I empathize with BYU students, institute and seminary students, and everyone who was taught the Mesoamerican/two-Cumorahs theory (M2C) because I, too, used to believe all of that when I was a student.
I didn't know there were any other scenarios.
It was many years before I even heard of an alternative.
Now, in our day, the people who taught M2C and their followers all know about the alternative interpretations of the text that are faithful to what Joseph and Oliver taught all along. But few of them tell their students, readers, and listeners about the alternatives to M2C.
They should do so.
This all reminds me of a famous statement:
“One of the bittersweet things about growing old is realizing how mistaken you were when you were young. As a young political leftist, I saw the left as the voice of the common man. Nothing could be further from the truth.” — Thomas Sowell
