Mosiah 23:20-39 (about 121 B.C.)

While traveling southward, the Lamanite army being led by Amulon, probably along an intentionally unfamiliar route, stumbled upon the people of Alma “in the city of Helam, while tilling the land round about” (Mosiah 23:25). The people of Alma “fled from their fields, and gathered themselves together in the city of Helam; and they were much frightened because of the appearance of the Lamanites” (Mosiah 23:26). This unexpected encounter suggests a number of things. First, if the army of the Lamanites were traveling south, the secluded and hidden land of Helam would have had to be located between the land of Amulon and the land of Nephi. This relative location would be supported by the fact that the people of Alma would have known the southern orientation of the route back to the land of Nephi, the land which they had fled from, and would have probably placed their fields on the opposite or northern side of their city of Helam, farther removed from the more vulnerable route approaching from the south. This way their fields would have had more protection from pillaging by providing an early warning of any advancing group from the expected southern direction. Given this assumption, it provides a logical reason why Alma’s people working in their fields were so surprised to find a Lamanite army approaching from the north.

As an appeasement, “the Lamanites promised unto Alma and his brethren, that if they would show them the way which led to the land of Nephi that they would grant unto them their lives and their liberty” (Mosiah 23:36). But after Alma had shown them the route back to to the land of Nephi, “the Lamanites would not keep their promise; but they set guards round about the land of Helam, over Alma and his brethren” (Mosiah 23:37).