Helam

This is the land and city of Helam. The land of Helam is in the southern lands south of the South Wilderness. It is next to the land of Nephi (or at least there are no lands in between them). The land of Helam is next to the lands of Amulon, Jerusalem, and Shilom. The land of Amulon is on the side opposite of the land of Helam from the land of Nephi. From a complete analysis of all lands, the land of Amulon is southward of the land of Helam. The lands of Nephi, Shilom, and Jerusalem are northward of the land of Helam. Since the land of Zarahemla is northward of the South Wilderness, it is 13 days' travel northward from the land of Helam to the land of Zarahemla. The valley Alma is one day's travel northward from the city of Helam.

Commentaries (view it on a map)

MOSIAH 11:1 [23:1]: Now Alma, having been warned of the Lord that the armies of King Noah would come upon them, and had made it known to his people, therefore they gathered together their flocks, and took of their grain, and departed into the wilderness before the armies of King Noah.

Commentary: This verse references the places of Helam, Nephi, and the wilderness between Helam and Nephi. Alma and his people were fleeing from the land of Nephi and eventually went to Helam. The wilderness mentioned would be the wilderness between the land of Nephi and the land of Helam.

MOSIAH 11:3 [23:3]: And they fled eight days' journey into the wilderness.

Commentary: This verse references the places of Helam, Nephi (Lehi-Nephi), and the wilderness between Helam and Nephi. The term 'they' refers to Alma and his people. They took their flocks and grain and fled from the land of Nephi and eventually arrived in the land of Helam. So, fleeing from the land of Nephi towards the land of Helam can take at least eight days, part of the way is through the wilderness.

MOSIAH 11:4 [23:4]: And they came to a land, yea, even a very beautiful and pleasant land; a land of pure water.

Commentary: This verse references the places of Helam and Nephi. It describes Alma's arrival in the land of Helam from the land of Nephi. It also identifies that the land of Helam is at the end of the eight days' journey.

MOSIAH 11:21 [23:19]: And it came to pass that they began to prosper exceedingly in the land; and they called the land Helam.

Commentary: This verse references the place of Helam. It identifies the land as the land of Helam.

MOSIAH 11:22 [23:20]: And it came to pass that they did multiply and prosper exceedingly in the land of Helam; and they built a city, which they called the city of Helam.

Commentary: This verse references the place of Helam. Here is another example of the practice of having a city in the land with the same name.

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 11:41 [23:37]: But after Alma had shewn them the way that led to the land of Nephi, the Lamanites would not keep their promise; but they set guards round about the land of Helam, over Alma and his brethren.

Commentary: This verse references the places of Helam and Nephi. There is no mention of any lands in this verse, or any other verse, between the land of Helam and the land of Nephi from a point 'round about the land of Helam'.

MOSIAH 11:42 [23:38]: And the remainder of them went to the land of Nephi; and a part of them returned to the land of Helam, and also brought with them the wives and the children of the guards who had been left in the land.

Commentary: This verse references the places of Helam and Nephi. The term 'them' refers to the Lamanites. It is possible to go to both lands from one location. There is no implication that there is any land between the land of Helam and the land of Nephi.

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.

MOSIAH 11:69 [24:20]: And Alma and his people departed into the wilderness; and when they had traveled all day, they pitched their tents in a valley, and they called the valley Alma, because he led their way in the wilderness;

Commentary: This verse references the places of Helam, the valley Alma, and the wilderness between Helam and the valley Alma. The valley Alma is one day's travel from the city of Helam. There is wilderness between the city of Helam and the valley Alma.

MOSIAH 11:73 [24:23]: And now the Lord said unto Alma, Haste thee and get thou and this people out of this land, for the Lamanites have awakened and do pursue thee;

Commentary: This verse references the places of Helam and the valley Alma. The valley of Alma is close enough to the land of Helam to worry about pursuit.

MOSIAH 11:75 [24:24]: And it came to pass that they departed out of the valley, and took their journey into the wilderness.

Commentary: This verse references the places of Helam, the valley Alma, and the wilderness between the valley Alma and Zarahemla. The term 'they' refers to Alma and the people with him. The term 'into' indicates that the valley Alma is not in the wilderness. Since Alma and his people were fleeing from the land of Helam, the wilderness between the valley Alma and Zarahemla is on the side of the valley opposite the direction of Helam.

MOSIAH 11:76 [24:25]: And after they had been in the wilderness twelve days, they arrived to the land of Zarahemla; and King Mosiah did also receive them with joy.

Commentary: This verse references the places of Helam, valley Alma, the wilderness between the valley Alma and Zarahemla, and Zarahemla. The valley Alma is 12 days from the city of Zarahemla (while driving herds). Counting the one day from the land of Helam to the valley Alma, it is 13 days (while driving herds) from the land of Helam to the city of Zarahemla. There are six lands from the land of Helam to the land of Zarahemla. This averages about two days to cross each land.

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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