These verses contain one of the most detailed descriptions of the physical geography of Book of Mormon lands (see map of the Book of Mormon lands accompanying the commentary at Alma 50). Although there is considerable detail about geographical features in the Book of Mormon, the quantity and variety of hypotheses about exactly where this thousand-year history took place make it apparent that the literary and physical evidence are insufficient for definitive answers as yet. These events did take place, and these people did live somewhere in the ancient Americas, but the specific physical locations and settings remain tentative until further identification is given from heaven.
As Latter-day Saints, interested as we are in searching out the truth of all things, we regard the continued investigation of all these historical, geographical, archaeological, cultural, and linguistic matters to be altogether fitting and proper. We should be an informed people. We should become aware of what our best researchers are finding and the conclusions they are making, but at the same time we should be careful not to be dogmatic and argumentative about issues the Lord has not seen fit to clearly reveal as yet. We continue to study the issues but hold it all in abeyance until he lays the questions to rest.
Most important is to not get lost in the thick of thin things—not get distracted by superficial issues and lose the essence of the thousand-year record: the witness of Jesus Christ.