Seven Land Regions of the Nephite Retreat
(375 AD - 385 AD)

by Don R. Hender


From the Book of Mormon and revelations, at least seven major land regions can be determined between the Narrow Neck of Land and the Land of Cumorah. That includes counting Cumorah as one of the distinct regional lands. While the Book of Mormon lands do not have an official detailed mapping sanctioned by the Church, I would here in suggest some general lands areas to be identified according to these seven regions. Below I have presented a simple chart that summarizes the relationship, generally from south to north, of these seven regions according to what identifiable named lands and cities can be associated with each of these regions.

I will first briefly identify each of these 7 regions as follows:

Region 1: Begins at the Isthmus of Darien and runs north through Panama. It includes the known Nephite cities and lands of Teancum and Desolation. Since Mormon's abridgement doesn't even record the fall of the city and land of Teancum, it is very likely that there are other unnamed cities and lands between the narrow neck and Boaz

Region 2: Begins roughly in the Costa Rica / Nicaragua area and runs up to the Southern Mexico area. The known Nephite lands and cites included in these region from south to north are Boaz, Jashon, Antum (hill Shim), and Shem. Many other lands, towns, villages, and cites are referred to in this region both after Boaz and before Jordan they but remain unnamed in the Book of Mormon.

Region 3: This region centers around Isthmus of Tehuantepec which afforded Mormon a last stand region about another narrow land neck. But the 'neck' at Tehuantepec is more like the narrowing of the waist and it took a number of 'stronghold' cities to defend it as opposed to the narrow neck and narrow passage of the Ithmus of Darien. The known Nephite lands and cities of this region include Jordan, Sherrizah, Moriantum, and other referred to 'stonghold' lands and cities which are not named.

Region 4: This region can be associated with the rest of Mexico. This region is unnamed in the Book of Mormon other than the general reference which refers to it as the 'Country which lay before us.' It is where the Nephite Inhabitants where living which where being protected by the last Jordan line of defense across and about the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is the land in which Moroni was laboring as called by the Lord to work with the people and Church. Mormon sent his epistle recorded in Moroni chapter nine to Moroni in this land. That epistle gives a letter report glimpse into the fall of the 'Jordan Defense' and what was a prelude to the ensuing Nephite national flight retreat that had to be swifter than the Lamanite advance to keep from being destoryed.

Rigion 5: This region in not reported in the Book of Mormon as Mormon had refrained from giving any account of it due to the horrors of war which it presented. Thus Mormon leaves this area unrecorded in his history. It is only through Zion's March that we gain a glimpse into this region as the Prophet Joseph Smith writes his wife Emma that they are daily traveling through the burial mounds of the ancient Nephite inhabitants thrown up during their final battles and the revelation received from the Almighty concerning Zelph the faithful white Lamanite which fought on the Nephite side of the battles being held in this region. This region includes the lands of the United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi valley regions north to the Illinois River just below Lake Michigan of the Great Lakes' large bodies of water.

Region 6: This region can be assumed almost as a 'no brainer,' as the land and region of Cumorah in the northeastern states. Mormon arranged to have all the remaining Nephites gathered to that land for their final stand against the Lamanites. Mormon likely only gathered the remaining Nepites who lived east of the Mississippi during his gathering as the lands and peoples had been swept off by the Lamanites in all the lands up to that point and there where no remaining faithful Nephites from whence the Nephites had retreated as the Lamanites had been destorying all who would not defect to the Lamanite cause. Mormon's gathering of the remaining Nephites to this land only takes only the year of 384 AD to recruit from the now remaining limited lands of the Nephite, as all the land and regions of the Nephites prior to this time frame had already been destroyed and swallowed up into the ever advancing Lamanite nation.

Region 7: Another region or sub-region is alluded to in the Book of Mormon. At the end of the last battle at Cumorah only 24 of the Nephite combatants remained alive. What is not clear and is alluded to, is that there were Nephites who had refrained from the gathering to Cumorah that would still be weeded out. And any remaining from the last battle of Cumorah fled to these lands southward of Cumorah. Mormon records that there was at least one additional battle between the Nephites and Lamanites after Cumorah amongst these remaining Nephites in which his father Mormon was finally killed. Now this was not all the way back down to South America as some teach. This was into the southern coastal states regions of the United states. Thus the last part of the Lamanite mop-up of the Nephites went through these regions of the land killing any who would not deny Christ and defect to the Lamanite cause. Thus Moroni's account of the hunting down and weeding out numerous other Nephites after Cumorah makes more sense that it would have gone on for years as reported by Moroni.


Rev. 9-21-01

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