This is both the land and city of Amulon. The land of Amulon shares a border with the land of Helam. The land of Helam is in between the land of Amulon and the land of Nephi (the land of Amulon is on the opposite side of the land of Helam than the land of Nephi). The land of Amulon is in a line of lands that share a border with each other, the land of Helam, land of Shilom, and the land of Shemlon. The land of Amulon is also in a line of lands that share a border with each other, the land of Helam and the land of Jerusalem. The land of Amulon is southward of the land of Nephi and the South Wilderness.
Commentaries (
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MOSIAH 10:14 [22:11]: And it came to pass that the people of King Limhi did depart by night into the wilderness with their flocks and their herds, and they went round about the land of Shilom in the wilderness, and bent their course towards the land of Zarahemla, being led by Ammon and his brethren.
Commentary: This verse references the places of Amulon, Nephi, Shilom, the wilderness around Shilom, the wilderness between Nephi and Shilom, and Zarahemla. The phrase 'into the wilderness' refers to the wilderness between Nephi and Shilom. The phrase 'round about the land of Shilom in the wilderness' refers to traveling on the side of the land of Shilom opposite the side that borders the land of Nephi. This places the wilderness around the land of Shilom on the southward side of Shilom. The phrase 'bent their course' means they changed their course from traveling on the southward side of the land of Shilom to the direction of the land of Zarahemla. This would be misdirection. They first headed south from Nephi to Shilom, then 'went round about', and then turned northward in the direction of the land of Zarahemla. The direction they went 'round about' the land of Shilom could have been east-to-west or west-to-east. What can be determined is that the land of Shilom is not in the line between the land of Nephi and the land of Zarahemla. This verse indirectly relates to the land of Amulon since the event of King Limhi leaving the land of Nephi causes the Lamanites to find the land of Amulon. The Lamanites became lost in the wilderness between Nephi and Shilom or in the wilderness on the southward of the land Shilom and eventually found the land of Amulon.
MOSIAH 10:18 [22:15]: And now it came to pass when the Lamanites had found that the people of Limhi had departed out of the land by night, that they sent an army into the wilderness to pursue them;
Commentary: This verse references the places of Amulon, Nephi, and the wilderness around Nephi. The army mentioned here left the land of Nephi. It is this same army that eventually found the land of Amulon. Limhi headed to the land of Shilom to the southward of the land of Nephi, so the wilderness mentioned in this verse would be to the southward of the land of Nephi.
MOSIAH 10:19 [22:16]: And after they had pursued them two days, they could no longer follow their tracks; therefore they were lost in the wilderness.
Commentary: This verse references the places of Amulon, Nephi, Shilom, the wilderness around Shilom, the wilderness between Nephi and Shilom, and Zarahemla. This army set out from the land of Nephi in the direction of the land of Shilom by following the tracks left by the people led by King Limhi. While the people of King Limhi circled around the land of Shilom and doubled back in order to get to the land of Zarahemla, the army lost their tracks and became lost. There is no indication from this verse whether the army lost the tracks in the wilderness between Nephi and Shilom or in the wilderness around Shilom. They could have lost them before going around the land of Shilom or somewhere between the land of Shilom and the land of Zarahemla. By way of the land of Shilom, the land of Zarahemla is at least two days away from the land of Nephi, most likely more since the army was not close enough to the land of Zarahemla when they lost the tracks to detect the presence of the city of Zarahemla. This army eventually found the land of Amulon, so the land of Amulon is at least two days journey from the land of Nephi.
MOSIAH 11:34 [23:30]: Now the armies of the Lamanites which had followed after the people of King Limhi, had been lost in the wilderness for many days.
Commentary: This verse references the places of Amulon, Helam, Nephi, and the wilderness between Amulon and Nephi. The armies of the Lamanites were lost in the wilderness between the land of Nephi and the land of Amulon. The phrase 'lost in the wilderness for many days' is in addition to the two days they were following the tracks left by King Limhi's people.
MOSIAH 11:35 [23:31]: And behold, they had found those priests of King Noah, in a place which they called Amulon; and they had begun to possess the land of Amulon, and had begun to till the ground.
Commentary: This verse references the places of Amulon, Helam, Nephi, and Shilom. Combined with the information from Mosiah 10:19 [22:16] and 11:34 [23:30], Amulon is at least two days plus many days from the land and city of Nephi. This army never found the land of Helam as they traveled between the land of Nephi and the land of Amulon, so by traveling from the land of Nephi, towards the land of Shilom, and then to the land of Amulon, it is possible to go by the land of Helam without finding it. The direction of travel places the land of Amulon southward of the land of Nephi. Here is a reference where the terms 'place' and 'land of' are used to indicate the same location.
MOSIAH 11:39 [23:35]: And Amulon and his brethren did join the Lamanites, and they were traveling in the wilderness in search of the land of Nephi, when they discovered the land of Helam, which was possessed by Alma and his brethren.
Commentary: This verse references the places of Amulon, Helam, Nephi, and the wilderness between Amulon and Helam. The army of the Lamanites found the land of Helam on their return trip from the land of Amulon to the land of Nephi. So, the land of Amulon is in proximity to the land of Nephi and the land of Helam, but not too near. The land of Helam is between the land of Amulon and the land of Nephi. Since Amulon, acting as a guide, is directing the return trip from the land of Amulon to the land of Nephi, the land of Helam lies on a fairly direct route from the land of Amulon and the land of Nephi. There is wilderness between the land of Amulon and the land of Helam.
MOSIAH 11:45 [24:1]: Yea, even over the people who were in the land of Shemlon, and in the land of Shilom, and in the land of Amulon:
Commentary: This verse references the places of Amulon, Helam, Shemlon, and Shilom. Amulon (the person) is currently in Helam at this time. This verse refers to being teachers over the people in these lands. This list of lands refers to other local regions to the land of Helam that are in Lamanite control. This proclamation gives authority to Amulon, who is the ruler of Helam, to these other lands. To be able to exercise authority requires a contiguous area. So, the land of Helam is next to the lands of Shemlon, Shilom, and Amulon. Since these lands are listed in the same verse, they are listed in geographical order. They share borders with each other. The land of Helam is left out of the geographical list since Amulon is in the land of Helam (between the land of Shilom and the land of Amulon). Since the subjects of the verse are lands outside the land of Helam, the land of Helam would not be explicitly included in the list.
MOSIAH 11:48 [24:3]: And he was king over a numerous people; and he appointed teachers of the brethren of Amulon, in every land which was possessed by his people;
Commentary: This verse references the places of Amulon, Helam, Shemlon, Shilom and the South Wilderness. The term 'he' refers to Laman, the king of the Lamanites. He is king over several regions south of the South Wilderness. This means that the land of Amulon is in the area southward of the South Wilderness.
ALMA 14:21 [24:1]: And it came to pass that the Amalekites, and the Amulonites, and the Lamanites who were in the land of Amulon, and also in the land of Helam, and who were in the land of Jerusalem, and in fine, in all the land round about, who had not been converted, and had not taken upon them the name of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, were stirred up by the Amalekites, and by the Amulonites, to anger against their brethren;
Commentary: This verse references the places of Amulon, Helam, Jerusalem, and Shilom. The land of Amulon, land of Helam, and land of Jerusalem are listed in the same verse, so they share borders. Since the land of Shilom also borders the land of Helam on the opposite side as the land of Amulon, the land of Jerusalem is in a different direction from the land of Helam than the land of Shilom. Both the land of Shilom and the land of Jerusalem share a border with the land of Helam, so they must be in different directions from the land of Helam.
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