Geographic: The flight of Morianton’s people to the land northward apparently must traverse a “narrow pass which led by the sea into the land northward.” While it is not clear what this feature is, it appears to be a specific location within the narrow neck of land. There are a number factors that do tell us a little of what this feature must be. First, it appears that the narrow pass must have had a specific entrance point. Moroni is able to send a force to intercept Morianton’s people, and they are able to know precisely where Morianton’s people would need to come to go through the pass. Secondly, it is probable that the distance, or at least the time-distance from Moroni’s encampment in Jershon would be shorter than the path from Morianton, since Moroni’s force was able to arrive before Morianton. Of course, this may also be due to the ability of a military force to travel faster than a people who are migrating.
The narrow pass is in the south of the land Desolation, which we understand from the fact that Morianton’s people where headed off in the borders of the land Desolation. We also have the enigmatic “by the sea, on the west and on the east.” It is not clear exactly what this reference to the seas would mean for a feature that appears to be otherwise quite locally focused (geographical data take from John L. Sorenson, The Geography of Book of Mormon Events. FARMS 1990, p. 279).