Upon hearing of Morianton's flight toward the "land which was northward," Moroni "sent an army with their camp" (Alma 50:33), which army was led by "a man whose name was Teancum" (Alma 50:35), that they might "head the people of Morianton." Mormon then says:
And it came to pass that they did not head them until they had come to the borders of the land Desolation; and there they did head them, by the narrow pass which led by the sea into the land northward, yea, by the sea, on the west and on the east. (Alma 50:34)
According to Alma 22:29-34, there was "a small neck of land between the land northward [land Desolation?] and the land southward [land Bountiful?]." Thus, Morianton apparently traveled not only through the land of Bountiful, but near the "small neck of land." Was the "narrow pass" mentioned in Alma 50:34 the same as the "small neck" mentioned in Alma 22:29-34? Whatever the case, Alma 50:34 seems to imply that the "narrow pass" was very close to the border of the land Desolation.
The reader should note that the city of Bountiful is not mentioned here or in Alma 52:9, where Teancum was sent orders to "fortify the land Bountiful and secure the narrow pass." In addition, much later on in Mormon's abridgement (in his own book of Mormon), he makes no mention of any land of Bountiful or city of Bountiful during the final Nephite retreat from Joshua" (which was "in the borders west by the seashore") to the "land of Jashon." Neither does Mormon mention the land or city of Bountiful in the Nephite movements from the land of Jashon to where Ammaron had deposited the records (hill Shim) and onward to the land which was called Shem. From that geographical setting, a treaty was struck wherein the "Lamanites did give unto us the land northward, yea, even to the narrow passage which led into the land southward" (Mormon 2:6,16,17,20,21,28,29). One might wonder how the Nephites were able to retreat towards the land northward from the land of Zarahemla without any mention of either the land of Bountiful or the city of Bountiful? [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Geographical Theory Maps]
“And There They Did Head Them by the Narrow Pass”
On the suggestion of John L. Sorenson, a ten-day expedition was conducted between December 27, 1989 and January 6, 1990 to investigate the Gulf of Mexico side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico. Dr. David A. Palmer was asked to head the expedition. He was assisted by Dr. Robert E. Fisher who did videotaping, and Elder Octaviano Tenorio, a regional representative of the LDS Church. A number of flights were made over the Isthmus area near the Gulf Coast. Part of those flights traveled over the area of Paso Nuevo and Minatitlan, cities on the eastern end of Sorenson's proposed "narrow pass" (see illustrations). [David A. Palmer, Robert E. Fisher, and Octaviano Tenorio, "Trip Report--Bountiful Expedition," submitted March 17, 1990, used by permission from the files of Robert E. Fisher and John L. Sorenson]
Alma 50:34 The narrow pass ([Illustration]): The Narrow Passage. Possible Mesoamerican location of the 'narrow pass" within the area of the narrow neck of land. [John L. Sorenson, Personal Collection, used by permission]
Alma 50:34 The narrow pass ([Illustration]): Map showing the modern-day highway route between Acayucan and Minatitlan (Sorenson's proposed "narrow pass") [David A. Palmer, Robert E. Fisher, and Octaviano Tenorio, "Trip Report--Bountiful Expedition," submitted March 17, 1990, used by permission from the files of Robert E. Fisher]
Alma 50:34 The narrow pass ([Illustration]): Video: View from the bridge over the Rio Coatzacoalcos River near Paso Nuevo. Flyover of area near Minatitlan and Paso Nuevo. [David A. Palmer, Robert E. Fisher, and Octaviano Tenorio, "Trip Report--Bountiful Expedition," submitted March 17, 1990, used by permission from the files of Robert E. Fisher]
Geographical [Theory Map]: Alma 50:32-36 Teancum Intercepts Morianton (24th Year)
Geographical [Theory Map]: Alma 50:34 The Narrow Pass (24th Year)
Alma 50: 34 (([Illustration]) The Narrow Pass which led by the sea on the west and on the east.
“The Narrow Pass”
A geographical question that keeps coming up as one reads the Book of Mormon is the nature and location of what is referred to as the "narrow passage" in Alma 50:34, the "narrow pass" in Alma 52:9, the "narrow passage" in Mormon 2:29, the "narrow pass" in Mormon 3:5, the "small neck of land" in Alma 22:32, and the "narrow neck of land" in Alma 63:5 and Ether 10:20.
John Sorenson takes the position that it is apparent from these verses that the pass [passage] is not the same as the narrow [small] neck itself. Rather, it is some kind of specific feature within that neck area. Alma 50 tells how Teancum intercepted Morianton's fleeing group just as they both arrived at a very specific point, "the narrow pass which led by the sea into the land northward, yea, by the sea, on the west and on the east" (Alma 50:34). It is also clear that parties passed near the city Bountiful to gain access to this pass from the eastern seashore area (Alma 51:28-30; 52:9, 27; 53:3-4). Yet the city Bountiful goes unmentioned when the pass is approached from the direction of the west sea, as shown in Mormon 2:3-6, 16-17, and 29 to 4:23. (Perhaps the city was no longer inhabited by the fourth century A.D.)
A solution is found by looking at fine-grained geographical details of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec area [Sorenson's proposed "small neck of land"]. An irregular sandstone and gravel formation appears as a ridge averaging a couple of miles wide and rising 150 to 200 feet above the surrounding country running west from the lower Coatzacoalcos River. It provides the only reliable year-round route from the isthmian/east coast area "northward" into central Veracruz. A great deal of the land on either side of this ridge is flooded periodically, as much as 12 feet deep in the rainy season. At times during that season the ridge pass would indeed lead "by the sea, on the west and on the east" (Alma 50:34), for the water in the flooded basins would be on both sides of the ridge and would have barred travel as effectively as the sea, with which the floodwaters were continuous. Even in the dry season, the lower terrain is choked with thorny brush, laced with lagoons, and rendered impractical as a customary route. This formation runs from near Minatitlan, the modern city on the Coatzacoalcos, west [Nephite "northward"] about 20 miles to Acayucan. From there the normal route leads farther west ["northward"] to the river crossing at San Juan, a key junction. The modern highway runs partly along this elevation to escape the boggy conditions on either side. Where it does so, it essentially follows the pre-European way that had been in use as the road of preference for thousands of years. (See Sorenson's map 13.)
At the east end, the ridge begins at Paso Nuevo, the major ford over the Coatzacoalcos just below Minatitlan. East of the ford the standard route leads across plains and low hills into Tabasco. If, like Morianton (Alma 50:33-34), one came from the Tabascan plain, the ford and the ridge route would be viewed as the gateway to the land northward. Teancum's intercepting army barred the gate, probably right by the river crossing. And the city Bountiful, which must be nearby, should lie near the east [Nephite "southward"] bank of the river somewhere in the ten-mile stretch between the ford and the coast (compare Alma 50:32, 34; 51:28-30; 53:3-4; 3 Nephi 11:1; 19:10-12). [John L. Sorenson An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, pp. 42-44] [See Volume 2: Appendix B "Evaluating Book of Mormon Geography"] [See Geographical Theory Maps]
Alma 50:34 The narrow pass (Illustration): John Sorenson's proposed site for the narrow pass (near Minatitlan, the modern city on the Coatzacoalcos, west [Nephite "northward"] about 20 miles to Acayucan. From there the normal route leads farther west ["northward"] to the river crossing at San Juan, a key junction.). Archaeological Map of Middle America: Land of the Feathered Serpent. Produced by the Cartographic Division , National Geographic Society, 1972.