In Alma 37:39–43 Alma informed us that Lehi’s family “did not travel a direct course” or “did not progress in their journey” because on so many occasions the Liahona ceased to work. It ceased because many of them did not exercise faith, and they transgressed the laws of God. This would explain why a journey that would have been of much shorter duration took so long. (Refer to the map “Possible Route Taken by Lehi’s Family” in the appendix, page 410.)