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"The geography of the Book of Mormon has intrigued some readers of that volume ever since its publication. But why worry about it?"
"Efforts to pinpoint certain places from what is written in the book are fruitless because the record does not give evidence of such locations in terms of our modern geography."
"Attempts to designate certain areas as the Land Bountiful or the site of Zarahemla or the place where the Nephite city of Jerusalem sank into the sea 'and waters have I caused to come up in the stead thereof' can bring no definitive results. So why speculate?"
"To guess where Zarahemla stood can in no wise add to anyone's faith. But to raise doubts in people's minds about the location of the Hill Cumorah, and thus challenge the words of the prophets concerning the place where Moroni buried the records, is most certainly harmful. And who has the right to raise doubts in anyone's mind?"
"Our position is to build faith, not to weaken it, and theories concerning the geography of the Book of Mormon can most certainly undermine faith if allowed to run rampant."
"Why not leave hidden the things that the Lord has hidden? If He wants the geography of the Book of Mormon revealed, He will do so through His prophet, and not through some writer who wishes to enlighten the world despite his utter lack of inspiration on the point."
"Some authors have felt 'called upon' to inform the world about the Book of Mormon geography and have published writings giving their views. These books, however, are strictly private works and represent only their personal speculations."
Source: "Geography of the Book of Mormon" Church section, Deseret News, 29 July 1978.