Comment: "Joseph Smith and other prophets of our day have all written and or spoken in conference about where the Nephites, Jaredites, and Adam lived. When they speak, it is the word of God, To suggest otherwise is practically sacrilege, yet many have disagreed with our prophets."
Response: There is no question among Latter-day Saints that Adam lived in the area of present day Missouri once leaving the Garden of Eden. This area, where he gathered his family before his death is known as Aam-ondi-Ahman, which is located along the east bluffs above the Grand River in Daviess County, Missouri. However, the term "where the Nephites, Jaredites lived" is a disingenuous term added to a known fact about Adam, and are not linked with Adam, certainly not by General Authorities and Prophets. In fact, John A. Widtsoe said, As far as can be learned, the Prophet Joseph Smith, translator of the book [of Mormon] did not say where, on the American continent, Book of Mormon activities occurred. Perhaps he did not know."
It should also be clearly understood that the church does not endorse any single geographical model for Book of Mormon events. Writing in 1890, President George Q. Cannon explained that "the First Presidency have often been asked to prepare some suggestive map illustrative of Nephite geography, but have never consented to do so. Nor are we acquainted with any of the Twelve Apostles who would undertake such a task. The reason is, that without further information they are not prepared even to suggest. The word of the Lord or the translation of other ancient records is required to clear up many points now so obscure."
That the First Presidency declined to undertake any suggestive map is significant since that group included not only the Prophet Joseph Smith's nephew, Joseph F. Smith, but also Wilford Woodruff, who had participated in Zion's Camp and had known the Prophet Joseph Smith since the early days of the church.
President Joseph F. Smith was once asked to approve a map purporting to show exactly where Lehi and his family had landed in the Americas. He declined, saying that the Lord had not yet revealed it.
Speaking to the Saints in the April 1929 General Conference, President Anthony W. Ivins stated: "There is a great deal of talk about the geography of the Book of Mormon. Where was the land of Zarahamla? Where was the City of Zarahemla? and other geographic matters. It does not make any difference to us. There has never been anything yet set forth that definitely settles that question. So the Church says we are jut waiting until we discover the truth...We do not offer any definite solution. As you study the Book of Mormon keep these things in mind and do not make definite statements concerning things that have not been proven in advance to be true."
In 1903, President Joseph F. Smith taught that regarding Book of Mormon geography, the question, for instance, of the location of the city Zarahemla "was one of interest certainly, but if it could not be located the matter was not of vital importance, and if there were differences of opinion on the question it would not affect the salvation of the people; and be advised against students considering it of such vital importance as the principles of the Gospel" and cautioned them against making questions of Book of Mormon geography "of equal importance with the doctrines contained in the Book."
In a letter written by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith to Fletcher B. Hammond, who argued emphatically for a Central American location and had sent Elder Smith a copy of his findings, the apostle explained, "I am sure this will be a very interesting although I have never paid any attention whatever to Book of Mormon geography because it appears to me that it is inevitable that there must be a great deal of guesswork."
John A. Widtsoe considered the Cumorah question an open matter worthy of further investigation. "As far as can be learned," Elder Widtsoe wrote, "the Prophet Joseph Smith, translator of the book, did not say where on the American continent Book of Mormon activities occurred." Elder Widtsoe further observed that the hill from which the Book of Mormon plates were obtained by Joseph Smith is definitely known. In the days of the Prophet this hill was known among the people as Cumorah. This is a fixed point in Book of Mormon later history There is controversy, however, about the Hill Cumorah--not about the location where the Book of Mormon plates were found, but whether it is the hill under that name near which Nephite events took place. A name says one, may be applied to more than one hill; and plates containing the records of a people, sacred things, could be moved from place to place by divine help."
Eight months after the publication of the Book of Mormon, an Ohio reporter described the teachings of Oliver Cowdery and his companions as they stopped in Ohio on their way to Missouri: "This new Revelation, they say is especially designed for the benefit, or rather for the christianizing of the Aborigines of America; who, as they affirm, are a part of the tribe of Manasseh, and whose ancestors landed on the coast of Chili 600 years before the coming of Christ, and from them descended all the Indians of America."
Other early reports state that Orson Pratt and Lyman Johnson preached that Lehi landed in South America and that the final battles of the Nephites commenced at the Isthmus of Darien and ended in New York.
Thus we can see that the early Church leaders did not consider North America the only location for the Book of Mormon Land of Promise and, in fact, spoke of it throughout the entire Western Hemisphere. So when Covino says, "When they speak, it is the word of god. To suggest otherwise is practically sacrilege, yet many have disagreed with our prophets" I wonder if he really means it because they did not speak of an areas as shown on his map!
(See the next post, "Did the Land of Promise Span Two Continents?Part IX" for more on Covino's book and the website material)
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