7 …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.
8 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.
9 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. (Mosiah 8)And the Lord spake unto Ether and said unto him Go forth. And he went forth and beheld that the words of the Lord had all been fulfilled and he finished his record (and the hundredth part I have not written) and he hid them in a manner that the people of Limhi did find them. (Ether 15:33)
Points to Ponder:
- Ether, from his hiding spot, observed Coriantumr smite off the head of Shiz. The “go forth” command “to see all had been fulfilled” was something different. That required Ether to traverse the land, bringing him to where it started along the West Sea by the Narrow Neck.
- The Narrow Neck was along the West Sea. The majority of modelers have it incorrectly along the East Sea with the City of Bountiful along the East Sea also.
- For those modelers to detail how Limhi’s expedition team got from the City of Nephi along the West Sea, through the Land of Zarahemla, through a Narrow Neck on the eastern side where many Nephite cities were and not run into a Nephite is inconceivable.
- However, with the True Geography it’s possible. God, knowing that the main thoroughfare for those in the south would be through the Narrow Neck, led Ether to that area to leave the record. Limhi’s expedition team followed the West Sea north bypassing the people of Zarahemla altogether, traversing the Narrow Neck (not knowing it’s name, did not mention it) and saw the Sea that Divides the Land on their right, with the Sea North / Ripliancum on the north, and many flowing rivers, thus their expression “land among many waters” (Mosiah 8:8) fits.
- Everyone else got lost going to Zarahemla, they did not because they skirted Zarahemla altogether.
- Misguided modelers take two lonely verses that mention “land” and “many waters” and assume they are the same place – “Cumorah.” “Many waters” is used to describe “lots of water” (Ether 6:7), an adjective, not a noun. The two verses don’t even read the same: “land of many waters, rivers, and fountains” and “land among many waters”. (Mormon 6:4, Mosiah 8:8)