We propose the Rio San Ignacio in Baja California as a candidate for this unique and central river in the geography of the Book of Mormon. The river’s surrounding riverine features, not only match the required location of the river Sidon in the Book of Mormon account, but also all the recorded human and physical geographical details and settings. The Rio San Ignacio has a singular source—a large lagoon at it’s head fed by several springs. Although it meanders along it course, the general flow of the river is in a southwest direction. The river is encircled by four wilderness areas and eventually flows into a large embayment on the Pacific Ocean to the west. This shallow river can be readily crossed by people, armies and animals and is an analogue to the River Sidon in Lebanon and to the nearby area of Mount Hermon. The Rio San Ignacio is prone to flash flooding from time to time, carrying debris, animals and even people to the sea. There are prominent hills along its rather high banks matching the precise geographical descriptions of hill Manti, hill Riplah and hill Amnihu, and a valley matching the required location of the valley of Gideon.

As we have suggested, these details describing the river Sidon and the surrounding area in the Book of Mormon account are like tumblers in a lock—if they all lineup correctly the key fits and turns, unlocking a portal to more geographic discoveries. But one or more wrongly positioned tumblers can prevent the opening of the lock. This comprehensive matching to the entire Book of Mormon record would be required not only for our proposed river Sidon but also for any river put forth by others. We suggest being able to match only some of the details, but not all, would place the candidacy of a river in question.

We know the Book of Mormon to be a true and correct account of the Nephite, Lamanite and Jaredite cultures and civilizations. We also believe the most important contribution of the Book of Mormon is not it’s geography or its cultural details, but its clear and masterful contributions to our understanding of gospel doctrines of salvation, correct principles of behavior, and the consequences of unrighteous choices.

We conclude our geographical analysis of the river Sidon by noting the final war between the Lamanites and the Nephites “began to be among them in the borders of Zarahemla, by the waters of Sidon” (Morm. 1:10). And from the time of this conflict by the waters of Sidon, “wickedness did prevail upon the face of the whole land, insomuch that the Lord did take away his beloved disciples, and the work of miracles and of healing did cease because of the iniquity of the people. And there were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon any, because of their wickedness and unbelief” (Morm. 1:13–14). At the final battle of this lengthy 63-year war, some 230,000 Nephites gathered—pitching their vast sea of “tents around about the hill Cumorah” to ominously await the more numerous Lamanites marching towards them (Morm. 6:4–15). Among the Nephites who did not defect from their cause, only Moroni survived the carnage “to write the sad tale of the destruction of [his] people” (Morm. 8:3).

In marked contrast, some 470 years earlier, “many were baptized in the waters of Sidon and were joined to the church of God; yea, they were baptized by the hand of Alma, who had been consecrated the high priest over the people of the church” (Alma 4:4). And “in the seventh year of the reign of the judges there were about three thousand five hundred souls that united themselves to the church of God and were baptized” (Alma 4:5). Alma’s invitation to be baptized in the waters of Sidon, or any other waters, still applies today:

And thus it was.