There are seven destroyed cities cited in 3 Nephi 3-7 which make up the first half of the full list. Of those seven, there are only three whose locations have been talked about in the Book of Mormon (Zarahemla, Moroni, and Jerusalem). All three of these were located in the land southward. One might guess that the other four (Onihah, Gilgal, Mocum, and Moronihah) might belong in the land southward also. The reader should note that in Mormon's preliminary report (3 Nephi 8:8-12) he proceeds from land southward to land northward, which sequence might be mirrored in 3 Nephi 9:3-10.
3 Nephi 9:3 Behold, that great city . . . have I burned with fire ([Illustration]): Golden light touches one of the restored buildings of Chiapa de Corzo which was anciently one of the largest cities in the Chiapas depression of Mexico. Around the time of the crucifixion, important buildings in this city burned. [Scot and Maurine Proctor, Light from the Dust, p. 185]
3 Nephi 9:3 Behold, that great city Zarahemla have I burned with fire ([Illustration]): Morning light touches simply Mayan huts and the edge of the Guatemalan jungle between Chisec and Playa Grande. These huts may be similar to the dwelling places of the Nephites and may explain why Nephite cities could be burned to the ground and then be rebuilt quite rapidly. [Scot and Maurine Proctor, Light from the Dust, pp. 178-179]
“That Great City ”
According to John Sorenson, at least three types of cities are indicated in the Book of Mormon. The first is a city that is the administrative center for a local land. The second is a city without any significant amount of dependent land. The third is a "great city." . . . .
We observe that six "great" cities are specifically identified in [New World] Book of Mormon lands: Zarahemla (3 Nephi 9:3), Moroni (3 Nephi 9:4), Moronihah (3 Nephi 9:5), Jerusalem (Alma 21:2), Ammonihah (Alma 9:4), Jacobugath (3 Nephi 9:9), and the Jaredite city built by king Lib (Ether 10:20). In addition, when the Savior spoke to the people from above on the occasion of the great catastrophe, he referred to additional "great and notable cities" (3 Nephi 8:14) and "great cities" (3 Nephi 10:4) which had been destroyed (compare the "large cities" mentioned in Mosiah 27:6). . . .
It should be of interest to know something of how Mesoamerican settlement patterns compare with the Book of Mormon. A number of characteristics of settlements that are cited in the archaeological literature have direct parallels with statements and intimations about settlements in the Book of Mormon. This mere sampling of parallels points to the need for a more comprehensive comparison yet to be done.
1. Population size was not a vital consideration in whether a Mesoamerican settlement was to be classified as a city. Political or military function of the status of being a planned city was instead determinative.
2. City and land or surrounding area shared the same name and were not conceptually distinguished from each other.
3. Ruler and place shared the same name.
4. Fortified sites could also qualify as cities despite lack of other criteria.
5. A city could accommodate various ethnic or linguistic groups, normally in different residential sectors.
6. Unquestionable cities, and perhaps even great cities, existed throughout most of Mesoamerican history, even prior to 600 B.C.
[John L. Sorenson, "The Settlements of Book of Mormon Peoples," in Nephite Culture and Society, pp. 140-142, 150-151] [See the commentary on 1 Nephi 1:4]