In the first year of the reign of the judges—about 91 B.C.—a dissenting Nephite named Nehor introduced priestcraft among the people (Alma 1:12, 16). A man named Gideon confronted Nehor “with the words of God.” Nehor “drew his sword and began to smite him. Now Gideon being stricken with many years, therefore he was not able to withstand his blows, therefore he was slain by the sword” (Alma 1:9). Gideon in his younger years had been “an instrument in the hands of God in delivering the people of Limhi out of bondage [in the land of Nephi]” (Alma 1:8). Nehor was “condemned to die, according to the law which [had] been given” by king Mosiah (Alma 1:14). The people of Zarahemla took Nehor and “carried him upon the top of the hill Manti, and there he was caused, or rather did acknowledge, between the heavens and the earth, that what he had taught to the people was contrary to the word of God; and there he suffered an ignominious death” (Alma 1:1–15).

The “ignominious death” of Nehor took place “upon the top of the hill Manti.” In accordance with Nephite naming conventions, we suggest the hill Manti would have been within the land of the same name, the land of Manti. And “the borders of Manti” were “by the head of the river Sidon” (Alma 22:27). The land of Manti was located “southward” of the “land of Gideon,” and the land and valley of Gideon were located on the east of the river Sidon (Alma 6:7; 17:1). This would place the land of Manti also on the east of the river Sidon, south of the valley of Gideon. In an attempt to properly place the hill Manti within the land of Manti, we need to pose a question: How far would the people escort Nehor to the location of his “ignominious death”? We suggest not more than a few miles, and certainly not a journey of several days. These scriptural triangulations place the hill Manti on the east of the river Sidon south of the valley of Gideon, and within a relatively short distance—measured by not many hours of travel—from the city of Zarahemla which was on the west of the river. Our proposed hill Manti in Baja California is in a prominent location south of the valley of Gideon on the east of the river Sidon, some three miles from the site of the city of Zarahemla.