The one place that the people of Nephi gathered for protection from the robbers was in the land southward. See Figure 6-1 for the relative placement of the land southward.
Commentaries (
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III NEPHI 2:17 [3:13]: Yea, he sent a proclamation among all the people that they should gather together their women, and their children, their flocks and their herds, and all their substance, save it were their land, unto one place.
Commentary: This verse references the place of the one place. This verse names a location that has no name other than the 'one place.'
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.
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