If we ask people who live in Nephi, Utah for more than those who just moved here on a short leash til they can sell it to somebody else, they may not ever really know where Mt. Nebo is. But if your folks were a Juab High graduate, most of them may point their finger towards the North East of the present day High School and say "Up Yonder". But if your grandmother graduated from Nephi High with the Class of 1928, they could give a better description, as LaVon Harris was a 4-H leader of all girls of the area and took regular hikes up and down there. If folks look from the present high school football field and point northeast they will only see the peak of Gardner's Canyon. In the terminology class of the Nortonville Low-Boy School, Bessie Jones may teach their are three peaks to Mt. Nebo, which can only be seen from Mona; Ft. Green or the Nebo Loop Road. If you ask which County the Northern peak is in, don't ask the Utah County Sheriff or the Juab Sheriff, as they may do a fist-a-cuff. It came close to that in a tragedy when a professional hiker fell from that North Peak and killed a few years ago. Then if you want to spark another flame, talk to the people of the Spanish Fork area as they are in the "Nebo School District". Years ago, when the BSA was alive and well, many a Scout Troop would hike to the South Peak, starting from the Nebo Loop Rd. That is where my brother-Hal and I hiked it when we were young and stupid. Scouts could do it in one day, but the two old Jones boys made it up and down.....in 3 days! Now, are you ready for no moe news or a tad more? Okay, take your time to look at an older Nebonian, which is the Juab High Year book and it will tell how Nebo got it's name. It is the Legend of Nebona, the daughter of Chief Big Elk and her boyfriend-Running Deer. Many turns and twisted stories lurk for a reader! It is not quite Sunday yet, but we will give you a short Sabbath story, that I take from the King Version Bible which many Christians and Jews consider solid. And yes, the LDS folks are very much Christians! In that history book, we read about the flocks of Goats; Sheep and Bullocks, which are young Bull's that were central to the Israelite sacrificial system. We also read of various Prophets, among which was Elijah. He was on the side of God. Before him was Moses (or Charles Heston) who led the children of Israel out of Egypt. Then came others who ruled for several hundred years and Saul, who was appointed to be the first King of Israel. The country was then divided into two separate kingdoms. The Northern was called Israel and the Southern Kingdom was Judah, which followers worshipped wickedness and idols. I will attempt to put some old maps here, which leads us to another "Mt. Nebo" and since Brigham Young was the leader of the Christians know as the LDS Church or Mormons, I am led to believe that it was those folks who changed Salt Creek to Nephi, and so named the near by mountain tops as Mt. Nebo, similar to the Mt. Nebo across the big water! My written history lesson will end with a note written by one of my history hero's of World War One- General Pershing. "You must never lose your ideals or become discouraged because success does not seem to come. Keep your faith in the big things, and the best things, and don't let anyone laugh at you for being an idealist. Then persevere. Persistency will be rewarded."
You may find better maps by looking on your typewriter as these are not clear. Nebo is in Jordan.
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