Why is There a Debate Over Where the Source of the River Sidon Was Located? – Part I

It is always amazing when theorists, no matter stature or experience, try to change the simple meaning of the scriptural record regarding clear and concise language in order to justify their own views, speculations, and theoretical models. As an example, it is clear and beyond discussion that the Mississippi River runs from the north to the south, from Lake Itaska in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.
    The problem is, the Sidon River runs from the south to the north, according to Mormon’s simple comment in Alma 22. Thus, Heartland and all North American theorists, in order to justify their models, have two choices to make in order to maintain their opinion: 1) Change the direction of the Mississippi; or 2) Change the meaning of Mormon’s writing about the Sidon River. While neither of these two options are viable, and certain not scholarly nor justifiable, most scholars in the North American camp choose the latter. After all, it is far easier to claim a different interpretation or meaning of the scriptural record, than to change the direction a river flows that is easily observable by anyone.
    Mormon, in his simple description in Alma 22:27, tells us “And it came to pass that the king sent a proclamation throughout all the land, amongst all his people who were in all his land, who were in all the regions round about, which was bordering even to the sea, on the east and on the west, and which was divided from the land of Zarahemla by a narrow strip of wilderness, which ran from the sea east even to the sea west, and roundabout on the borders of the seashore…”
    This simple statement tells us of the location of both the Nephites and Lamanites, land that they were separated from each other by a narrow strip of wilderness that ran from the Sea West to the Sea East.

A narrow strip of wilderness separated the Land of Zarahemla on the north from the Land of Nephi on the south

He then goes on to say in this same verse: “the borders of the wilderness which was on the north by the land of Zarahemla, through the borders of Manti, by the head of the river Sidon, running from the east towards the west—and thus were the Lamanites and the Nephites divided.” Thus, in this narrow strip of wilderness dividing the Nephites (to the north) from the Lamanites (to the south), and within that wilderness was “the head of the River Sidon.”
    In 1828, a year before Joseph Smith translated the plates he received from Moroni, Noah Webster, who lived about 90 miles from the Smith family in New England, created the “American Dictionary of the English Language,” a work he had been formulating and writing for nearly ten years. In its 1828 foreword and the preface, Webster claimed that he had been inspired by the Spirit to establish the American usage of the English language, “identifying the American language as distinct from that of England,” which he felt was needed “to restore an American Christian Education in the home, the Church, and the School.” His dictionary was chosen by Joseph Smith and used during the teaching and training of the School of the Prophets.
    Perhaps one of the reasons for this choice, beside it being the only dictionary of American usage of the English language, it embodied the principles of America. Webster stated: “All government originates in families and if neglected there it will hardly exist in society,” and “The foundation of all free government and of all social order must be laid in families and in the discipline of youth,” and “The education of youth, an employment of more consequence than making laws and preaching the gospel, because it lays the foundation on which both law and gospel rest for success.”
    In this 1828 dictionary, are the words and their meaning known in the specific areas where Joseph Smith grew up and lived out his life. The words he used in translating the Reformed Egyptian characters of the Nephite plates into English would be those words with their 1820s meanings known in that area and to Joseph and his peers of the day. Therefore, it is common sense to rely on the meaning of those words he dictated to his scribe(s) to understand the meanings of words, phrases and locution that makes up our Book of Mormon, for no one else was involved in choosing words, inserting words, or interpreting the words in that original translation.
    Thus, when Mormon wrote down the words he used in Alma 22:27, his meaning would be found in the words Joseph Smith chose to use in the English language to convey that meaning. Mormon said, “by the head of the river Sidon.” Therefore, if we want to know what the word “head” meant, we need to look at what that word meant to Joseph Smith in 1829 when he used it to state Mormon’s meaning in English.

The “head” of a river is its “source,” which flows from there to its end, called the “mouth,” which either flows into another river (its confluence) or to the sea (mouth or delta)

Head: 1828 meaning—“the principle source of a stream, as the head of the Nile” and “to originate, to spring, to have its source, as a river” and also “the part most remote from the mouth or opening into the sea.” It also has the meaning of “at the top, beginning, upper part.” 
Source: 1828 meaning—The spring or fountain from which a stream of water proceeds or any collection of water within the earth or upon its surface,  in which a stream originates, called the head of a stream; the water of a spring, where it issues from the earth, the source of the stream or river proceeding from it.” Also, “a large river has its source in a lake.” Also, “that which gives rise to anything” and “that which originates.”
    Thus, it can clearly be seen, and is inarguable, that the head of the Sidon was its source, its beginning, the place where it originated. Mormon tells us that place was the in the Narrow Strip of Wilderness, which was south of the Land of Zarahemla, and since the Sidon River ran past the Land of Zarahemla (Alma 2:15), it had to have been a river that flowed from the south to the north. End of argument. Mormon makes it extremely clear and there should be no disagreement with what Mormon stated, and the meaning of the words Joseph Smith used in translating Mormon’s statement into English.
    Yet, and here is the amazing thing, beginning with the erstwhile Hugh Nibley, perhaps the most respected Church historian and writer of his day, when speaking extemporaneously about the head of the river Sidon mentioned in Alma 22:27, he said, “If that’s the head of the river, I suppose it’s the source of the river. Well, it may be the head of the river where it empties. Sidon goes the other way, I think.” (Hugh Nibley, Teachings of The Book of Mormon–Semester 1: Transcripts of Lectures Presented to an Honors Book of Mormon Class at Brigham Young University, 1988—1990, Provo: FARMS, Provo, p143). That statement is used by numerous Heartland and North American theorists to support their view that the Sidon River “flows the other way,” that is, from north to south—and by so doing, show that the Mississippi River could well be the Sidon River, backing up their theory and model.
    Not only does North American theorist J. Theodore Brandley use Nibley’s statement to support his views, he makes it very clear that he disagrees with Mormon’s statement and Joseph Smith’s translation, when he states: “The ‘head of the river Sidon’ has been assumed to be the source of the river. Under this assumption, it being south of Zarahemla (Alma 22:27), Sidon would flow to the north. However, a study of the context reveals that the ‘head of the river Sidon’ is not its source. Dr. Hugh Nibley is the only one I am aware of to make note of this.”

The definition of “the head of a river” has not changed in the past two hundred years, with this understanding existing in the area where Joseph Smith grew up and translated the plates

Brandley went on to say, “The best evidence for the correct interpretation of the phrase, “head of the river Sidon” is to test its validity on the map of America. This is what my thesis is all about—testing this theory to see if it works—and it does.”
    Whether it does or does not, the best evidence and correct interpretation of the phrase is not to look at a map—any map, but to understand the words Mormon used as translated by Joseph Smith. Some modern map does not trump the interpretation made by the prophet Joseph, under the direction of the Spirit, of whom Moroni stated: “But the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also that none other people knoweth our language; and because that none other people knoweth our language, therefore he hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof” (Mormon 9:34).
(See the next post, “Why is There a Debate Over Where the Source of the River Sidon Was Located? – Part II,” regarding the plain and simple language used by Mormon to described the “head” of the river Sidon, and all the misunderstanding that has ensued because of various theorists needing to change that simple meaning to support their different views, opinions, and Land of Promise models)