Background
The limited geography models are the result of a growing school of thought among Latter Day Saint scholars that for the text of the Book of Mormon to realistically be interpreted as a historical document, the events described therein must be limited to an area of several hundred square miles (Sorenson 1985, pp. 1–48). Proponents of these theories find support in the text of the Book of Mormon, as well as the interpretation and correlation of archeological findings. However, as with all archaeological interpretations of the Book of Mormon, most LDS researchers believe that nothing has yet been found to conclusively link the events of the book with any particular geographical location. There are significant challenges to the Central American setting, as the Hill Cumorah (in New York) and the remains of Zelph (in Illinois) were found many thousands of miles away from Mesoamerica. Archaeological evidence supporting the Book of Mormon’s “Mound-builder” literary setting is not interpreted by mainstream academia as proving the historicity or divinity of the work.
The Book of Mormon is regarded by mainstream historians and literary experts as a work of 19th century American literature, in the “Mound-builder” genre but not as history.
Read more about this topic: Limited Geography Model
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