It is interesting that in the account of Limhi's escape from the Lamanites, a "secret pass" (Mosiah 22:7) was utilized. In his illustrated history of Guatemala (Guatemala Historia Grafica), Gerardo Gordillo Barrios relates the details of the Spanish conquest of the Cachiquel Indians of highland Guatemala. The capital city of the Cachiquel Indians was in the city of Iximche' [about 60 miles to the west of present day Guatemala City]. The Spanish initially tried to take the city of Iximche, and succeeded in setting fire to much of it, but had stalled when its commander, don Pedro Alvarado was ordered to Honduras by Hernan Cortes. When he returned, he brought with him a good part of Cortes' army. During Alvarado's absence, the Indians at Iximche had forced the remaining Spanish troops to retreat back to the city of Quezaltenango. With Alvarado's return, the battle over Iximche began anew with increased vigor. Alvarado's troops had soon taken control over the entire city of Iximche, but were still unable to reach the Cachiquel kings, who had retreated to their "castle" in the nearby hills called "Holon-Balam." From this position, the Cachiqueles were able to withstand every attempt at total victory by the Spanish troops. With the outcome uncertain, don Pedro Alvarado had to return to Spain and left his soldiers to continue the fight. After much time and many attempts, the Spanish were at the point of giving up. They had decided to offer a formal peace treaty to the Cachiqueles, but a stroke of luck would alter history. At the very time that a Spanish soldier was taking a formal offer of peace to the Cachiquel kings, a Cachiquel "traitor" stumbled into the Spanish camp and offered them the exact information they needed to overcome the Cachiquel kings. This Cachiquel "traitor" led them to a secret underground passageway which allowed the Spanish to penetrate the Cachiquel defenses all the way to their castle. The Spanish forces arrived just as the Cachiqueles were about to execute the Spanish soldier who had been sent to offer peace. [Adapted from Gerrardo Gordillo Barrios, Guatemala Historia Grafica, Segundo tomo, pp. 27-28]
Mosiah 22:7 We will pass through the secret pass ([Illustration]): The Cachiquel traitor shows the Spanish the secret underground passageway leading to the castle of the Cachiquel kings. [Adapted from Gerrardo Gordillo Barrios, Guatemala Historia Grafica, Segundo tomo, p. 28]