“The Wilderness Which Was Called Hermounts Wild and Ravenous Beasts”

Alan C. Miner

In Alma 2:37 it says that the Lamanites were scattered until "they reached the wilderness which was called Hermounts; and it was that part of the wilderness which was infested by wild and ravenous beasts." According to the geographical theory of Joseph Allen, on the Mesoamerican map we find a very rugged mountainous region northwest of the ruins of Santa Rosa (the local land of Zarahemla). It is this wilderness or mountainous region that forms the eastern border of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Not only does the geography match the account in the Book of Mormon, but there is also a noteworthy word association. The word "hermounts" is associated with "wild and ravenous beasts." In addition, in the Aztec or Nahuatl language, the word "Tehuantepec" also means "wilderness or wild and ravenous beasts." The word "Tecuani" means "wild tiger or ferocious beasts." [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 40]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

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