Alma 22:31,32 wrote:And they came from there up into the south wilderness. Thus the land on the northward was called Desolation, and the land on the southward was called Bountiful, it being the wilderness which is filled with all manner of wild animals of every kind, a part of which had come from the land northward for food.
And now, it was only the distance of a day and a half’s journey for a Nephite, on the line Bountiful and the land Desolation, from the east to the west sea; 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.
You’ve read the statement made by Alma many times and you think you understand it, but do you? It’s a day and a half’s journey for a Nephite -- but a journey through what? The land of Desolation is located north of the narrow neck and Bountiful is located south of the neck. That seems simple enough or does it? Apologists have assumed the day and a half was the distance across the
WIDTH of the narrow neck from Sea West to Sea East, but is it?
No! It’s not the
distance of the
WIDTH of the narrow neck from side to side or east to west! That is not what the author implied. It’s the distance of the
LENGTH of the narrow neck from north to south, the length of the neck between the seas! In other words, it’s not a distance measured on a horizontal run from east to west but a vertical run from north to south!
1)
“on the line Bountiful”
2)
“and the land Desolation”
3)
“from the east”
4)
“to the west sea”
5)
“a small neck of land”
6)
“between the land northward and the land southward”
In other words, the distance is measured from Bountiful’s northern
horizontal border which is
“on the line Bountiful” to the southern
horizontal border of Desolation!
From border to border, north and south, leading through the narrow neck that is flanked by the seas!
Psyche!
The
“distance” is what it takes for a soldier to march from the line Bountiful going north through the narrow neck until reaching Desolation. It’s
“the journey for a Nephite” soldier to make the march in average time. It’s not a reference to a marathon or a race but the amount of time it takes a soldier to march the distance from point A to point B. That’s what the author meant regarding the distance of the narrow neck in the above reference. Hence, the distance is what it takes to traverse the narrow neck from north to south or from south to north across and through the narrow neck. It’s the distance from the
line Bountiful to the land Desolation!
BUT what about the distance of the narrow neck from side to side, or from east to west -- the actual WIDTH of the neck that separates the two lands? Everyone has wrongly assumed it was a day and a half because they have misinterpreted Joseph Smith’s words. But, behold, the Book of Mormon gives us an exact answer to that question and it’s not something the apologists take kindly to. Not at all! They obfuscate Smith’s words in order to appease their listeners and defend the Church at any cost.
We learn in Helaman 3 that there were mass Nephite migrations from Zarahemla and the southern lands northward of the narrow neck. The northern lands became greatly populated even to a great distance where there were large bodies of water and many rivers. Helaman 4 tells of war between the Nephites and Lamanites; moreover, the campaigns of the Lamanites were so successful
“they succeeded in obtaining possession of the land of Zarahemla; yea, and also all the lands, even unto the land which was near the land Bountiful.”
This is when we learn that
“the Nephites and the armies of Moronihah were driven even into the land of Bountiful” with their backs to the narrow neck they faced the approaching Lamanites to the south who had taken all the lands south. The Nephites had no choice other than to stand their ground and fight or flee into the land northward. The Nephites stood there ground and went down to battle against the Lamanites and in time they regained half the territory.
Now, with that said, prior to the time when the Nephites regained territory from the Lamanites and while their backs were up against the narrow neck and left to defend Bountiful we are given the
GOLDEN KEY for the narrow neck of land!
It would have been utterly disastrous if the Lamanites had penetrated the narrow neck and entered the northern lands with the Nephites being held up in Bountiful! That would have been a worse case scenario from a military point of view. The Nephites did not flee northward but elected to stand their ground and fight!
And so, the most important thing they could do at this juncture was to secure the narrow neck and all the passes that lead through it! And therefore, they
“fortified and stationed their armies to defend their north country”; thus, they placed their military on a line to defend the narrow neck from all who dare to penetrate! They fortified the line, plugged the holes, and defended the
north country!
And in that same verse (Helaman 4:7) we are given the
GOLDEN KEY to the narrow neck which tells us exactly how
WIDE the neck is on a line from sea to sea:
“a day’s journey for a Nephite”
Or in other words, it takes a Nephite
a day to traverse the narrow neck on a horizonal line!
Helaman 4:7 wrote:And there they did fortify against the Lamanites, from the west sea, even unto the east; it being a day’s journey for a Nephite, on the line which they had fortified and stationed their armies to defend their north country.
The Isthmus of Delmarva on the
“line” Bountiful from sea west to sea east is a day’s journey for a Nephite soldier!
1 day!
THE NARROW NECK IS THE GREAT DIVIDE BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH
Mormon 2:29 wrote:And the Lamanites did give unto us the land northward, yea, even to the narrow passage which led into the land southward. And we did give unto the Lamanites all the land southward.
DEFEND THE LINE ON THE NARROW NECK
Mormon 3:5,6 wrote: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
And there we did place our armies, that we might stop the armies of the Lamanites, that they might not get possession of any of our lands; therefore we did fortify against them with all our force.
THE LINE BREAKS AND THE CITY OF DESOLATION IS TAKEN!
Mormon 4:1,2 wrote:AND now it came to pass that in the three hundred and sixty and third year the Nephites did go up with their armies to battle against the Lamanites, out of the land Desolation.
