The man among the Gentiles is a figure Nephi saw in vision: a man separated from the seed of Nephi’s brethren by many waters, upon whom the Spirit of God came down, who then crossed the waters to the seed of Nephi’s brethren in the promised land (1 Ne. 13:12). The text does not name him.
Latter-day Saint leaders and scholars have commonly identified him as Christopher Columbus. Other candidates suggested include John Smith and Leif Erikson, as well as unidentified individuals; the identification is interpretive and not stated in the text.
In the vision, this man’s crossing precedes the arrival of other Gentiles, who also crossed the many waters out of captivity (1 Ne. 13:13), and the gathering of Gentile multitudes in the land of promise, before whom the seed of Nephi’s brethren were scattered and struck down (1 Ne. 13:14).