There is a wilderness on at least the southern side of the land Bountiful and may have extended into and throughout the land.
Commentaries (
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ALMA 13:73 [22:29]: 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.
Commentary: This verse references the places of Bountiful, the headwaters of the river Sidon, the South Wilderness, and the wilderness around Bountiful. The phrase 'of the land' means many lands or a collection of many lands. The phrase 'northern parts' means north of the South Wilderness. There is wilderness at the head of the river Sidon that would be the wilderness around the land of Manti. The phrase 'round about on the wilderness side' means there is wilderness north of the wilderness at the head of the river Sidon. This verse places the land Bountiful at the north end of the wilderness in the westward parts of the land. The land Bountiful is also described as having a wilderness, so the wilderness here is next to, or a continuation of, the wilderness around the land Bountiful. The wilderness around the land Bountiful would be, at the least, on the southern side of the land Bountiful.
ALMA 13:75 [22:31]: 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.
Commentary: This verse references the places of Bountiful, Desolation, the land northward, and the wilderness around Bountiful. This verse places the land Desolation northward of the land Bountiful. There is a wilderness in or around the land Bountiful. The phrase 'land on the northward' does not describe the land northward, but rather the land Desolation just being located northward of the land Bountiful. This is parallel grammar construction the same as the 'land north' referring to the land of Mulek and the 'land south' referring to the land of Lehi. This verse describes the land northward as being close enough to the wilderness around the land Bountiful for animals to migrate from the land northward to the land Bountiful in search of food.
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