An
interesting account is given in the book of Mosiah regarding the
Limhi expedition. In about 121 BC this group was sent out by king Limhi to find the land of
Zarahemla. The people in the land of Nephi were in bondage to the
Lamanites and seeking a way to relieve this oppresion. The people of Limhi were
Nephites who had emigrated to the city of Nephi three generations earlier. Now they only wanted to escape and rejoin the main body of the Nephites in
Zarahemla.
King
Limhi sent a party of 43 men to look for the city of Zarahemla and
hopefully secure the assistance of those people in
escaping from their bondage. The group traveled northward but were lost in the
wilderness which dominated the early Nephite lands except for Zarahemla. They pushed on in their
quest until they had passed completely through the Nephite homeland and arrived in the former Jaredite lands.
When
they returned to the land of Nephi they brought back some souvenirs. Among the bones of the slaughtered Jaredites, they had found old rusted swords and brass armor. But more importantly they had found twenty four gold plates covered with strange engravings-the writings of the prophet Ether. Upon their return they reported on their
discoveries, and the destruction that had come upon the inhabitants of the
northland. The group originally thought that they had discovered the remains of a destroyed Zarahemla.
We
read Limhi's account of the expedition in Mosiah chapter 8 (A second shorter
version is also given in Mos. 21:25-28).
Being
grieved for the afflictions of my people, I caused that forty and
three of my people should take a journey into the wilderness, that
thereby they might find the land of Zarahemla, that we might appeal
unto our brethren to deliver us out of bondage.
And
they were lost in the wilderness for the space of many days, yet they
were diligent, and found not the land of Zarahemla but returned to
this land, having traveled in a land among many waters, having
discovered a land which was covered with bones of men, and of beasts,
and was also covered with ruins of buildings of every kind, having
discovered a land which had been peopled with a people who were as
numerous as the hosts of Israel.
And
for a testimony that the things that they had said are true they have
brought twenty-four plates which are filled with engravings, and they
are of pure gold.
And
behold, also, they have brought breastplates, which are large, and
they are of brass and of copper, and are perfectly sound.
And
again, they have brought swords, the hilts thereof have perished, and
the blades thereof were cankered with rust; and there is no one in
the land that is able to interpret the language or the engravings
that are on the plates.
This
expedition can give us some clues about Book of Mormon geography.
The party traveled from the land of Nephi northward for “many
days”-probably a long distance. They were lost in the “wilderness”
until they reached the former Jaredite lands. To get to the Jaredite
lands from the land of Nephi, they would have had to pass through the
Lamanite lands, the greater land of Zarahemla (or Nephite lands), and
through the “narrow neck of land” separating the land of
Bountiful from the land of Desolation.
None
of them would have been familiar with any of this geography as they
had been born and raised in the city of Nephi. The only knowledge
they would have had of the northern lands would have been tales
passed down from their grandparents. Even the Nephites at
Zarahemla didn't have much, if any, knowledge about the “narrow
neck of land” and the land of Desolation at this point in time.
So
they passed northward through the “narrow neck” until they
reached the southern-most Jaredite lands and viewed the genocidal destruction all around them. This southern most Jaredite territory would have been the
city of Lib, built near the “narrow neck”, at the place where the
“sea divides the land (Ether 10:20).” they may have even penetrated
as far as the city of Moron (the Jaredite capitol), but I am
convinced that they did not go as far as Cumorah, the place of the
last Jaredite battle, as some have suggested.
It
is probable that the final Jaredite wars commenced in or near the
capitol of Moron. While they were still in the first phase of this
last war, two million men, plus their wives and children were killed,
and their bodies left to rot on the ground (Ether 14:21-23; 15:2).
So we can assume that the description given by the Limhi party would
have fit these original battlegrounds near Moron.
