Shilom

This is the land of Shilom. Due to the practice of naming a land by the same name as the city, it is presumed to also be the city of Shilom. The land of Shilom is southward of the land of Nephi. The land of Shilom borders the lands of Nephi, Shemlon and Helam.

Commentaries (view it on a map)

MOSIAH 5:5 [7:4]: And now, they knew not the course they should travel in the wilderness, to go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi; therefore, they wandered many days in the wilderness, even forty days did they wander.

Commentary: This verse references the places of the hill north of Shilom, Nephi, Shilom, the wilderness between Nephi and Zarahemla, and Zarahemla. The term 'they' refers to Ammon and 15 other men. The phrase 'go up to' indicates the wilderness is higher in altitude from the land of Zarahemla. The hill north of Shilom is 40 days of wandering from the land of Zarahemla.

MOSIAH 5:6 [7:5]: And when they had wandered forty days, they came to a hill, which is north of the land of Shilom, and there they pitched their tents.

Commentary: This verse references the places of the hill north of Shilom and Shilom. The term 'they' refers to Ammon and 15 other men. The hill north of Shilom is northward of the land of Shilom. It took Alma 13 days to get from the land of Helam to the land of Zarahemla. Traveling 40 days indicates they did not travel in a straight line, but in an indirect route, so there is no indication what direction they were traveling when they reached the hill north of Shilom.

MOSIAH 5:7 [7:6]: And Ammon took three of his brethren, and their names were Amaleki, Helem, and Hem, and they went down into the land of Nephi;

Commentary: This verse references the places of the hill north of Shilom, Nephi, and Shilom. The phrase 'went down' indicates the land of Nephi is lower in altitude than the hill north of Shilom. This is not a surprise but illustrates the consistency of the term 'down' to mean lower in elevation. Since the hill north of Shilom is on the northward of the land of Shilom, the land of Nephi would be to the northward of the land of Shilom as well.

MOSIAH 5:8 [7:7]: And behold, they met the king of the people, who was in the land of Nephi, and in the land of Shilom;

Commentary: This verse references the places of Nephi and Shilom. The term 'they' refers to Ammon and his brethren. The phrase 'the king' refers to King Limhi. The land of Nephi and land of Shilom are close to one another. In order to exercise authority over two lands, the lands must be next to each other, so the land of Shilom is next to the land of Nephi.

MOSIAH 5:33 [7:21]: Therefore being deceived by the cunning and craftiness of King Laman, who having entered into a treaty with King Zeniff, and having yielded up into his hands the possessions of a part of the land, or even the city of Lehi-Nephi, and the city of Shilom; and the land round about;

Commentary: This verse references the places of Nephi and Shilom. King Zeniff was in the land of Nephi (city of Lehi-Nephi). The city of Shilom is in proximity to the land of Nephi. Since the city of Shilom is part of the possessions yielded up, the city of Shilom would be next to the city of Lehi-Nephi (Nephi).

MOSIAH 6:9 [9:6]: And I went in unto the king, and he covenanted with me, that I might possess the land of Lehi-Nephi, and the land of Shilom.

Commentary: This verse references the places of Nephi, Shemlon, and Shilom. The term 'I' refers to Zeniff. The term 'king' refers to King Laman who was in the land of Shemlon. To possess two lands, they should be next to each other. So, the land of Nephi and the land of Shilom are next to each other.

MOSIAH 6:11 [9:8]: And we began to build buildings, and to repair the walls of the city, yea, even the walls of the city of Lehi-Nephi, and the city of Shilom.

Commentary: This verse references the places of Nephi and Shilom. The land of Nephi and the land of Shilom are next to each other. The phrase 'city of Lehi-Nephi' and the phrase 'land of Lehi-Nephi' in Mosiah 6:9 [9:6] confirms the practice of naming the city the same as the land. The phrase 'land of Nephi' in Mosiah 6:17 [9:14] indicates the land of Lehi-Nephi is the same as the land of Nephi.

MOSIAH 6:17 [9:14]: For, in the thirteenth year of my reign in the land of Nephi, away on the south of the land of Shilom, when my people were watering and feeding their flocks, and tilling their lands, a numerous host of Lamanites came upon them, and began to slay them, and to take of their flocks, and the corn of their fields.

