According to Alma 22:31, "they came up into the south wilderness." The first thing that might come to our attention is the use of the word "up" to describe movement "south." If we were to follow our modern cultural ways of reading a map, we would say, "down south." Thus we might conclude that when Mormon used the word "up" in relation to a "south wilderness," he was referring to elevation. The second thing that comes to our attention is the word "came," which seems to imply that the point of reference here was the land of Zarahemla. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Geographical Theory Maps]
Alma 22:31 They came from there up into the south wilderness ([Illustration]): Land Southward/Bountiful: Land Northward/Desolation: South Wilderness. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 205]