History: Lehi and his family behave sensibly and practically. They construct temporary shelters (v. 23), then plant the seeds they brought with them. Nephi’s association of the two may suggest that these two activities happened immediately, with hours or certainly within days of their arrival. But once again, Nephi is less interested in providing historical details than in his spiritual narrative.
The historical and archaeological record provides ample information about New World diet. It is based on indigenous foodstuffs, not Old World imports. Naturally, uncertain about which of the new plants were edible and what game was available, the colonists would plant the seeds of their familiar food. It is not surprising that these transported plants did not become staples for the entire hemisphere. The difference in the climates of the source and target lands is important. Guatemala’s climate is different in length of day, relative humidity, and year-round temperature from the Middle East, all of which could affect the yield. The Lehites would naturally and promptly adopt local crops as soon as they identified them.