There are several definitions of Latin America:
From a strict cultural and linguistic perspective, it would include all countries and territories where Romance languages — Spanish, Portuguese, French, and their creoles — are spoken.
The most common view is that Latin America includes territories in the Americas where Spanish or Portuguese prevail: Mexico and most of Central America, South America, and (per land area and population) the Caribbean. The acronym “LACRO” refers to this view. The English-speaking American countries are not considered to be part of Latin America. Territories where other Romance languages such as French (e.g., Quebec in Canada) or Kreyol (e.g. Haiti, Martinique and Guadeloupe) predominate are frequently not considered to be part of Latin America from this perspective, despite the French origins of the concept. The former Dutch colonies Suriname, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba are not considerend parts of Latin America, even though in the latter two, the predominantly Iberian-influenced language Papiamentu is spoken by the majority of the population.
Sometimes, particularly in the United States, the term “Latin America” is used to refer to all of America south of the U.S., including countries such as Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados and Suriname where non-Romance languages prevail. Conversely, it is often used in Brazil to designate the Spanish-speaking countries within this area, which are often known as Hispanic America.
Geopolitically, Latin America is divided into 20 independent countries and several dependent territories. Spanish is predominant and an official language in most Latin American countries, with the exception of Brazil where Portuguese prevails. Source
Moroni’s America Chapter 29 – Latin America and The Book of Mormon
In The Lost City of Zarahemla, I discussed the impact of the North American setting on people who live outside the United States. I suggested three ways in which native peoples in Central and South America can be Book of Mormon people.
First, they could be among the “other sheep” Christ visited. The numerous legends of a “white God” and other elements of a Biblical nature could be attributable to such visits, even though there are no records extant.
Second, the “Hinterlands” theory suggests that descendants of Lamanites migrated southward.
Third, the Jaredite civilization, which came from Asia, expanded throughout the continent. As I wrote there, “In some respect, the Book of Ether is largely forgotten as a history of the inhabitants of the American continent, probably because of a widely held perception in the Church that the Jaredites were completely killed off, leaving only a sole survivor to meet the Mulekites. I propose that this notion is incorrect and that the Jaredites are at least one of the sources of the Asian DNA found in indigenous Latin Americans.” Moroni’s America Chapter 29 – Latin America and The Book of Mormon
“Concluding as I have that the Mesoamerican theory originated out of misplaced missionary zeal (or a focus on the hinterlands), I was curious about what a “correct” geography would look, like. The work of Sorenson and others has been invaluable in this pursuit-but it led me to a much different conclusion. Sorenson’s work excludes Mesoamerica as a viable setting for the Book of Mormon. “The Lost City of Zarahemla” by Jonathan Neville page 357
John Sorensen also denies the Heartland model by saying, “There remain Latter-day Saints who insist that the final destruction of the Nephites took place in New York, but any such idea is manifestly absurd. Hundreds of thousands of Nephites traipsing across the Mississippi Valley to New York, pursued (why?) by hundreds of thousands of Lamanites, is a scenario worthy only of a witless sci-fi movie, not of history.” John L. Sorenson, Mormon’s Codex (Deseret Book, 2013), p. 688.
“Hinterlands is defined here as meaning the unknown area of North and South America that are not within the scope of the writings of the Book of Mormon. In other words, since we believe main events of the Book of Mormon happened in a limited area of North America around the Great Lakes in the east, and Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and Missouri to the west, and south in Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia, and Florida, all other areas will be discussed as “The Hinterlands”. We propose that Mesoamerica is the Hinterlands along with many other areas of the continent. As Mormon has said, “…I shall take from the plates of Nephi; and I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of my people (Words of Mormon 1:5). There are many people in South and Central America that are Lamanites and part of the Hinterlands.” Jonathan Neville
“From a theological perspective, there is another way to address the question of Lamanites and Latin America.
In 3 Nephi 16, the Lord gave an extended sermon about the “lost sheep of Israel,” the Gentiles, and the house of Israel. There are several key points.
1. The Lord said he had “other sheep which are not of this land.” If, as I propose, “this land” refers to North America, then Christ could have been referring to people in Mesoamerica and South America, as well as anywhere else in the world. The heading to the chapter refers to the “lost sheep of Israel,” but the text itself does not use that phrase. In fact, according to Mosiah 26:21, “he that will hear my voice shall be my sheep and him shall ye receive into the church and him will I also receive.” This suggests that the “sheep” in 3 Nephi 16 were not necessarily of the house of Israel, but anyone who hears the Lord’s voice. The Lord’s sheep could be Mesoamericans, Asians, Africans—anyone.
2. The Lord’s sayings were to be kept and manifested unto the Gentiles, “that through the fullness of the Gentiles” the remnant of their seed—meaning the Lord’s people at Jerusalem, or the Jews—may be brought to a knowledge of their Redeemer, and thereby be gathered.
3. The truth was to come unto the Gentiles, who were to scatter the Lord’s people who are of the house of Israel. The Europeans did scatter the tribes from Eastern North America (through the Removal Act of 1830 and the many treaties that placed them on reservations), but the indigenous people in Latin America still live where they always have.
4. At a future date, the Gentiles would rebel. “At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fullness of my gospel,” the Lord will bring the fullness of the gospel from among them. And then he will remember his covenant with the house of Israel. So it seems consistent with the scriptures for the gospel to be taken to the Gentiles—including the people in Latin America—before it is taken to the descendants of the people to whom the Lord was speaking; i.e., the Lamanites. At this point—still future—the Lord says:
12 And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fullness of my gospel.
13 But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel.
14 And I will not suffer my people, who are of the house of Israel, to go through among them, and tread them down, saith the Father.
15 But if they will not turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, I will suffer them, yea, I will suffer my people, O house of Israel, that they shall go through among them, and shall tread them down, and they shall be as salt that hath lost its savor, which is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of my people, O house of Israel.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, thus hath the Father commanded me—that I should give unto this people this land for their inheritance.
At the end of this sermon, the Lord told the people, “I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time. Therefore, go ye unto your homes and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father in my name that ye may understand.” (3 Nephi 17: 1-2) That advice applies to us today as well. (My novel, The Rule of Equity, proposes one possible way the promises in chapters 16 and 20 of 3 Nephi could be fulfilled.)
The Lord did resume this sermon, starting with 3 Nephi 20:10. In verse 22, he explains, “this people will I establish in this land . . . and it shall be a New Jerusalem.”
The New Jerusalem, of course, will be in Jackson County, Missouri” Moroni’s America Chapter 29 – Latin America and The Book of Mormon
“During Zion’s Camp while in Illinois, and Missouri, the prophet Joseph Smith said, “ …Wandering over the plains of the Nephites, recounting occasionally the history of the Book of Mormon, roving over the mounds of that once beloved people of the Lord, picking up their skulls & their bones, as a proof of its divine authenticity…” This cannot mean that while Joseph was picking up the bones of Nephites in Illinois that he was referring to divine authenticity of a Mesoamerica record.” Jonathan Neville
Learn more about the Hinterlands here: https://www.bofm.blog/the-hinterland-lamanites-in-the-americas/
Learn why Prophets mention the Children of Lehi in South and Central American Temple dedications here https://www.bofm.blog/temple-dedicatory-prayers-lamanites-in-south-central-north-america-2/
