Surprisingly, one of the most compelling evidences supporting the flow of the river Sidon in a general southwest direction comes from the consequences of throwing dead bodies into its waters. During two Book of Mormon battles, the bodies of the slain were cast by the Nephites into the “waters of Sidon.” And “their bones are in the depths of the sea, and they are many” (Alma 3:3). The record implies the bones, not the bodies, are in the sea and this movement of bones to the sea could have happened later, not immediately (Alma 2:34; 3:3; 44:21–22). It only stands to reason, these dead bodies would be cast into the waters of the river Sidon at a location downstream from Zarahemla and Gideon to prevent the blood and gore flowing past these prominent Nephite cities. Given the number of dead, the survivors of these battles would not want to contaminate the water supplied by the river Sidon which would have been used for drinking, bathing and agriculture.

One of the battles was around hill Riplah, on the east bank of the river Sidon (Alma 6:7; 43:27, 31, 35; 49:16), near the borders of Manti to the south (Alma 17:1; 43:32). Hill Riplah, therefore, was located south of Zarahemla, and a southwest flowing river Sidon would allow the foul smelling, visually disgusting and contaminating refuse to continue flowing to the sea west, completely avoiding the populated areas of Zarahemla and Gideon to the north. On the other hand, a northward flowing river Sidon would carry the unpleasant gore and remains of these dead bodies downstream right by these populated areas, located on opposite sides of the river, where the families of some of the dead would be living. The logical prevention of visual and biological contamination of the river at these key points argues strongly for a southwest flowing river Sidon and against a north flowing river. A river flowing north does not pass this “smell test.”