the two lands was somewhat skewed in relationship to each other and not exactly on top of each other in a precise north-south relationship.
~ Northern North Hermounts is Bountiful ~
Another point that is now ready for discussion is the particular term or
phase 'round about.' I associate well with this phrase. Where I live there
is a lake near by called the Great Salt Lake. There are no bridged highways
that transverse across the lake. From Clearfield to a little west of
Stansbury which is a part of my course to work, I have to drive 'round about'
the lake through Farmington, Bountiful, North Salt Lake, and on out I 80 by
Magna before I can arrive a little west of Stansbury. If the would build a
bridged highway across the Great Salt Lake between Clearfield and Stansbury,
my commute to work would be shortened substantially. In relation to the City
of Zarahemla and the immediate land of that city and the Land of Bountiful,
the Nephites would travel 'round about' the wilderness. This wilderness's
name was Hermounts which was both west and north of Zarahemla the locally
regional land about the city Zarahemla proper. The fact that the Mulekites
and Nephites had been prone to settle along the Sidon river and follow
that river valley all the way up to its head waters where Manti was located,
is an indication that the river either runs from southwest to the northeast
or at leas has a 'northeasterly' turn which takes a traveler northeast,
'round about' that portion of the wilderness of Hermounts which is directly
north of the City Lands of Zarahmela which would have to be 'cut' through to
reach Bountiful on a straight north to south line. This adds to the concept of the lands being skewed one from the other. It moves the River Sidon's passage to the east of the north-south line from Zarahemla to Bountiful. It means that there are lands out in that direction including the River Sidon to the east of Bountiful, and it places the 'Isthmus of the Narrow Neck' to the west of the River Sidon's passage to the sea. Thus it has already shown a tendence to skew the land Northward to the west a bit from the traveled routes from the land southward. Further evidence of this skewing is found elsewhere, but it can already be implied from Mormon brief, precise, compacted, and abridged description here in Alma 22.
This last verse is a reiteration and summary statement of the stated
purpose and design of the previous verses. It also is with the coverage of
Mormon's 'And it came to pass' refrain and therefore should be considered
with the same consideration as previously stated. There is no further direct
comment to make in regard to this last verse as it is just an ending summary
statement, and no new information is found in it .
34 Therefore the Lamanites could have no more possessions only in the
land of Nephi, and the wilderness round about. Now this was wisdom in the
Nephites—as the Lamanites were an enemy to them, they would not suffer their
afflictions on every hand, and also
that they might have a country whither they might flee, according to their
desires.
The Nephites where prepared and ready to 'flee' for their lives if ever
the conflict with the Lamanites ever grew to an unmanageable degree. While
stated in conjunction with a report that was being historically given from
the 4th century AD about the time around 90-77 BC, it is Mormon
who states the reasoning of holding the Lamanites back from occupying the
land to the north. This is the same leader of the military of the Nephites
during their last days of existence. The concept of fleeing from the enemy
into other lands was not a foreign concept to Mormon. While this relates to
other considerations covered in respect to Cumorah's last stand, it is
mentioned here just to point out a perspective that Mormon would have.
Mormon would have considered this perspective during the last days when he
was fighting the wars with the Lamanites as it was at this same time that he
was preparing his abridged record from which we read.
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Here also we will present an additional perspective of the geography of the
land, its topology and features to that degree which will lend understanding
to the placement of Zarahemla upon the map. First, similar to Utah in the
north, along and to the south of the of the Great Salt Lake there are three
mountain ranges, the Wasatch, the Oquirrh, and the Stansbury; so also there
were three generally north-south running ranges in the national land of
Zarahemla. Like the result of the three northern Utah ranges which form the
Tooele Valley and the Jordan or Salt Lake City valley, the three ranges of
Zarahemla created two parallel valleys; the Sidon river valley and
that parallel valley to the west, which would eventually hold the provincial
lands of Melek and Ammonihah. Also to the south of the city of Zarahemla
on the east of the Sidon river there was a break in the eastern mountain
range which formed an eastward running valley which would be named the
valley of Gideon.
