The Book of Mormon has stood on its own as "Another Testament of Jesus Christ" since it was translated and published by the Prophet Joseph Smith more than 194 years ago. Millions have been drawn closer to a testimony and knowledge of the mission of the Savior Jesus Chris by reading this sacred scripture. Many, including Joseph Smith and the bulk of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have wondered exactly where events of the Book of Mormon took place. The Book of Mormon provides hundreds of references to its geography and is consistent from beginning to end, allowing the construction of an internal geography. The book describes a narrow, hour-glass-shaped territory several hundred miles long that is sandwiched between the eastern and western seas.
Over the past two decades there has been a flood of archaeological, geographical, and environmental data published about the lives of ancient Mesoamericans that we should consider as we evaluate the geography of Book of Mormon Lands. Of the approximately 200 scientific references used in this work, 83% were published after January 1999. It is time to use the most recent research to reconsider and to shift the Mesoamerican paradigm of Book of Mormon geography.