While living in the Land of Nephi, the Nephites were constantly under attack by marauding Lamanites. It finally become so bad that their King, Mosiah I., began to fear for his people's safety. The prophet Amaleki wrote:
Behold, I will speak unto you somewhat concerning Mosiah, [a descendant of Nephi and, therefore, a nephi or king to his people] . . . behold, he being warned of the Lord that he should flee out of the land of Nephi, and as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord should also depart out of the land with him, into the wilderness— And it came to pass that he did according as the Lord had commanded him. And they departed out of the land into the wilderness, as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord; and they were led by many preachings and prophesyings. And they were admonished continually by the word of God; and they were led by the power of his arm, through the wilderness until they came down into the land which is called the land of Zarahemla. (Omni 1: 12-13)
Zarahemla was located near the River Sidon. Today the River is known as the Grijalva. The probably site of Zarahemla, Santa Rosa, was briefly excavated in the 1970's. Since then, it has been swallowed up in the lake behind the Angostura Dam.
When the Nephites arrived in Zarahemla, they met a group of people who called themselves the people of Zarahemla. The two groups joined together in an alliance with Mosiah as their king.
Mosiah II. was also a wise ruler. During the early days of his reign, a group of Nephites from Zarahemla returned to the Land of Nephi where they came into bondage by the Lamanites who now inhabited the highlands of Guatemala.
Text copyright December 2013, Gebara Education
Pictures:
Zarahemla from www.bigboardgames.com
Angostura Lake from www.flickr.com
King Benjamin from www.lds.org
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