It is tempting to speculate on Joseph Smith’s thoughts as he translated this passage. Both he and Mormon received the commission involving sacred records when young but had to wait several years before taking up the task. The records themselves were buried in a hill in both cases. Although there are certainly differences in the experiences of Mormon and Joseph Smith, Joseph could not have missed the parallels. Nevertheless, unlike other references in the Book of Mormon to the future, Mormon does not record any textual foreshadowing that he was a type of the future translator. We see the connection clearly, but Mormon apparently did not.
Geography: The hill Shim is in the land Antum, but Antum is mentioned only here. Presumably it was near Mormon’s home in the land of Bountiful and therefore in the north. Mormon flees to this hill Shim from invading Lamanites (Morm. 4:23), providing another indication that Shim was in the north.