Following the pattern of the Bible, The Book of Mormon also uses the names of lands and cities interchangeably. Here is an example from the Old Testament:
1 See, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land. (Joshua 8)
In The Book of Mormon we see the same pattern, with the city and land of Zarahemla, which was named after the man Zarahemla. What should be noted is there were other cities within the boundaries of the larger. Here is an example from the Old Testament:
45 Ekron, with her towns and her villages. (Joshua 15)
Thus, when The Book of Mormon says that Jesus would be born in the “land” of Jerusalem, it is not the same thing as the “city” of Jerusalem as some have thought:
10 And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God. (Alma 7)
The city of Bethlehem is a mere stones throw from the city of Jerusalem, and was part of the “land of Jerusalem.”