WHERE DID THE NEPHITES LIVE?

Third Nephi, chapter eight, verse five tells us that the great storm which began at the death of Jesus, happened on the fourth day of the first month.  This is according to the Nephite calendar.  That pinpoints the date as being April 4th according to our calendar since we know from other sources that Jesus was both born and resurrected on April 6th.  He was killed on the 4th, laid in the tomb, and rose on the third day.

Using that information enables us to determine how other dates in the Book of Mormon correlate with our calendar.  Apparently the Nephite year began with spring, a logical and sensible way to set things up.

Other pinpointed dates in the Book of Mormon include:

1. Amalickiah killed on last day, 25th year = 31 March.  (Alma 51:33-37).
2. Amalickiah found dead in his tent, 1st day, 1st month = 1 April.  (Alma 52:1).
3. Moroni's army begins digging heaps of earth around Nephite cities to fortify them in the

commencement of the 20th year = 1 April.  (Alma 50:1).

4. Lamanites destroy Ammonihah on 5th day, 2nd month = 5 May.  (Alma 16:1).
5. Giddianhi comes to battle Nephites in 6th month = September.  (3 Nephi 4:7).
6. Lamanite army chases Helaman's striplings on 3rd day, 7th month = 3 Oct .  (Alma 56:42).
7. Prison at Ammonihah collapsed on 12th day, 10th month = 12 January.  (Alma 14:23).
8. Lamanite army again approaches Ammonihah on 10th day, 11th month = 10 Feb  (Alma 49:1)

I think that being able to place these events on our current calendar gives us insights into where these Book of Mormon people were living.  We deduce that Lamanite armies were on the move with their offensives in March, April, May, September, October, and February.  That pretty well covers the entire year.  If these people lived up north where winters were hard, they would not have been likely to initiate military campaigns when snows were deep and the weather was cold.

This list does not include the months of June, July, and August; nor of November, December, and January.  However, we know that since Amalickiah had already been on a major offensive when he was killed on 31 March, we can assume that his army was on the move in the preceding months that would probably include the months of November, December, and January.

From these deductions I also deduce that these people were not in any northern regions of our present United States.  They could possibly have been in the southern areas of our country, but I think it more probable that they were much further south, as in present-day Mexico or Central America.

It think it significant that nowhere in the Book of Mormon is cold or snow mentioned, as it would have been if the people lived where such things would be a part of their existence.