And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites were driven back again to the land of Desolation. And while they were yet weary, a fresh army of the Lamanites did come upon them; and they had a sore battle, insomuch that the Lamanites did take possession of the city Desolation, and did slay many of the Nephites, and did take many prisoners.
The rest of Mormon’s story informs us that the Nephites continued to wage war and defend their lands doing everything they could to win back their lands and cities, especially Desolation. Defending the cities to the north of the narrow neck was vital if they were to survive and maintaining a fortified line along the narrow neck was the only way they could keep the Lamanites in check and safeguard the northern territory. But the Nephites failed. The Lamanites took the narrow neck and drove the Nephites northward until the final battles commenced at Cumorah.
BOUNTIFUL AND THE NARROW NECK
Let’s look again at how the land Bountiful and the city therein was positioned on the map as it relates to the narrow neck that leads into the land northward wherein the land of Desolation is almost immediately situated.
But first, understand that the lands south of the narrow neck were at this time managed by the Nephites all the way to the head of River Sidon from Sea East to Sea West. Essentially, the Nephites possessed all the land north of the land of Nephi (Delmarva tail) which was the main habitation and capital of the Lamanites
“the land of Nephi did run in a straight course from the east sea to the west” (Alma 50:8). However, the Nephites struggled to maintain their southern sector wherein constant Lamanite incursion from the far south threatened their peace and sovereignty.
Alma 22:29 wrote:And also there were many Lamanites on the east by the seashore, whither the Nephites had driven them. And thus the Nephites were nearly surrounded by the Lamanites; nevertheless the Nephites had taken possession of all the northern parts of the land bordering on the wilderness, at the head of the river Sidon, from the east to the west, round about on the wilderness side; on the north, even until they came to the land which they called Bountiful.
Clearly there is a dividing line between Desolation and Bountiful and the land in-between is the narrow neck which is positioned on a perfect vertical axis, running north and south, being flanked by Sea West and Sea East.
Alma 22:31 wrote: And they came from there up into the south wilderness. Thus the land on the northward was called Desolation, and the land on the southward was called Bountiful, it being the wilderness which is filled with all manner of wild animals of every kind, a part of which had come from the land northward for food.
To the north is Desolation and to the south is Bountiful. The narrow neck lies in-between the two lands. The distance between Bountiful and Desolation is a day and a half’s journey.
Alma 22:32 wrote: And now, it was only the distance of a day and a half’s journey for a Nephite, on the line Bountiful and the land Desolation, from the east to the west sea; 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.
The land Bountiful spanned the entire sector south of the narrow neck leading from Sea East to Sea West. The city limits of Bountiful was within that land. Thus, the land of Bountiful was a complete buffer between the narrow neck and all the lands south of Bountiful. Nothing could get through the narrow neck without first going through Bountiful! The land Bountiful was a line leading from sea to sea, south of the narrow neck.
Alma 22:33 wrote: And it came to pass that the Nephites had inhabited the land Bountiful, even from the east unto the west sea, and thus the Nephites in their wisdom, with their guards and their armies, had hemmed in the Lamanites on the south, that thereby they should have no more possession on the north, that they might not overrun the land northward.
The people of Ammon were given the land of Jershon which was situated south of the land of Bountiful and bordered along the Sea East.
Alma 27:22 wrote:And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: Behold, we will give up the land of Jershon, which is on the east by the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south of the land Bountiful; and this land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an inheritance.
Here we clearly see that there is a line maintained by the Nephites in defending their northern territory running from sea to sea. Key to this is that the Nephites controlled all the land north of Bountiful and in order to do that they must hold the line Bountiful which leads into the narrow neck.
Alma 50:11 wrote:And thus he cut off all the strongholds of the Lamanites in the east wilderness, yea, and also on the west, fortifying the line between the Nephites and the Lamanites, between the land of Zarahemla and the land of Nephi, from the west sea, running by the head of the river Sidon—the Nephites possessing all the land northward, yea, even all the land which was northward of the land Bountiful, according to their pleasure.
Losing Bountiful will result in leaving the narrow neck vulnerable to incursion.
Alma 51 wrote:28 And it came to pass that they marched to the borders of the land Bountiful, driving the Nephites before them and slaying many.
30 And it came to pass that he headed Amalickiah also, as he was marching forth with his numerous army that he might take possession of the land Bountiful, and also the land northward.
Holding the line across Bountiful from sea to sea was an absolute must! Plugging the holes, guarding the passes, and fortifying every point along the horizonal axis was essential in preventing a Lamanite invasion through the narrow neck.
Alma 52:9 wrote:And he also sent orders unto him that he should fortify the land Bountiful, and secure the narrow pass which led into the land northward, lest the Lamanites should obtain that point and should have power to harass them on every side.
If the city Bountiful is taken then the narrow neck is open season!
Alma 52:27 wrote:And it came to pass that the Lamanites did pursue Teancum until they came near the city Bountiful, and then they were met by Lehi and a small army, which had been left to protect the city Bountiful.
If the city of Bountiful falls and
“the line which was between the land Bountiful and the land Desolation” (3 Nephi 3:23) is breached then there is nothing left to secure the narrow neck and the Lamanites can run though and possess the northern lands!
Helaman 1:23 wrote:And now he did not tarry in the land of Zarahemla, but he did march forth with a large army, even towards the city of Bountiful; for it was his determination to go forth and cut his way through with the sword, that he might obtain the north parts of the land.