Limhi’s Scouts were a contingent of forty-three explorers sent by King Limhi, who reigned over a Nephite colony in the land of Nephi, which was subject to Lamanite control. Following persistent Lamanite oppression, Limhi was desperate to solicit help and sought to find the land of Zarahemla to appeal to their Nephite brethren for deliverance (Mosiah 8:7). These scouts were dispatched with that purpose but, unfortunately, became lost in the wilderness, failing to locate Zarahemla (Mosiah 8:8; 21:25).
On their unintentional sojourn, they discovered a land strewn with bones of men and animals and concluded that they had found Zarahemla, although it was actually the remains of the Jaredite civilization. They also stumbled upon ruins, including large buildings and sophisticated weapons of war (Mosiah 8:8; 21:26). Among the significant items they brought back to King Limhi were twenty-four plates made of pure gold, inscribed with a record of the Jaredites (Mosiah 8:9–10; Ether 1:1-2; 15:33). These artifacts became vital historical documents, providing a link to the fallen Jaredite nation, and the plates specifically would later be translated by King Mosiah, son of King Benjamin, providing vital records for the Nephite people (Mosiah 28:11; Ether 1:2). The scouts themselves may not have achieved their initial objective, but their unintended discoveries enriched Nephite historical knowledge immeasurably.