There was a wilderness between the land of Nephi and the land of Shilom. This is a narrow wilderness.
Commentaries (
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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 10:3 [22:2]: And it came to pass that they could find no way to deliver themselves out of bondage, except it were to take their women and children, and their flocks and their herds, and their tents, and depart into the wilderness;
Commentary: This verse references the places of Nephi, the wilderness around Nephi, and the wilderness between Nephi and Shilom. The term 'they' refers to King Limhi and his people. They were in the city of Nephi at this time. The phrase 'into the wilderness' indicates the wilderness outside the city of Nephi. This verse does not specifically mention the wilderness between the land of Nephi and the land of Shilom even though King Limhi and his people did eventually go through a wilderness from the land of Nephi to the land of Shilom. This verse could be interpreted as any wilderness around the land of Nephi.
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 10:19 [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.
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