Book of Mormon Geography - New England Theory

The exact location of the Book of Mormon history has not been revealed by prophets to Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Thus, there are several theories regarding the geography of the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon talks about geography thus:

And they built a great city by the narrow neck of land, by the place where the sea divides the land (Ether 10:20)

Therefore, Morianton put it into their hearts that they should flee to the land which was northward, which was covered with large bodies of water, and take possession of the land which was northward (Alma 50:29).

And thus he cut off all the strongholds of the Lamanites in the east wilderness, yea, and also on the west, fortifying the line between the Nephites and the Lamanites, between the land of Zarahemla and the land of Nephi, from the west sea, running by the head of the river Sidon—the Nephites possessing all the land northward, yea, even all the land which was northward of the land Bountiful, according to their pleasure (Alma 50:11).

And there they did fortify against the Lamanites, from the west sea, even unto the east; it being a day’s journey for a Nephite, on the line which they had fortified and stationed their armies to defend their north country (Helaman 4:7).

Thus, all of the geographical descriptions are in relation to one another, but not to the larger structure that could frame a location in North or South America. (Note that the Nephites began their journey in Arabia, and those geographical citations have been located.) Also, there was a huge earthquake that killed the more wicked parts of the population and affected the geography just before the visit of the resurrected Christ to the inhabitants:

And the city of Moroni did sink into the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants thereof were drowned. And the earth was carried up upon the city of Moronihah, that in the place of the city there became a great mountain. And there was a great and terrible destruction in the land southward. But behold, there was a more great and terrible destruction in the land northward; for behold, the whole face of the land was changed, because of the tempest and the whirlwinds, and the thunderings and the lightnings, and the exceedingly great quaking of the whole earth; And the highways were broken up, and the level roads were spoiled, and many smooth places became rough. And many great and notable cities were sunk, and many were burned, and many were shaken till the buildings thereof had fallen to the earth, and the inhabitants thereof were slain, and the places were left desolate(3 Nephi 8:9-14).

In the early days of the Church, many members visualized the saga of the Book of Mormon peoples as occurring over the vast reaches of North and South America, but modern Mormon scholars have favored a very small locale, about the size of the Holy Land, wherein the biblical narrative transpired. Many LDS scholars support Meso-America as the location for the Book of Mormon peoples, but there are some who favor the northeastern United States, instead. Here are some of their supports: