The land southward was a distinct land with boundaries. The land southward was southward of the narrow neck, the land northward, the land of Desolation, and the land of Nehor. The land southward was in proximity to the land of Zarahemla, the land Bountiful, the city of Moronihah, and the Promised Land (Ether). The northern boundary of the land southward was next to the narrow neck. The eastern boundary of the land southward was near the land of Zarahemla.
Commentaries (
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ALMA 13:77 [22:32]: And thus the land of Nephi, and the land of Zarahemla, were nearly surrounded by water; there being a small neck of land between the land northward, and the land southward.
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land northward, the land southward, the narrow neck, Nephi, and Zarahemla. The land northward is northward of the narrow neck. The land southward is southward of the narrow neck. This verse does not really define the relative locations of the lands of Nephi and Zarahemla.
HELAMAN 2:8 [3:8]: And it came to pass that they did multiply and spread, and did go forth from the land southward to the land northward, and did spread insomuch that they began to cover the face of the whole earth, from the sea south, to the sea north, from the sea west, to the sea east.
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land northward, the land southward, the Sea East, the Sea North, the Sea South, the Sea West, and Zarahemla. The terms 'from' and 'to' imply that the land southward and land northward were separate lands. This is the only reference to the sea north and the sea south and there is insufficient information in this verse to place the sea north and sea south in relation to any other location. There is a chiasmus matching this verse and Helaman 2:3 [3:3] that mentions the people spread from the land of Zarahemla. This puts the land of Zarahemla close to the land southward.
HELAMAN 2:40 [4:8]: And thus those dissenters of the Nephites, with the help of a numerous army of the Lamanites, had obtained all the possession of the Nephites which was in the land southward.
Commentary: This verse references the places of Bountiful, the land southward, and the narrow neck. The land southward is a defined land. It is southward and in proximity to the land Bountiful and the narrow neck.
HELAMAN 2:78 [5:16]: And even from one city to another, until they had gone forth among all the people of Nephi, who were in the land southward; and from thence into the land of Zarahemla, among the Lamanites.
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land southward and Zarahemla. The term 'they' refers to the sons of Helaman. The phrase 'from thence into' contains both 'thence' (which signifies leaving one area for another) and 'into' (which also indicates leaving one area for another). These terms make it clear that the land of Zarahemla is not considered to be part of the land southward. These terms also indicate that the land southward has a boundary.
III NEPHI 2:32 [3:23]: And the land which was appointed was the land of Zarahemla and the land which was between the land of Zarahemla and the land Bountiful; yea, to the line which was between the land Bountiful and the land Desolation;
Commentary: This verse references the places of Bountiful, Desolation, the land southward, the narrow neck, the Sea East, the Sea West, the one place, and Zarahemla. The 'one place' in III Nephi 2:17 [3:13] is described here. It is a land between the land of Zarahemla and 'the line which was between the land Bountiful and the land Desolation'. The line between the land Desolation and land Bountiful describes the narrow neck between the Sea West and the Sea East. In III Nephi 2:34 [3:24], this one place is called the land southward. This description of the land southward defines the northward boundary of the land southward as the narrow neck. The southward boundary of the land southward is northward of the land of Zarahemla. So, the land southward is an area between the land of Zarahemla and the land Bountiful.
III NEPHI 2:34 [3:24]: Now Lachoneus did cause that they should gather themselves together in the land southward, because of the great curse which was upon the land northward; and they did fortify themselves against their enemies;
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land northward, the land southward, and the one place. The term 'they' refers to thousands of Nephites. The term 'fortify' indicates the area where they were located had a distinct boundary since fortification is done around a specific area. The phrase 'in the land southward' also indicates an area distinctly different than the areas that the Nephites occupied. If the land southward referred to all of the lands southward of the narrow neck, then most of the Nephites would have already been in the land southward and there would have been no need to move to another area. This implies that the land southward is a specific area. The area had to sustain tens of thousands (III Nephi 2:21 [3:16]), so it is a fairly large area.
III NEPHI 2:46 [4:5]: And it came to pass that in the nineteenth year, Giddianhi found that it was expedient that he should go up to battle against the Nephites, for there was no way that they could subsist, save it were to plunder, and rob, and murder.
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land southward, the one place, and Zarahemla. The Nephites were located in the one place, the land southward. Giddianhi and the robbers were in the lands vacated by the Nephites, for example, the land of Zarahemla. The phrase 'go up to' indicates that the land southward is higher in elevation than Zarahemla.
III NEPHI 2:59 [4:13]: And thus they did pursue them, and did slay them, to the borders of the wilderness, even until they had fulfilled the commandment of Gidgiddoni.
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land southward, the one place, and the wilderness around the land southward. The term 'they' refers to Gidgiddoni and his army. The phrase 'to the borders of the wilderness' indicates that the one place was not in a wilderness. There is a wilderness that bordered the land southward (the location of the one place). Given the number of wilderness locations eastward of the land southward, using Occam's Razor, the wilderness around the land southward is likely also eastward of the land southward.
III NEPHI 2:63 [4:16]: And in the twenty and first year they did not come up to battle, but they came up on all sides to lay siege round about the people of Nephi;
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land southward and one place. The land southward (the location of the 'one place') could be surrounded on all sides meaning that it is somewhere in the interior and not bordering the seashore. The phrase 'up on all sides' means the land southward and the one place is higher than the surrounding areas. The phrase 'lay seige' indicates the one place is a defined area that could be surrounded.
III NEPHI 2:67 [4:19]: For behold they had nothing save it were meat for their subsistence, which meat they did obtain in the wilderness.
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land southward, the one place, and the wilderness around the land southward. The term 'they' refers to the robbers. The robbers were in proximity to the one place used as protection from the robbers, so the wilderness around the land southward is the wilderness mentioned here.
III NEPHI 2:71 [4:23]: And it came to pass that Zemnarihah did give command unto his people, that they should withdraw themselves from the siege, and march into the furthermost parts of the land, northward.
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land northward, the land southward, and the one place. This is not a reference to the land northward. The phrase 'parts of the land, northward' does not directly refer to the land northward, but to areas northward of the land southward and the one place.
III NEPHI 3:3 [6:2]: And they did return to their own lands and their possessions, both on the north and on the south, both on the land northward and on the land southward.
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land northward and the land southward. The term 'they' refers to the Nephites after defeating the robbers. The phrases 'on the north' and 'on the south' are general phrases that encompass more area than the land northward and the land southward.
III NEPHI 4:9 [8:10]: And the earth was carried up upon the city of Moronihah, that in the place of the city thereof, there became a great mountain; and there was a great and terrible destruction in the land southward.
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land southward and Moronihah. The location of the city of Moronihah is now much higher than it was. The city of Moronihah is also in proximity to the land southward.
MORMON 1:7 [1:6]: And it came to pass that I, being eleven years old, was carried by my father into the land southward, even to the land of Zarahemla; the whole face of the land having become covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea.
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land southward and Zarahenla. The term 'I' refers to Mormon. The phrase 'into the land southward' indicates that Mormon began outside the land southward and traveled into it. The phrase 'even to the land of Zarahemla' indicates that the land southward has a boundary that does not go as far as the land of Zarahemla. They needed to pass through the land southward to get to the land of Zarahemla.
MORMON 1:61 [2:29]: And the Lamanites did give unto us the land northward; yea, even to the narrow passage which led into the land southward.
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land northward, the land southward, the narrow neck, the narrow pass, the Sea East, and the Sea West. The term 'passage' is the only time this term is used in the Book of Mormon. The term 'pass' is also used differently than 'neck'. The narrow pass is between the land northward and the land southward. This puts it in or near the narrow neck. The narrow neck runs from the Sea West to the Sea East. The term 'passage' indicates a length. So, a narrow passage indicates that part of the distance from the narrow neck to the land northward is a narrow area that was navigable. The phrase 'into the land southward' indicates that the narrow passage is outside the boundaries of the land southward. This would put the narrow passage northward of the land southward. The phrase 'which led' indicates the boundary of the land southward is near to the narrow passage, so the northern boundary of the land southward is near the narrow neck.
MORMON 1:69 [3:5]: And it came to pass that I did cause my people that they should gather themselves together at the land Desolation, to a city which was in the borders, by the narrow pass which led into the land southward.
Commentary: This verse references the places of Desolation, the land southward, and the narrow pass. The term 'I' refers to Mormon. The narrow pass is in the borders of the land Desolation. The land southward is southward of the land Desolation. This places the narrow pass between the land Desolation and the land southward, so the land Desolation is just north of the narrow pass. The phrase 'which led into' indicates the narrow pass is near the land southward but not in the land southward. The phrase 'into' indicates that the land southward had a boundary that distinguished what was inside and outside of the land southward.
ETHER 4:35 [9:30]: And it came to pass that there began to be a great dearth upon the land, and the inhabitants began to be destroyed exceeding fast, because of the dearth, for there was no rain upon the face of the earth; and there came forth poisonous serpents also upon the face of the land, and did poison many people.
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land southward and Nehor. Poisonous serpents were in the land of Nehor, which is just north of the land southward.
ETHER 4:36 [9:31]: And it came to pass that their flocks began to flee before the poisonous serpents, towards the land southward, which was called by the Nephites, Zarahemla.
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land southward, Nehor, and Zarahemla. The land southward is originally stated as north of Zarahemla. The 'fleeing' in this verse is north to south from the land of Nehor towards the land of Zarahemla. This places the land of Nehor northward of the land southward and the land of Zarahemla. Other verses distinctly indicate that the land southward existed outside the boundaries of the land of Zarahemla.
ETHER 4:37 [9:32]: And it came to pass that there were many of them which did perish by the way: nevertheless there were some which fled into the land southward.
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land southward and Nehor. The term 'into' indicates that the land southward was outside of the boundaries of the land of Nehor. This verse also indicates the land southward is probably close to the land of Nehor in order for it to be considered a safe place to flee to.
ETHER 4:66 [10:19]: And in the days of Lib the poisonous serpents were destroyed; wherefore they did go into the land southward, to hunt food for the people of the land; for the land was covered with animals of the forest.
Commentary: This verse references the places of Heth, land southward, Moron, Nehor, and the north country. The people of Lib went from the north country, the lands of Nehor, Heth, and Moron, into the land southward. The term 'into' indicates that the lands of Nehor, Heth, and Moron were outside the land southward in order to travel into the land southward. The land southward is not too far from the north country in order to use it for a place to hunt.
ETHER 4:69 [10:21]: And they did preserve the land southward for a wilderness, to get game.
Commentary: This verse references the places of the land southward and the north country. The phrase 'preserved the land' indicates that the land southward is a distinct area with boundaries. The land southward is southward of the north country and, hence, the narrow neck.
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