Use of the Term “Round About”

According to David Rosenvall’s website in his Baja California model, 'the Book of Mormon mentions two “round about” areas in relation to their lands. One is in the land of Nephi on the south and the other is near the land of Zarahemla. These two areas are easily identified in Baja California. One is the prominent circular or “round about” cape at the southern end of the peninsula, and the other is the extended “round about” cape at the mid point along the west coast near the town of Guerrero Negro, adjacent to the area we propose as the land of Zarahemla.”

However, this is not correct. Nor is the word “round about” used in any other way than how it is defined. The word “round about” as known to Joseph Smith in 1829 is literally defined as “round and about.” It means “encircling” “encompassing.”

The Land of Nephi to the south was “divided from the land of Zarahemla by a narrow strip of wilderness, which ran from the sea east even to the sea west, and round about on the borders of the seashore” (Alma 22:27) which curved upward into the Land of Zarahemla, or round about on the south of the Land of Zarahemla as shown

There are approximately 70 uses of the term—not two as suggested—in just the Mosiah and Alma chapters alone, with at least half of these relating to the land. They are laboriously included here to show that there is no manipulation of numbers or verses or meanings:

Mosiah 2:5-6 - when they came up to the temple, they pitched their tents round about… And they pitched their tents round about the temple
Mosiah 4:1 - he cast his eyes round about on the multitude
Mosiah 7:21 - having yielded up into his hands the possessions of a part of the land, or even the city of Lehi-Nephi, and the city of Shilom; and the land round about
Mosiah 10:2 - I set guards round about the land,
Mosiah 10:7 - sent my spies out round about the land of Shemlon
Mosiah 11:12 - and he could even look over all the land round about
Mosiah 11:15 - he planted vineyards round about in the land
Mosiah 11:17 - sent guards round about the land
Mosiah 19:6 - the king cast his eyes round about towards the land of Shemlon
Mosiah 19:28 - the king of the Lamanites set guards round about the land
Mosiah 21:2 - they began to come into the borders of the land round about.
Mosiah 21:20 - he caused that his people should watch the land round about
Mosiah 22:11 - they went round about the land of Shilom
Mosiah 23:25 - in the city of Helam, while tilling the land round about, behold an army of the Lamanites was in the borders of the land.
Mosiah 23:37 - they set guards round about the land of Helam
Mosiah 27:2 - sent a proclamation throughout the land round about
Mosiah 27:32 - traveling round about through all the land
Alma 12:2 - heard by the people round about
Alma 15:24: - they did flock in from all the region round about Sidom
Alma 16:15 - throughout the land, in all the region round about,
Alma 17:33 - Encircle the flocks round about that they flee not
Alma 21:13 - fled out of the land of Middoni unto the regions round about
Alma 21:21 - and in all the land round about
Alma 22:27 - which ran from the sea east even to the sea west, and round about on the borders of the seashore
Alma 23:27 - who were in all his land, who were in all the regions round about
Alma 22:29 - from the east to the west, round about on the wilderness side
Alma 22:34 - only in the land of Nephi, and the wilderness round about
Alma 24:1 - in all the land round about
Alma 28:1 - the armies of the Nephites were set round about the land of Jershon, yea, in all the borders round about the land of Zarahemla
Alma 30:32 - notwithstanding my many travels round about the land
Alma 43:22 - and took their journey round about in the wilderness
Alma 43:24 - were marching round about in the wilderness
Alma 43:28 - Moroni placed spies round about
Alma 48:8 - throwing up banks of earth round about to enclose his armies, and also building walls of stone to encircle them about, round about their cities and the borders of their lands; yea, all round about the land.
Alma 49:2 - they had cast up dirt around about to shield them from
Alma 49:4 - had dug up a ridge of earth round about them
Alma 49:13 - every city in all the land round about
Alma 49:18 - the ditch which had been dug round about
Alma 50:1 - digging up heaps of earth round about all the cities
Alma 50:2 - works of timbers built up to the height of a man, round about the cities
Alma 50:3 - a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about
Alma 50:4 - round about every city in all the land
Alma 50:9 - in the land round about
Alma 52:6 - he kept his men round about, as if making preparations for war
Alma 52:6 - casting up walls round about
Alma 52:10 - strengthen the cities round about
Alma 53:3 - digging a ditch round about the land,
Alma 53:4 - encircled the city of Bountiful round about
Alma 55:25 - in strengthening the fortifications round about the city
Alma 56:22 - we kept spies out round about
Alma 57:6 - from the land round about
Alma 57:9 - we did camp round about the city for many nights
Alma 58:14 - they sent out their spies round about us
Alma 59:2 - in all the land round about in that part where he was
Alma 59:6 - from the land round about
Alma 60:22 - while there are thousands round about in the borders of the land
Alma 62:34 - encamp with their armies round about in the borders of the land of Moroni

Additionally, there are 3 uses in 1 Nephi; 3 in 2 Nephi; 8 in Helaman; 10 in 3 Nephi; 1 in 4 Nephi; 1 in Mormon; and 1 in Ether, for a total of 101.

It is sad that someone is so intent on trying to prove their Land of Promise model that they will force an issue with a verse or two that in no way was intended for that purpose. The term “round about” is used in every single case exactly as the word is defined by Webster’s 1828 dictionary and the way the word would have been understood to Joseph Smith when he translated the plates. Thus, there are not two references, but 101 uses of “round about,” and all convey the exact same meaning and cannot be construed to represent two specific physical land areas in Baja California.