Commentary: This verse references the places of Nephi, Shemlon, and Shilom. The land of Shilom is southward of the land of Nephi.

MOSIAH 6:18 [9:15]: Yea, and it came to pass that they fled, all that were not overtaken, even into the city of Nephi, and did call upon me for protection.

Commentary: This verse references the places of Nephi and Shilom. The term 'they' refers to the people in the land of Shilom. They fled from the land of Shilom to the land of Nephi. This verse indicates that the land of Shilom is next to the land of Nephi in order for the land of Nephi to be a safe place to flee towards.

MOSIAH 6:37 [10:8]: And it came to pass that they came up upon the north of the land of Shilom, with their numerous hosts, men armed with bows, and with arrows, and with swords, and with cimeters, and with stones, and with slings;

Commentary: This verse references the places of the hill north of Shilom, Nephi, Shemlon, Shilom, and the wilderness between Nephi and Shilom. The term 'they' refers to Lamanites from the land of Shemlon. This places the land of Shemlon in proximity to the land of Shilom. This verse does not directly mention the hill north of Shilom, but the phrase 'came up upon' indicates the Lamanites went to an area higher in elevation than the rest of the land of Shilom. The fact that there is also a hill north of Shilom would confirm the existence of higher ground northward of the land of Shilom. In Mosiah 6:41 [10:10], Zeniff and his army went up to meet the Lamanites in the area north of the land of Shilom, further confirming higher ground north of the land of Shilom. This places the elevated area and the hill north of Shilom between the land of Shemlon and the land of Nephi. The area north of Shilom, being north of Shilom, also indicates that it is also northward of the land of Shemlon. In Mosiah 10:11 [22:8], the area between the land of Shilom and the land of Nephi is described as a wilderness.

MOSIAH 6:41 [10:10]: And it came to pass that we did go up to battle against the Lamanites.

Commentary: This verse references the places of the Nephi, Shemlon, and Shilom. The term 'we' refers to Zeniff and his army that were located in the city of Nephi. The Lamanites had come from the land of Shemlon and were in an elevated area north of the land of Shilom. The phrase 'did go up' indicates the location of the Lamanites north of the land of Shilom is higher in elevation than the city of Nephi.

MOSIAH 7:16 [11:12]: And it came to pass that he built a tower near the temple; yea, a very high tower, even so high that he could stand upon the top thereof and overlook the land of Shilom, and also the land of Shemlon, which was possessed by the Lamanites; and he could even look over all the land round about.

Commentary: This verse references the places of the hill north of Shilom, Shemlon, and Shilom. The term 'he' refers to King Noah. In Mosiah 7:17 [11:13], the location of the tower is the hill north of Shilom. This verse places the land of Shilom within eyesight of the land of Shemlon from a tower. It also places the land of Shemlon next to the land of Shilom.

MOSIAH 7:17 [11:13]: And it came to pass that he caused many buildings to be built in the land Shilom:

Commentary: This verse references the place of Shilom. This verse names the land of Shilom. It is a land in addition to being a city with the same name.

MOSIAH 7:18 [11:13]: And he caused a great tower to be built on the hill north of the land Shilom, which had been a resort for the children of Nephi, at the time they fled out of the land;

Commentary: This verse references the places of the hill north of Shilom, Nephi, and Shilom. For the hill north of Shilom to be a resort for the people in the land of Nephi, it would be in close proximity to the land of Nephi. The hill north of Shilom is in the land of Shilom.

MOSIAH 9:79 [19:6]: And Gideon pursued after him, and was about to get upon the tower to slay the king, and the king cast his eyes round about towards the land of Shemlon, and behold, the army of the Lamanites were within the borders of the land.

Commentary: This verse references the places of Shemlon and Shilom. The term 'him' refers to King Noah. The tower is on the hill north of the land of Shilom. This verse confirms that land of Shemlon is within eyesight of, and next to, the land of Shilom.

