We learn from Alma’s travels that the land of Lehi-Nephi and the land of Zarahemla were separated by twenty-one days of strenuous travel. Alma, under pursuit of the Lamanites, and with over four hundred people traveled for eight days before settling in the land of Helam (Mosiah 23:3). In leaving the land of Helam, they traveled one day to the valley of Alma (Mosiah 24:20), and another twelve days to arrive in Zarahemla (v. 25). They also had animals and supplies with them (Mosiah 24:18). These calculations are important in plotting Book of Mormon geography, but we must also remember that geography lessons were not important to the recorders of the Book of Mormon plates. It was the precepts such as deliverance from bondage that was their main concern.
One of the purposes of the Book of Mormon is to warn us of the situations and experiences that were among the Nephites so that we may not avoid like situations and experiences. There are many other kinds of bondage in addition to physical bondage. A person may be bound by intellectual pursuits, financial extensions, social customs, or others. The formula is essentially the same for deliverance from all these conditions, and there is none but the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who can and will deliver his people (see Mosiah 7:19; 23:23 and comments above). However, much more important is the admonition to prevent such bondage from occurring in our lives. The Book of Mormon suggests some preventions.
Ammon informed King Limhi that Mosiah, the king of Zarahemla, was a prophet, seer, and revelator who could “know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come” (Mosiah 8:16–17). He also had an instrument which gave him the ability to translate records of an unknown language such as those of the records found by the Limhi expedition of forty-three men (Mosiah 8:13–14). These we know were the Jaredite records. The Jaredites had fallen into similar bondage as the Nephites and certainly their unabridged account gave inspired direction to the Nephites on how to avoid future bondage. In modern times, we too had a prophet, seer, and revelator, Joseph Smith who translated the Book of Mormon from an unknown language, known as reformed Egyptian, with a Urim and Thummim (see Mormon 9:32–33). We can learn from the Book of Mormon just as the Nephites may have learned from the Jaredites. Our challenge is to study and follow the precepts taught in that sacred record.