According
to my model of Book of Mormon geography, the land of Nephi would have
been in western Panama, the “narrow neck of land” in western
Nicaragua, and the land of Desolation in northwestern Nicaragua. If
this model is correct, the Limhi party would have traveled northward
from western Panama, traversed Costa Rica, and passed through the
Isthmus of Rivas (or the “narrow neck”), until they arrived at
the southern Jaredite lands near present day Managua.
Others
have criticized this portion of my theory, pointing out that the
Isthmus of Rivas is much too narrow. They argue that the Limhi party would
have known that they had reached the “narrow neck.” By seeing
oceans on both sides of the isthmus, they would have known that they
were too far north and would have turned back.
For
example, John Clark, in his review of my theory (in Searching for
Book of Mormon Lands in Middle America, FARMS Review: V. 16, #2, p. 1-54), and arguing for John Sorenson's Tehuantepic theory, says
that, “the
narrow neck had to be wide enough that people on the ground such as
Limhi's group could pass through it without realizing it. This would
have been nigh impossible for the Rivas Isthmus, given its narrow
width, long length, and the advantageous viewing conditions from its
crest.”
Obviously
Clark has never been to the Isthmus of Rivas. One can travel from
Penas Blancas on the Costa Rican border, clear to Chinandega in
northwestern Nicaragua without ever seeing the Pacific Ocean. This
is due to the coastal range of mountains which border the Pacific
side of Nicaragua. If the Limhi party had climbed one the of peaks
in this coastal range, they would have been able to see the pacific,
but there is no reason to suppose that they did as this is completely
out of the normal route of travel and would have involved
considerably more effort. All the roads and ancient trails follow
the interior gentle plain which borders the two lakes of Nicaragua.
Even
if they had observed the Pacific and realized that they were passing
throught the “narrow neck” would it have made any difference? I
don't believe so because as I pointed out earlier, the northern
geography was completely unknown to them. They were lost in the
wilderness and had no idea where they were at the time. The “narrow
neck” wasn't even mentioned or recognized in the Book of Mormon
until about 100 BC, and these references were made by Mormon writing cerca 350 AD.
So, what do we learn from the Limhi expedition?
That the lands between the city of Nephi and the Jaredite lands were mostly wilderness at this time. For the most part, they were not settled or inhabited until one reached the Jaredite lands which had been extensively occupied. .
There were still abundant evidences of the last war and its destructive aftermath in the Jaredite lands visited by the expedition.
The bones of the dead had not had sufficient time to completely disintegrate, the swords were not completely rusted away although the hilts (probably made of wood) had disintegrated, the brass (probably bronze) breastplates were sound and had not had time to corrode. These facts can give us a way to measure the number of years since the Jaredite demise.
The Jaredite area visited by the expedition was in a "land of many waters" (ie lakes, rivers, seas, springs, etc.). The expedition members were awed by the size of the previous population commenting that it was as large as they imagined that the "hosts of Israel" had been.
The Jaredites had a knowledge of metallurgy and could work gold, iron and copper, and could produce brass (or bronze).
So, what do we learn from the Limhi expedition?
That the lands between the city of Nephi and the Jaredite lands were mostly wilderness at this time. For the most part, they were not settled or inhabited until one reached the Jaredite lands which had been extensively occupied. .
There were still abundant evidences of the last war and its destructive aftermath in the Jaredite lands visited by the expedition.
The bones of the dead had not had sufficient time to completely disintegrate, the swords were not completely rusted away although the hilts (probably made of wood) had disintegrated, the brass (probably bronze) breastplates were sound and had not had time to corrode. These facts can give us a way to measure the number of years since the Jaredite demise.
The Jaredite area visited by the expedition was in a "land of many waters" (ie lakes, rivers, seas, springs, etc.). The expedition members were awed by the size of the previous population commenting that it was as large as they imagined that the "hosts of Israel" had been.
The Jaredites had a knowledge of metallurgy and could work gold, iron and copper, and could produce brass (or bronze).
Forty three men were considered a "small number" (Mos. 21:25). This can give us a rough measure of population.
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