MOSIAH 10:10 [22:7]: And I will go according to thy command, and pay the last tribute of wine to the Lamanites, and they will be drunken; and we will pass through the secret pass on the left of their camp, when they are drunken and asleep;

Commentary: This verse references the places of Nephi, Shilom, and the wilderness between Nephi and Shilom. The term 'I' refers to Gideon. The term 'pass' is described in Mosiah 10:8 [22:6] as 'the back pass through the back wall, on the back side of the city.' The pass is a secret indicating the Lamanites did not know about it. It is also big enough to drive their flocks and herds through it. From Mosiah 10:11 [22:8], the pass led into the wilderness between the city of Nephi and the land of Shilom.

MOSIAH 10:11 [22:8]: Thus we will depart with our women and our children, our flocks and our herds, into the wilderness; and we will travel around the land of Shilom.

Commentary: This verse references the places of Nephi, Shilom, and a wilderness between Nephi and Shilom. The term 'we' refers to Gideon, King Limhi, and the Nephites. They are located in the land of Nephi at this time. There is a wilderness between the land of Nephi and the land of Shilom.

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 10:16 [22:13]: And after being many days in the wilderness, they arrived in the land of Zarahemla, and joined his people, and became his subjects.

Commentary: This verse references the places of Shilom, the wilderness between Nephi and Zarahemla, and Zarahemla. The term 'they' refers to King Limhi and his people. The term 'his people' refers to Mosiah and his people in Zarahemla. The traveling in this verse starts near the land of Shilom. The phrase 'many days' indicates that the land of Zarahemla is not very near to the Land of Shilom.

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 11:35 [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 11:45 [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 14:13 [23:8]: Now these are they who were converted unto the Lord: The people of the Lamanites who were in the land of Ishmael, and also of the people of the Lamanites who were in the land of Middoni, and also of the people of the Lamanites who were in the city of Nephi, and also of the people of the Lamanites who were in the land of Shilom, and who were in the land of Shemlon, and in the city of Lemuel, and in the city of Shimnilon;

Commentary: This verse references the places of Ishmael, Lemuel, Middoni, Midian, Nephi, Shemlon, Shilom, Shimnilon, and the South Wilderness. These lands are listed in the same verse, so each land borders the lands listed next to it. All of the lands are in the possessions of the Lamanites, so these lands were southward of the South Wilderness. The land of Midian is not listed in these lands, yet in later verses it is a land mentioned in verses that reference the lands of Nephi and Ishmael. It may be that the land of Midian is not a land in control of the Lamanites.

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.

ALMA 14:25 [24:5]: Now when Ammon and his brethren, and all those who had come up with him, saw the preparations of the Lamanites to destroy their brethren, they came forth to the land of Midian, and there Ammon met all his brethren;

Commentary: This verse references the places of Ishmael, Lemuel, Middoni, Midian, Nephi, Shemlon, Shilom, and Shimnilon. The land of Midian is within the area of the lands of Nephi, Middoni, Ishmael, Shemlon, Shimnilon, Shilom and Lemuel to be among the lands of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies (formerly Lamanites). The land Midian is not mentioned in the list of the other lands. Yet, it is in control by the Nephites. The phrase 'came forth' describes that Ammon traveled from the land of Nephi to the land of Midian. This information would put the land of Midian on the northward side of the other lands referenced in Alma 14:13 [23:8]. It may be a Nephite land just north of the south wilderness.

ALMA 14:26 [24:5]: And from thence they came to the land of Ishmael, that they might hold a council with Lamoni, and also with his brother Anti-Nephi-Lehi, what they should do to defend themselves against the Lamanites.

Commentary: This verse references the places of Lemuel, Middoni, Midian, Nephi, Shemlon, Shilom, Shimnilon, and the South Wilderness. The terms 'they' refers to Ammon and his brethren. After coming from the land of Nephi to the land of Midian, they went from the land of Midian to the land of Ishmael. By Occam's Razor, the land of Midian should be in proximity to the land of Nephi and Ishmael. So, of the lands of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies (Ishmael, Middoni, Nephi, Shilom, Lemuel, and Shimnilon), the lands of Nephi and Ishmael would be nearest the possessions of the Nephites, near the South Wilderness.

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