Hem was one of the three men whom Ammon took with him into the land of Nephi during an expedition that King Mosiah² sent, around 121 B.C., to learn the fate of the colony that had left Zarahemla under Zeniff and had not been heard from for years. Mosiah granted sixteen strong men to make the search; Ammon, a descendant of Zarahemla, led them, and after wandering forty days in the wilderness they camped on a hill north of the land of Shilom. From there Ammon took three of the company, Amaleki, Helem, and Hem, down into the land of Nephi (Mosiah 7:6).
The four were seized by the king’s guard, bound, and imprisoned. After two days they were brought before the king, Limhi, son of Noah and grandson of Zeniff; once Ammon identified himself and his errand, their bands were loosed and Limhi received them gladly, learning that his kinsmen in Zarahemla were still alive (Mosiah 7:7-8). Limhi and Ammon consulted with the people on how to escape Lamanite bondage; the plan came from Gideon, who proposed sending the Lamanite guards extra wine so the people could slip out by night through a back pass. Limhi’s people departed into the wilderness, led by Ammon and his brethren, and reached Zarahemla (Mosiah 7:9-25; Mosiah 22).