According to Alma 2:24 the land of Minon was "in the course of the land of Nephi," but what does the phrase "in the course of" mean? And what is the reference point? One possible definition of "in the course of" might be that from where a person was, if he looked forward along a pathway towards a destination point, anything along that path would be termed "in the course of." That is, when the spies returned to Gideon, they said that "Minon was in the course of the land of Nephi" (possibly along the general pathway that one would travel from the local land of Zarahemla [or from the valley of Gideon] up to the land of Nephi). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]