True Book of Mormon Geography

I admit that my own model was tainted by preconceptions. (John Sorenson, The Geography of Book of Mormon Events, pp. 209-210)

The following example proves Sorenson had not overcome his preconceptions:

An isthmus, “the place where the sea divides the land” (Ether 10:20), connected the two major blocks of land. Alma 22:32 pictures “the land northward and the land southward” joined by “a small neck of land between.” In Alma 63:5 and elsewhere it is labeled the “narrow neck.” This isthmus had sea to the west and to the east (see Alma 50:34; 63:5; Helaman 4:7). These seas had to be the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, respectively, because Lehi arrived from the Old World across the west sea (see Alma 22:28), and the party that brought Mulek from the land of Judah came “across the great waters” (Omni 1:16) to the “borders by the east sea.” The city of Mulek was located in that area and was presumably near the location where they first settled (see Alma 51:26).2 [Source: Mormon's Map/Overall Configuration]

The presumptions exhibited were:

1. The seas had to be the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
2. Lehi arrived from the Old World across the west sea.
3. The party that brought Mulek from the land of Judah came “across the great waters” (Omni 1:16) to the “borders by the east sea.”

Anyone who reads the passsages knows that such conclusions are not justified. Yet there they are, unquestioned by hundreds for decades, thanks to Johnn Sorenson.

We detail on our Great Sea page the name of the ocean each group crossed (including the Jaredites), and never is the term "West Sea" or "East Sea" used.

The fact the ocean they all crossed is not mentioned after they arrived, is proof it did not border their lands.

How wide was this narrow neck? One historical anecdote makes clear that it was wide enough that a party passing through it could not detect seas on either side. Limhi’s explorers traveled northward from the land of Nephi trying to locate Zarahemla but wandered on through the narrow neck. When they returned home they thought they had been in the land southward the whole time.

The "lack of evidence is not evidence."

Being unfamiliar with the Land Northward and the Narrow Neck, seeing it meant nothing to them, they did not mention it. Only after arriving in Zarahemla would it be explained, after the records were translated.

...it was well-known among his people that it was “the distance of a day and a half’s journey for a Nephite” across the isthmus (Alma 22:32).

Again, that's not what the text says. The land's Bountiful and Desolation were, not the Narrow Neck. Thanks to John Sorenson, hundreds have been misled on this for decades. Details on Narrow Passage

And so it goes all throughout his work, interjecting his bias, as he admitted above, whether misinterpreting a cold and flu season for malaria, or a single reference to heat as the tropics.

All in all, he ignores the reason anyone should be seriously studying the geography - the land promises. All mesotheorists are unable to claim them in Mesoamerica. See Spiritual Geography for a list of the promises.