Antionum, the land where the Zoramite apostates gathered (B. C. 75), was an extensive and thinly settled region, extending from the land of Jershon to the great southern wilderness. Its boundaries are thus defined (Alma xxxi. 3): Antionum, which was east of the land of Zarahemla, which lay nearly bordering upon the sea shore, which was south of the land of Jershon, which also bordered upon the wilderness south. By this we understand that it stretched north from the great wilderness, which passed by the head of the Sidon, almost to the Atlantic Ocean; that its western boundary was the land of Zarahemla, and Jershon its northern limit. Nothing is said of its eastern borders, for the simple reason that at the time this passage was originally written, the country east was yet uninhabited, except possibly by a few wandering Lamanites. At its extreme southern or southeastern corner, "among the borders of the Lamanites" of the wilderness, was the outlaying land of Siron. This place is mentioned but once in the Book of Mormon (Alma xxxix. 3).
Manti.—During the days of the republic, Manti was a district of great importance to the Nephites. It was situated contiguous to the wilderness at the head waters of the Sidon (Alma xvi. 6), and lay on the line of march generally taken by the armies of the Lamanites when they invaded Zarahemla. Its exact boundaries are not defined; indeed, it is altogether probable that they varied considerably at different periods of Nephite history. However, it is evident that it was the most southerly of all the lands inhabited by the Nephites, in the western half of the South American continent, after they had moved from the land of Nephi.
Gideon.—In a valley on the east of the Sidon was built, during the early days of the republic, an important city, which was named after the martyr Gideon. The valley itself was also known by the same name, and is frequently called the land of Gideon, for we find no evidence to lead to the conclusion that the land extended beyond the valley. Nearly all that we know of this region is contained in a single passage (Alma vi. 7), which states that Alma left Zarahemla and went over upon the east of the river Sidon, into the valley of Gideon, there having been a city built which was called the city of Gideon, which was in the valley that was called Gideon, being called after the man who was slain by the hand of Nehor with the sword.
From the references in the historical narrative we incline to the opinion that this valley lay either directly east, or somewhat to the south of the city of Zarahemla. Travelers coming from the north are never mentioned as passing through it on their way to Zarahemla, without they had a purpose in so doing, as in the case where Moroni marched from the north-east to the relief of chief judge Pahoran (Alma lxvii.)
CHAPTER LXVIII.
LANDS OF THE NEPHITES, CONTINUED—MINON—MELEK—AMMONIHAH—NOAH—SIDOM—AARON—LEHI—MULEK—BOUNTIFUL—THE SOUTH-WEST BORDER.
MINON is mentioned but once in the Book of Mormon. Its location is then directly stated. It is spoken of as the land of Minon, above the land of Zarahemla, in the course of the land of Nephi (Alma ii. 24). Elder Orson Pratt, in a note to this chapter, places Minon about two days' journey south of the city Zarahemla. This is the obvious conclusion to be drawn from the details contained in the chapter; from these details and the above quotation, we also judge it to have been on the western banks of the Sidon, and in the direct road between Nephi and Zarahemla. At this date (B. C. 91) it was inhabited by an agricultural population, who, at the approach of the Lamanites, fled before them into the capital city.
As the course of the river Sidon was from south to north, it is but reasonable to conclude that when the words above and below are used, when reference is made to places on its banks or in its neighborhood, that above means south and below, north. This is a very common mode of expression in such cases.
Melek.—The boundaries of this land are very indistinctly stated by the inspired writer of the Book of Alma, for it is in that book alone that it is mentioned. However, two things are positively stated (chapter viii.), namely, that it was west of the river Sidon, and that it extended westward as far as the narrow strip of wilderness which ran north and south between the mountains and Pacific Ocean. We imagine that its eastern borders touched the land of Zarahemla and from thence it stretched out as far as the country proved habitable, as it appears to have had a large population, judging from the account given of Alma's ministrations (B. C. 82). That it embraced a large district of country is proven by the fact that when Alma had finished his labors in the city of Melek, he traveled three days' journey on the north of the land of Melek before he came to the city of Ammonihah (Alma viii. 6). In later years, when it was considered unsafe for the Ammonites to remain longer in Jershon they were removed to Melek, the proximity of which to Zarahemla, as well as its remoteness from the lands of the Lamanites, rendered it admirably adapted as a place of safety for that persecuted people.