A Dictionary of the Book of Mormon/Ishmael, Land of
ISHMAEL, LAND OF. The first land of the Lamanites visited (B. C. 91) by Ammon, the missionary prince. It was then ruled over by a king named Lamoni. Its situation is not clearly stated; it was down from the land of Nephi (Lehi-Nephi). This leads to the thought that it was situated in the alluvial plains to the east of the Andes. It does not seem consistent with the narrative of Ammon's mission to believe it was situated in the strip of wilderness that lay between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Its relative position to other lands forbids this idea. Near the highway that connected Ishmael and Nephi, lay the land of Middoni. This is shown by the fact that when King Lamoni and Ammon were traveling from Ishmael towards Middoni they met Lamoni's father coming from Nephi. This leads to the conclusion that the same road from Ishmael led to both Nephi and Middoni. Nephi is called up from both the other lands. The land was named after the sons of Ishmael, from whom the then reigning dynasty were descended.