Some 35 years before the birth of Christ, with the Nephite civilization at war with the Lamanites, the Nephites lost not only the capital city of Zarahemla, but also many other cities and lands. In recounting the events, Mormon, the Nephite prophet who abridged the 1,000-year history of these great peoples, uses but a few words to explain that the entire Nephite civilization had relocated to the land of Bountiful. (See Helaman 4:5-6.)
Within four or five years, the Nephites had regained half of all their lost lands. But Mormon does not say whether the Nephites reclaimed Zarahemla.
As the modern reader nears the account of the Savior's visit to the Americas, Mormon leaves him uninformed as to whether Zarahemla or Bountiful is now the center of Nephite civilization. Mormon does make passing reference — in a mere eight words — to the fact that, just before the Savior's visit, Zarahemla was destroyed by fire. (See 3 Nephi 8:8.) And the reader does know that when the Savior visited, the people were gathered in the land Bountiful. (See 3 Nephi 11:1.)
But, after even the most thorough reading of the Book of Mormon, we really just don't know how and when this great Nephite civilization migrated from place to place.
In fact, if measured as a cartographer, journalist or historian, Mormon, quite frankly, falls far short of countless others. His writings lack the sociographic, demographic and geographic detail necessary for even an elementary history text.
However, if embraced as the prophet of God, Mormon — a true disciple whose purpose was to bring us to Christ — mingles with a noble and precious few.
Based on Mormon's writings, we may not know how the Lamanites took control of Zarahemla, but we know why.
"Now this great loss of the Nephites, and the great slaughter which was among them, would not have happened had it not been for their wickedness and their abomination which was among them. . . " (Helaman 4:11-12).
And we may not know which cities the Nephites regained, but we know why.
"And it came to pass that they did repent, and inasmuch as they did repent they did begin to prosper.
"For when Moronihah saw that they did repent he did venture to lead them forth from place to place, and from city to city, even until they had regained the one-half of their property and the one-half of all their lands" (Helaman 4:15-16).
No, we may not know how, but, yes, we do know why. And for those trying to follow the Savior today, the why is infinitely more important than the how.
Clearly, Mormon's inspired intent in abridging the Book of Mormon was to detail doctrines that would bring people of our day unto Christ.
Hence monumental, but merely mortal, events — like great battles or mass migration — held little value for Mormon's purposes. Rather than recounting 1,000 years of history of the early Americas, Mormon imparted the doctrines of salvation.
The history, most likely, would be fascinating.
The doctrine, however, is essential.
"The evidence for (the Book of Mormon's) truth, for its validity in a world that is prone to demand evidence, lies not in archaeology or anthropology, though these may be helpful to some. It lies not in word research or historical analysis, though these may be confirmatory. The evidence for its truth and validity lies within the covers of the book itself. The test of its truth lies in reading it. It is a book of God. Reasonable people may sincerely question its origin; but those who have read it prayerfully have come to know by a power beyond their natural senses that it is true, that it contains the word of God, that it outlines saving truths of the everlasting gospel, that it came forth by the gift and power of God . . . to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ'" (President Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, February 2004).