Questions I Would Like to Ask – Part VI

Using strictly the scriptures, I would like to ask the following questions of those many Theorists who claim their pet theories about the location of the Land of Promise are consistent with the scriptural record. 
    This sixth question is also directed to John L. Sorenson, and all those Mesoamerican Theorists who claim the Land of Promise was located in Mesoamerica:
    6. “With Moronihah’s army along the western borders and Lehi’s army along the eastern borders, where they thought the Lamanites would attack, how did both Nephite armies get over the Sierra Madres mountains in time to head Coroantumr’s Lamanite army heading for Bountiful up the center parts of the land?”

The Mesoamericanists’ Land of Promise has the Sierra Madre Mountains knifing through the entire length. To the right above is the Land Southward, with these mountains making movement north and south across the width most difficult
    First, Moronihah thought any Lamanite attack would come not toward their stronghold Zarahemla, but in the borders of the land as had happened in the past (Helaman 1:26).
    Second, Moronihah had stationed his army along one border and stationed Lehi and his army along the opposite border, not believing the Lamanites would try a central attack, which is exactly what Coriantumr, a Nephite dissenter did (Helaman 1:17).
    Third, the Lamanites were not frightened according to Moronihah’s beliefs of an attack along the west or east borders, but they had come into the center of the land, and had taken the capital city which was the city of Zarahemla, and were marching through the most capital parts of the land, slaying the people with a great slaughter, both men, women, and children, taking possession of many cities and of many strongholds (Helaman 1:27).
    Fourth, after capturing Zarahemla with ease, Coriantumr became convinced he could capture all of the Nephite lands (Helaman 1:22) clear to Bountiful and set out for that city (Helaman 1: 24) through the center parts of the land (Helaman 1:25).
    Fifth, and now "Coriantumr did not tarry in the land of Zarahemla, but he did march forth with a large army, even towards the city of Bountiful; for it was his determination to go forth and cut his way through with the sword, that he might obtain the north parts of the land" (Helaman 1:23).

The Sierra Madre runs parallel to the coast, making any movement inland a difficult climb or search for some type of low-lying pass; Once over the initial mountains, the army would be faced with a series of mountain ridges to climb up and down in order to get to the center of the land to try to join forces with the eastern Nephite army and stop Coriantumr
    Sixth, with great speed, Moronihah dispatched Lehi and his army to head off Coriantumr from reaching Bountiful (Helaman 1:28). And Lehi was successful in his racing his army northward and cut off Coriantumr before they reached the land of Bountiful (Helaman 1:29).
    Seventh, the Lamanites, encountering Lehi and his army, began to retreat back towards the land of Zarahemla; however, Moronihah and his army cut off the Lamanites in their retreat (1 Helaman 1:30).
    Eighth, trapped between both Nephite armies, “the Lamanites could not retreat either way, neither on the north, nor on the south, nor on the east, nor on the west, for they were surrounded on every hand by the Nephites” (Helaman 1:31).
    Ninth, Coriantumr was slain in the battle and the Lamanites surrendered (Helaman 1:32). Thus Moronihah took possession of the city of Zarahemla again, and caused that the Lamanites who had been taken prisoners should depart out of the land in peace, which ended the forty and first year of the reign of the judges (Helaman 1:32-34).

The Sierra Madre covers most of southern Mexico (Sorenson’s Land Northward) and all the way in to Guatemala (Sorenson’s Land Southward). These mountains would have presented a difficult obstacle to both Moronihah’s and Lehi’s attempts to climb to cut off Coriantumr in his race from Zarahemla to Bountiful up the capital or central parts of the land
    The problem with all of this when we place these events in Mesoamerica is that both Nephite armies would have been stationed in the lowlands near the coasts where Lamanite advances were possible, since the Sierra Madre Mountains run the complete length of Mexico through Guatemala to Honduras, with only two low-lying passes over which armies could have marched being one the Chivela Pass, in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (Mesoamericanists’ Narrow Neck of Land), which would have been too far north, for Lehi headed Coriantumr before he reached the land of Bountiful (Helaman 1:28-29), and the other pass is in Honduras, far to the south.
    So, the question again is “With Moronihah’s army along the western borders and Lehi’s army along the eastern borders, where they thought the Lamanites would attack, how did both Nephite armies get over the Sierra Madres mountains in time to head Coroantumr’s Lamanite army heading for Bountiful up the center parts of the land?"