Video: What did prophets think about Book of Mormon geography? Their old books may give clues.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently released a Gospel Topics essay which reiterates the Church’s neutrality on the subject of Book of Mormon geography. “The Church takes no position on the specific geographic location of Book of Mormon events in the ancient Americas,” the essay reads. “Church members are asked not to teach theories about Book of Mormon geography in Church settings but to focus instead on the Book of Mormon’s teachings and testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel.”

While the Church itself does not have an official position on Book of Mormon geography, individual members and leaders of the Church have explored this matter in their own study and have offered various thoughts about where Book of Mormon events may have transpired. Reid Moon, proprietor of Moon’s Rare Books, recently sat down with Book of Mormon Central to discuss pieces in his collection which shed light on how past prophets have taken an interest in Book of Mormon geography.

As shown in this video, individual readers of the Book of Mormon can look to past and current General Authorities of the Church as examples in their own studies. Without elevating any one particular Book of Mormon geography theory as solely authoritative or divinely revealed, readers can faithfully seek further light and knowledge on this subject “by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118).