The Country of Bountiful?

One can only wonder why, but Joseph Allen, in his book “Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon,” wants to make Bountiful the chief area of land in the Nephites’ Land Southward. On page 243 of his book, he writes:

“Bountiful, in the Book of Mormon, was not only a city and a state, but also served as an umbrella over the entire Land Southward and thereby functioned as a country. For example, the land of Nephi, the land of Zarahemla, and the land of Bountiful were all lands or states within the country, or general area, of Bountiful.”

The importance of Bountiful was its strategic position as a buffer zone” to keep the Lamanites, Gadianton Robbers, and Dissenters from occupying the land northward (Alma 50:32; 51:30; 52:9).

Except for that, there is no mention of Bountiful in connection to its importance as long as the Nephites occupied the land of Zarahemla, and is first referred to as the land inhabited by wild animals (Alma 22:31). On the other hand Zarahemla was:

• The capital of the Nephite nation (Helaman 1:27)
• Where the 7 churches were established by Alma (Mosiah 25:19)
• Where Nephite liberty was first established (Mosiah 29:44)
• Where Nephite liberty was defended by Moroni (Alma 46:12, 24)
• The area from which the word of God spread forth (Alma 5:1)
• Where the Chief Judge and governor lived (Alma 30:29)
• The area which supplied the Nephite armies in the field (Alma 57:6; 58:3)
• The area which prisoners of war were sent (Alma 57:11, 16)
• The area of main importance in the scriptures until it was lost to the Lamanites

In addition, when Mormon was eleven years old he lived in the land northward and his father brought him into the land southward. Note his words: "I was carried by my father into the land southward, even to the land of Zarahemla" (Mormon 1:6). There is no mention of Bountiful or the land of Bountiful even though they had to travel through that land (Alma 22:31) to reach Zarahemla.

The point is, so many people writing about the Book of Mormon want to include their own ideas, thoughts and interpretations into the scriptures when they are not warranted. Claiming Bountiful was the name of the country in the Land Southward is just another way to try and confuse scriptural meanings so additional changes, alterations, or interpretations can be included that are even more disingenuous, such as land directions.