Plains of Heshlon

The Plains of Heshlon are a geographical location in the Book of Mormon.

In the Book of Ether, the plains were a battlefield where warring factions of Jaredites fought. The battle started in the Valley of Gilgal, when Coriantumr led his armies in battle against Shared. Shared had overthrown Cortiantumr as king and placed him in captivity. Coriantumr's sons, however, overthrew Shared and freed their father. Upon being freed, Coriantumr gathered his armies and pursued Shared until he was able to take him on in battle. After three days of fighting, Shared and his armies fled to the Plains of Heshlon. Coriantumr pursued them until the battle again commenced on the plains. Shared's armies rallied against Coriantumr and sent his armies retreating back to the valley of Gilgal. Shared pursued him, only to be slain by Coriantumr in battle.(See Ether 13:28.)

The Book of Mormon Onomasticon created through Brigham Young University provides the etymology of the geographical name Plains of Heshlon. [1]

In an article for Interpreter Foundation, Matthew L. Bowen and Pedro Olavarria indicate that "The name Heshlon, attested once (in Ether 13:28), as a toponym in the Book of Mormon most plausibly denotes “place of crushing.” The meaning of Heshlon thus becomes very significant in the context of Ether 13:25–31, which describes the crushing or enfeebling of Coriantumr’s armies and royal power. This meaning is also significant in the wider context of Moroni’s narrative of the Jaredites’ destruction. Fittingly, the name Heshlon itself serves as a literary turning point in a chiastic structure which describes the fateful reversal of Coriantumr’s individual fortunes and the worsening of the Jaredites’ collective fortunes. Perhaps Moroni, who witnessed the gradual crushing and destruction of the Nephites, mentioned this name in his abridgement of the Book of Ether on account of the high irony of its meaning in view of the Jaredite war of attrition which served as precursor to the destruction of the Nephites.[2]