Comparison of Geography Before and After the Destruction in 34 AD

The Book of Mormon uses the same geographical descriptions
before AND after the great destruction at the time of Christ.

A common objection to studying Book of Mormon geography is, "We can never know where it took place, because the destruction at the time of Christ's visit made everything unrecognizable today."

However, the changes were minor when you look at the larger geographical features. A birds-eye view of Mesoamerica will look the same even if you change the coast line by several miles (enough to swallow cities), or if mountains rose and fell (to cover cities), or if lakes and/or rivers changed course (to drown cities).

It's possible that the climate changed to a tropical climate from a previous subtropical climate that would have been more conducive of the civilization that we read about in the pre-meridian culture. Clues of this would be their use of horses, wheels and raising flocks that are more at home in a subtropical climate.

The Book of Mormon itself reinforces this point because Mormon (who lived hundreds of years after the destruction) uses the same terminology to describe the land as the people who lived before the destruction. Here are some examples of the same geographical areas described the same way - both before and after the destruction.

Land of Many Waters

Mosiah 8:8 And they were lost in the wilderness . . . having traveled in a land among many waters, having discovered a land which was covered with bones of men, and of beasts, and was also covered with ruins of buildings of every kind . . . (121 BC)

Mormon 6:4 And it came to pass that we did march forth to the land of Cumorah . . . and it was in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains; and here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites. (385 AD)

Hill Cumorah/Ramah/Shim

Ether 15:11 And it came to pass that the army of Coriantumr did pitch their tents by the hill Ramah; and it was that same hill where my father Mormon did hide up the records unto the Lord . . . (100s of years BC)

Mormon 6:2 . . . we might gather together our people unto the land of Cumorah, by a hill which was called Cumorah, and there we could give them battle. (385 AD)

Ether 9:3 . . . Omer departed out of the land with his family, and traveled many days, and came over and passed by the hill of Shim, and came over by the place where the Nephites were destroyed . . . (100s of years BC)

Mormon 4:23 And now I, Mormon, seeing that the Lamanites were about to overthrow the land, therefore I did go to the hill Shim, and did take up all the records which Ammaron had hid up unto the Lord. (375 AD)

The River Sidon/Zarahemla

Alma 2:15 And it came to pass that the Amlicites came upon the hill Amnihu, which was east of the river Sidon, which ran by the land of Zarahemla, and there they began to make war with the Nephites. (87 BC)

Mormon 1:10 And it came to pass that the war began to be among them in the borders of Zarahemla, by the waters of Sidon. (322 AD)

Land Northward/Southward

Alma 22:31 . . . Thus the land on the northward was called Desolation, and the land on the southward was called Bountiful . . . (80 BC)

Mormon 2:29 And the Lamanites did give unto us the land northward, yea, even to the narrow passage which led into the land southward. And we did give unto the Lamanites all the land southward. (350 AD)

Narrow Pass/Passage

Alma 50:34 And it came to pass that they did not head them until they had come to the borders of the land Desolation; and there they did head them, by the narrow pass which led by the sea into the land northward, yea, by the sea, on the west and on the east. (67 BC)

Mormon 2:29 And the Lamanites did give unto us the land northward, yea, even to the narrow passage which led into the land southward. And we did give unto the Lamanites all the land southward. (350 AD)


Sources:
Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon by Joseph L. Allen
BMAF.org