One of the most widely quoted verses concerning the geography of Book of Mormon lands is Alma 22:32, wherein the historian states that "the land of Nephi and the land of Zarahemla were nearly surrounded by water, there being a small neck of land between the land northward and the land southward." Earlier in this verse the historian mentions that "it was only the distance of a day and a half's journey for a Nephite, on the line Bountiful and the land Desolation, from the east to the west sea."
Some students of the Book of Mormon interpret this verse to mean that the entire narrow neck of land separating the land northward from the land southward could be traversed by a Nephite in a day and a half. However, a careful reading of this verse does not necessarily justify this conclusion. The historian's statement concerning a line "from the east to the west sea" does not necessarily mean the same as though he had said that the line existed from the east sea to the west sea. The statement may mean that it was a day and a half's journey for a Nephite from the east of the line to the west sea.
In Helaman 4:7 the author mentions this same area again: "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." Again, note that the word sea does not follow the word east. Also, a Nephite can now travel this distance in only one day's journey, and it is quite clear the distance being covered is "the line which they had fortified" and not necessarily the distance between two seas.