The book changes time narration as it reflects on events that were past but are now being unfolded. The Nephites wanted to know what had happened to some of them who had taken a trip back to the land of Nephi in an attempt to reclaim it. Mosiah sends a small group on an expedition to find out (chapter 7). Some of this small group is met by guards and taken to prison and then brought before a king named Limhi. Limhi tells this group their story and shows the Record of Zeniff, who was the leader of the first group to try to reclaim the land of Nephi. This story within a story encompasses chapters 9 through 22.