Which way did the priests of Noah go when they carried the Lamanite maidens “into the wilderness” (Mosiah 20:5)? And how far would they have to go before they felt safe enough from both the Nephites and the Lamanites? A good guess is that they would have had to travel beyond the borders of the general land of Nephi, yet not into the land of Zarahemla. They could have been located somewhere in the narrow strip of wilderness which divided the two lands (see Alma 22:27), perhaps beyond the land of Helam because the priests of Amulon and the Lamanites were trying to return to Shemlon when they stumbled upon Alma and his followers in the land of Helam (see Mosiah 23:35). The priests of Noah might have been located away from the route of both Ammon and Limhi, who traveled the route from Zarahemla to Lehi-Nephi without any mention of encountering the priests of Noah (also known as the brethren of Amulon -- Mosiah 24:4).
If the priests of Noah traveled any significant distance from Lehi-Nephi, we are faced with a chronological and geographical problem. At the time of Ammon’s arrival in the year 480, at the very end of Limhi’s reign, Mormon makes the following commentary:
"Now the people of Limhi kept together in a body as much as it was possible, and secured their grain and their flocks; and the king himself did not trust his person without the walls of the city, unless he took his guards with him … And he caused that his people should watch the land round about, that by some means they might take those priests that fled into the wilderness, who had stolen the daughters of the Lamanites, and that had caused such a great destruction to come upon them. For they were desirous to take them that they might punish them; for they had come into the land of Nephi by night, and carried off their grain and many of their precious things; therefore they laid wait for them.” (Mosiah 21:18-21)
Because the phrase “they had come into the land of Nephi by night” (Mosiah 21:21) comes at the end of Limhi’s 18-year reign and the stealing of the Lamanite daughters apparently happened at the beginning of his reign, some chronological assessment is required. Did the priests of Noah come from some nearby wilderness area to raid the Nephite lands, or were they coming from the land of Amulon? Before we answer, we must consider the fact that when Limhi and Ammon finally escape, the Lamanites follow them and lose their tracks, only to stumble upon the priests of Noah in the land of Amulon (Mosiah 23:31). The priests join the Lamanites and stumble upon Alma’s group in the city of Helam while trying to find a way back to the land of Nephi (Mosiah 23:35). Alma then shows them the way back (Mosiah 23:37). If the priests of Noah had been continually raiding the people of Limhi, then they would have very easily been able to show the Lamanites the way back, without Alma’s help. Perhaps by this time, the priests of Noah had removed themselves to a much more distant location.
The priests of Noah could have remained on the move in the wilderness, much like North American Indian tribes, in a hunter-gatherer existence, which they supplemented by occasional raids on the people of Limhi. It should be noted that Limhi’s people paid tribute in grain and domesticated animals (“flocks”) to the Lamanites (Mosiah 19:26,28; 21:18), who were apparently hunter-gatherers (2 Nephi 5:24). This manner of extracting tribute of those foods which were not supplied through hunting or gathering might have been how the priests of Noah survived, only they personally collected their own “tribute” through raids. After about 10 to 14 years, the priests of Noah might have moved much farther away to the land of Amulon. If they traveled beyond the borders of the general land of Nephi, yet not into the land of Zarahemla, they could have been somewhere in the narrow strip of wilderness which divided the two lands.
Or perhaps a factor besides distance was involved in the Lamanites getting lost and the land of Amulon was actually closer to the local land of Nephi. For example, in the Guatemala highlands foggy mists at times enshroud travelers, greatly decreasing visibility.
There are a couple of other possibilities that might affect this chronological dilemma:
1. Alma could have stayed at the waters of Mormon for many years, which chronologically would extend the length of Noah’s reign from what has been estimated. Thus, Limhi would have reigned for just a short time.
2. The definition of a “young man” (Mosiah 17:2) by which Alma was referred to just previous to his fleeing into the wilderness away from King Noah, could possibly mean a man up to the age of about 40. In the text, the young stripling warriors of Helaman were referred to as “very young” (Alma 56:46), while at another point in the text, “young men” are associated with those capable of putting on armor and fighting (Mosiah 10:9). Whatever the case, if the age limit for a “young man” is raised, then Alma wouldn’t have departed for the waters of Mormon until later in his life, and thus Limhi’s reign would have been shorter. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Appendix A]
Geographical [Theory Map]: Mosiah 20:1-5 Daughters of Lamanites Taken by Priests of Noah (Year 464)