NEPHI IN THE HANDS OF THE LAMANITES--THE LANDS OF SHEMLON, SHILOM,
HELAM, AMULON, ISHMAEL, MIDDONI, JERUSALEM, ETC.
In the second generation the Nephites began to grow numerous, and
iniquity made its appearance among them. It was then that Jacob their
priest, prophesied: The time speedily cometh, that except ye repent,
they [the Lamanites] shall possess the land of your inheritance, and
the Lord God will lead away the righteous out from among you. This
prophecy was completely fulfilled, if not on previous occasions, about
300 years or so afterwards, when Mosiah, by the command of God, led the
righteous Nephites out of the land of their inheritance--the land of
Nephi--down into the land of Zarahemla.
From that time the land of Nephi was possessed and ruled by the
posterity of Laman, Lemuel and Ishmael; or by Nephite apostates, who,
with superior cunning, worked themselves on to the Lamanitish throne.
During the era that the Nephites dwelt in the land of Nephi they built
several cities. These the Lamanites eagerly took possession of when
Mosiah and his people vacated them. We are not told when and by whom
these cities were founded; such particulars, doubtless, appear on the
plates of the kings. It is only incidentally that we learn anything
regarding them; reference to them is found in the record of Zeniff's
return from Zarahemla, and re-occupancy, by treaty with the Lamanites,
of a portion of the old Nephite home.
The Lamanites of that age were a wild, ferocious, blood-thirsty and
nomadic race, who did not build cities, for the simple reason that they
had neither the inclination nor the skill. But when they found the
Nephite cities deserted by their inhabitants they immediately occupied
them. Even then, they did not enlarge or repair them, but let them fall
into gradual decay.
No sooner had the Lamanites surrendered the cities of Lehi-Nephi and
Shilom to Zeniff than his people set to work to build buildings and to
repair their walls. In the next generation king Noah caused many fine
buildings and towers to be built in both the lands of Lehi-Nephi and
Shilom.
The two cities above mentioned are the only ones directly spoken of
in the Book of Mormon up to this time. There was most probably a
city built in the contiguous land of Shemlon, which was held by the
Lamanites, but it is never mentioned by name.
We judge Shilom lay to the northward of Lehi-Nephi, and in the same
valley or plateau; otherwise it could not have been so completely
viewed from king Noah's tower, mentioned in our last chapter. Its
relative position to Lehi-Nephi appears from the fact that those who
went to or from the land of Zarahemla, generally did so by way of
Shilom; it seems to have lain in the direct route between the two
capital cities. Ammon, the Zarahemlaite, and his company entered in
that way, and Limhi and his people escaped in the same direction.
The next city that we read of is called Helam. It was located eight
days' journey from Nephi towards Zarahemla, and was founded by Alma,
the elder, and his followers, when they fled from the murderous
persecutions of king Noah. This city and the surrounding country were
called after the first man baptized by Alma in the waters of Mormon.
His name was Helam, and he doubtless was a leader among that people.
In the same direction from Nephi as Helam, and apparently adjoining
thereto, lay the land of Amulon. It was first peopled by the fugitive
priests of Noah, when they fled from the vengeance of the justly
incensed Nephites. The leader of this band of wicked men was named
Amulon, and in his honor the land was so called. The king of the
Lamanites afterwards made Amulon the tributary king or chief local
ruler over the lands of Helam and Amulon. From this we judge that they
lay side by side, their boundaries extending indefinitely into the
great wilderness.
Our next information regarding the condition of the land of Nephi is
gleaned from the history of the mission of the sons of king Mosiah to
the Lamanites in that region. This mission commenced B. C. 91, and
lasted fourteen years.
We find the Lamanites of that age considerably advanced in
civilization, many of them inhabiting populous cities. The country was
divided into several distinct kingdoms, each ruled by its own king; but
all subject to the head monarch whose court was at Nephi.
The lands specially mentioned in connection with this mission are
those of Nephi, Middoni, Ishmael, Shilom, Shemlon, Helam, Amulon and
Jerusalem.
Shilom and Shemlon we have already shown to be in the neighborhood of
Lehi-Nephi; Helam, eight days' journey for loaded teams to the north,
and Amulon not far distant therefrom. We may next inquire what can be
learned of the lands of Jerusalem, Ishmael and Middoni.
The location of the land of Jerusalem is clearly stated. It was away
joining the borders of Mormon, that is, on the other side, probably
east or north from Nephi. There, somewhere about 100 B. C., the
Lamanites, with Amulonites and other apostate Nephites, built a great
and thriving city, which they called Jerusalem, after their father's
ancient home in Judea.
There Aaron, the son of Mosiah, unsuccessfully preached the gospel.
Its apostate citizens were too sin-hardened to accept the message
he bore. This city was afterwards destroyed on account of its great
wickedness and persecution of the saints, in the terrors that attended
the crucifixion of the Savior, and waters came up in the place thereof.
A stagnant sea, akin to that which covers Sodom and Gomorrah, occupies
the place where once its proud palaces and rich synagogues stood.
The first land visited by the missionary prince, Ammon, was Ishmael;
its situation is not clearly stated. It was _down_ from Nephi. This
leads to the thought that it lay in the alluvial plains considerably
east of the Andes. It does not seem compatible with the narrative of
Ammon's mission to believe it was situated in the narrow strip of
wilderness that lay between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Its
relative position to other lands precludes this idea.
Near the highway that connected Ishmael and Nephi lay the land of
Middoni. This is shown by the fact that when Ammon and king Lamoni
were traveling from Ishmael towards Middoni they met Lamoni's father,
the head king of all the land, coming from Nephi. This leads to the
conclusion that the same road from Ishmael led to both Nephi and
Middoni.
Nephi is called _up_ from both these lands; we, therefore, suggest
that, like Ishmael, Middoni occupied a portion of the lower lands on
the eastern borders of the Andes, but somewhat nearer the capital city.