Mormon records in Mormon 2:29 that the Lamanites granted the Nephites "the land northward, yea, even to the narrow passage which led into the land southward. And we did give unto the Lamanites all the land southward." Assuming a hemispheric Book of Mormon geography model (North America-South America), one might wonder how a whole continent of people could be asked to separate and move for the sake of a treaty drawn by armies totaling 80,000 people? (Mormon 2:25) If, during these final battles, the Nephites had gone from the land of Zarahemla (in South America) to the hill Shim (near New York) and back, and Mormon had gone twice, then why has the "narrow pass" not been mentioned from the start of the battles in 322 A.S. until this treaty in 350 A.S.? [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]
The Lamanites Did Give Unto Us 350 As Treaty
According to Joseph Allen, the 350 AD treaty (Mormon 2:29) was not just a treaty between the Nephites and the Lamanites. The Robbers of Gadianton were included in the treaty (Mormon 2:28). The governmental stronghold of the Robbers of Gadianton possibly was at Teotihuacan in the Valley of Mexico. Beginning at 350 AD, the combination of government at Teotihuacan began to exercise control and to trade throughout Mesoamerica. The Nephites who lived about the narrow passage or small neck of land [Isthmus of Tehuantepec] may have simply been in the way of the trade activities between the Mexico Valley and Guatemala City (Kaminaljuyu). [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 107]
According to David Palmer, could an informal alliance have been struck between the two powerful cities [Kaminaljuyu and Teotihuacan]? If so, the only thing preventing a consummation of that marriage would have been the presence of the hated "Nephites." [David A. Palmer, In Search of Cumorah, p. 204]
The Lamanites Did Give Unto Us 350 As Treaty
According to Hunter and Ferguson, the parallels between (the 16th century Mesoamerican historian) Ixtlilxochitl and the Book of Mormon concerning the agreement or treaty of 350 AD (Mormon 2:29) are too striking to pass over without comment. According to Ixtlilxochitl, seven leaders held the meeting to discuss terms. Obviously, they were the leaders of the seven original tribal groups into which the Bountiful-land people separated at the end of the long era of peace. Ixtlilxochitl mentions that there were "two principal leaders and five other minor ones." This is in close accord with the Nephite record which says that the dominant tribes were the Nephites on the one hand and the Lamanites on the other.
Ixtlilxochitl makes it clear that the prophet-historian, Hueman, spoke for the exiled branch of the original united peoples of Bountiful-land. Mormon, in his own Nephite record is modest, saying merely that "we made a treaty . . ." Clearly he was the primary or principal spokesman for the exiled Nephites. [Milton R. Hunter and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, p. 355]
The Lamanites Did Give Unto Us 350 As Treaty
According to Todd Allen, at about A.D. 350 , a treaty was made that affected Nephite land ownership. What is astonishing to many readers of the Book of Mormon is that this treaty not only involved the Lamanites, but the Gadianton robbers. One might wonder, Why were they invited to join the treaty? The cultures of Mesoamerica offer a possible scenario.
At about A.D. 400, open trade occurs for the fist time between Teotihuacan (the Valley of Mexico) and Kaminaljuyu (Guatemala City). What was previously impeding this trade may be evident by paying close attention to the treaty involving the Gadianton robbers in Mormon 2:28. Apparently there were three separate regional divisions at the time, each controlled by separate governmental organizations: (1) the Lamanites, who controlled the land of Nephi, or the Guatemala highlands in the south; (2) the Gadianton robbers, who controlled the land northward, or the Teotihuacan region; and (3) the Nephites, who controlled the land of Zarahemla, or the land in between the Lamanites and the Gadianton robbers, better known as the Mexican state of Chiapas and the Peten jungle of Guatemala.
If the Gadianton robbers were in fact controlling the land northward at this time, then it makes sense that they would have had to be included in the treaty talks. But why were they willing to give up a portion of their land to the Nephites? And why would the Nephites agree to give up half their lands? The answer is apparently the perceived hope for more money and more power. With the Nephites controlling the lands of Zarahemla and Bountiful, all trade between the Gadianton robbers and the Lamanites would have gone through them. Naturally, the Nephites would have exacted a price for the exchange that could not occur without passing through them. But greed apparently took over with all parties involved, and so contentions arose. With the treaty of A.D. 350, the Nephites agreed to leave the more secure surroundings of the land of Zarahemla (the Chiapas Depression) and move up into the narrow neck of land (or the Gulf area of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec). This move apparently offered the Nephites a tighter control of trade (and riches), however it sacrificed some of their defensive capabilities. Under these conditions, David Palmer asks, "Could an informal alliance have been struck between the two powerful cities [Guatemala city of the Lamanites and Teotihuacan of the Gadianton robbers]? If so, the only thing preventing a consummation of that marriage would have been the presence of the hated "Nephites" who controlled areas on both sides of the Isthmus [of Tehuantepec, or the narrow neck of land]" (In Search of Cumorah, 1981, 204)
Apparently, this was the case. It was just ten years after this treaty that the Lamanites began to engage in battle with the Nephites, and only 35 years would pass before the Nephites were completely destroyed at Cumorah, finally removing the literal "middle man" between the Lamanites and the Gadianton robbers. This presents new possibilities for explaining Moroni's statement that "[secret combinations] have caused the destruction . . . of the people of Nephi" (Ether 8:21).
Interestingly, the powerful Teotihuacan suffered the same fate as the Nephites, or any other nation which upholds secret combinations. It was eventually destroyed according to the promise found in Ether 8:22. The population of Teotihuacan fell from an all time high of 200,000 to about 60,000 as a result of "deep dissatisfaction of the people toward the government" (Ignacio Bernal 1985, 54). The society soon collapsed, with the neighboring Toltecs becoming the controlling power, and the city of Teotihuacan was abandoned. [Todd Allen, "Secret Combinations at Teotihuacan," in The Book of Mormon Archaeological Digest, Volume II, Issue II, 1999, p. 10, 13] [See the commentary on 4 Nephi 1:26]
Geographical [Theory Map]: Mormon 2:28-29 Treaty: Nephites = Land Northward Lamanites = Land Southward (350 A.S.)