The city of Mulek lay south of Bountiful, “on the east borders by the seashore” (Alma 51:26). Around 67 B.C. it fell to the Lamanites during Amalickiah’s campaign along the east coast, taken with the cities of Nephihah, Lehi, Morianton, Omner, and Gid; all were strongly fortified after the manner of Moroni’s own works (Alma 51:25-26).
Teancum first moved against Mulek alone but could not overpower the Lamanites in their fortifications, so he withdrew to Bountiful to wait for Moroni. The Nephite captains then sent an embassy to the Lamanite leader Jacob, a Zoramite, asking him to come out to the plains; he refused. Moroni instead drew the Lamanites out: Teancum marched a small force near the seashore as a decoy and retreated northward when the Lamanites pursued, while Moroni took his army by night through the wilderness west of the city and seized it, killing the defenders who would not surrender (Alma 52:17-27). The pursuing Lamanites were caught near Bountiful between Lehi’s force and Moroni’s and surrounded; Jacob was killed, Moroni was wounded, and the prisoners taken outnumbered the slain (Alma 52:28-40).
Mulek is called “one of the strongest holds of the Lamanites in the land of Nephi” (Alma 53:6), though the city stood in the land of Zarahemla, north of the land of Nephi (Alma 50:11; 51:24-27); the phrasing reflects its temporary occupation by the Lamanites.