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Book of Mormon Commentary
Helaman Chapter 2
MORE NEPHITE EMIGRATIONS NORTHWARD, VER. 1-17
2:3 In the forty-sixth [year}, there were much contentions and many dissensions, in which there were an
exceedingly great many who departed out of the land of Zarahemla and went forth unto the land
northward to inherit the land.-
Even in the forty- third year some pride was in evidence among the people of the church, and
some dissension developed' among the Nephites. Helaman notes that there was no contention
during the next two years (1, 2).
Concerning the emigration the historian said, “They did travel to an exceeding great distance”
where there were "large bodies 0£ water, and many rivers" (4). Then he adds, "They did spread
forth into all parts of the land" (5). This may seem to pinpoint the new location as the Great Lakes
of northeastern U.S.A., since the plates of the Book of Mormon were found in northern New York
State. However, the text uses general terms of relative value. What “an exceeding great distance"
is to a Nephite traveling on foot (H. 2:39) may be quite different to those having modern modes of
transportation. "Large bodies of water"-large to whom? Lakes and rivers are found in several
places in Central America and Mexico (A. 22: 30). It is best not to commit ourselves too definitely
on this geography. These emigrants went to a land where "timber was exceeding scarce." Much of
it was transported to them "by the way of shipping" (10). Likely these ships went by "the west sea"
(A. 30:6), which could not get them anywhere near to New York State. Later we are told, "The
whole face of the land was changed" (III N. 4:10).
Hel 2:7 And there being but little timber upon the face of the land, nevertheless the people who went
forth became exceeding expert in the working of cement: therefore they did build houses of cement, in
the which they did dwell.
The skill 0£ building cement goes back to ancient times but on a small scale as compared to
modern times:
The use of cementing material dates from very early days, and it is probable that adhesive clay was one of the first
materials used for uniting stones, etc. Bitumen probably was also used for the same purpose, while the use of burned
gypsum, and also lime, dates back to the Egyptians.
In the widest sense the word cement includes an infinite variety of materials, and ranges from the clay used to bind
stones and other materials together to form the natives' huts in tropical countries, or the clay in the sand used by small
boys to make sand models, up to the modern rapid hardening cements which are capable of binding three times their
own weight of sand together in such a way that, at the end of twenty-four hours, they will stand a compression of
several thousand pounds per square inch.
The cement found among ancient Mexican ruins compares favorably with modern cement.
Hel 2:14 But behold, there are many books and many records of every kind, and they have been kept
chiefly by the Nephites; and they have been handed down from one generation to another, by the
Nephites, even until they have fallen into transgression, and have been murdered, plundered and hunted,
and driven forth, and slain, and scattered upon the face of the earth, and mixed with the Lamanites until