Zeniff refers to his "reign in the land of Nephi" (Mosiah 9:14). Apparently Zeniff considered himself as reigning over an area in the land of Nephi that included (at least) both Lehi-Nephi and Shilom. Zeniff himself refers to the place where he resided as "the city of Nephi" (Mosiah 9:15), and the people on the south of Shilom sought him out for help. Thus, the phrase "land of Nephi" here might mean an area extending beyond the city of Lehi-Nephi and at least encompassing Shilom. Was this area the total extent of the land governed originally by the Nephite kings who laid claim to the name "Nephi" (Jacob 1:11)? The original Nephites under the first King Nephi constructed many buildings including a temple (2 Nephi 5:15-16). Were these original buildings or those built in their stead part of Zeniff's land of Nephi? Would King Laman move himself and his people out of the center portion of their population in order for Zeniff's group to come marching in and settle themselves down on what the Lamanites considered prime property? Perhaps Nephi had originally settled some distance from the existing cultures of "Lamanite" population (non-Nephite, or those who "seek to destroy the people of Nephi"--see Jacob 1:13) which perhaps at this time far outnumbered the original group of Nephi. In time, and from a relatively small area ("the lands of our father's first inheritance" -- Mosiah 9:1) but nevertheless from a strategically defensible position (with "walls" -- see Mosiah 9:8) and with superior weapons (see 2 Nephi 5:14, Jarom 1:8) Nephi and those kings who followed him might have succeeded in not only defending the Nephite people from those "who were now called Lamanites" (2 Nephi 5:14) but in extending the Nephite culture and commerce throughout what would eventually become a general, Lamanite controlled land of Nephi after the departure of Mosiah1 (see Alma 22:27-34). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]