Generally, the word wilderness is used in the Book of Mormon to refer to large expanses of uninhabited land, often filled with wild animals. On two occasions, specific regions of wilderness are assigned names, Hermounts (here in Alma 2:37) and Bountiful:
The name Bountiful appears to be the Nephite name of the wilderness that the Jaredites designated as a game reserve prior to their destruction. The Jaredites themselves lived in the land of Moron, to the north, which was near the land that was later referred to as the land Desolation by the Nephites: “now the land of Moron where the king dwelt was near the land which is called Desolation by the Nephites” (Ether 7:6).
In both Alma 2:37 and Alma 22:31, the relative clause headed by which is intended to be restrictive rather than nonrestrictive. The structure of the present participial clause in Alma 22:31 requires a restrictive interpretation (“it being the wilderness which was filled with all manner of wild animals of every kind”); thus in the printed editions no comma has ever been added after wilderness in Alma 22:31. On the other hand, the printed editions all have a comma after wilderness in Alma 2:37, which makes the following relative clause (“which was called Hermounts”) nonrestrictive. The wilderness of Hermounts is to the west and north of Zarahemla and does not refer to the wilderness of Bountiful. John Sorenson’s analysis of the battle with the Lamanites and Amlicites places the wilderness of Hermounts “not much greater than ten miles” from the river Sidon; see pages 61–62 of Sorenson’s Mormon’s Map (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 2000). Consequently, the wilderness of Hermounts should be treated as a distinct wilderness. The critical text will therefore treat the relative clause “which was called Hermounts” as restrictive.
Summary: Remove in Alma 2:37 the comma that the 1830 typesetter placed after the word wilderness; the relative clause “which was called Hermounts” is restrictive.