Book of Mormon, D & C, Pearl of Great Price

Lehi was the first prophet of the Book of Mormon. Shortly before his death, he prophesied to his children about the land of promise God had delivered them to after they fled Jerusalem. This new land was in the Americas, and while it wasn’t theirs alone, they brought to it some powerful promises.

One of the promises God made to Lehi was that the land was to be protected, for a time, from those who would take it over later on:

8 And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance.

9 Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves. And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever. –(2 Nephi 1)

Just within the Book of Mormon population on this continent, we see that the descendants of Lehi followed an uneven path concerning this prophecy, which was repeated throughout the generations by later prophets.

After Lehi’s death, we’ll see that Nephi, the righteous younger son who becomes the next prophet, is forced to take those family members who love the Lord and flee for their own safety from the two oldest brothers and their followers. This sets up an ongoing conflict between the two groups, known as the Nephites—normally the valiant people—and the Lamanites, who were generally wicked. Of course, these groups didn’t stay exactly the same. Some Lamanites converted and were adopted into the Nephite family, and some Nephites became wicked. Some of those joined the Lamanites, but others simply corrupted the Nephites. From time to time, the Nephites forgot who they were and who they owed their blessings to.

As long as they were able to return to full membership in the true church, and prophets were able to continue leading those who would listen, the land followed the promise given. They were protected. Europeans did not discover the Americas during this time. The land was kept for those who were there in the early days of the world.

However, there came a time when wickedness won. The Nephites drifted from their promises and the prophet was not able to bring them back to the gospel. The Lamanites were then allowed to destroy the Nephites. Note that He didn’t send the Lamanites; He only allowed it to happen. This had been the agreement between God and the Nephites from the start. They were protected if they lived the gospel.

Once this happened, the Lamanites murdered all but one final prophet, Moroni, who is portrayed in his angelic form on the tops of all LDS temples. Once Moroni was dead, the people were on their own without a prophet, and in time, people from other parts of the world would begin to stumble upon the continent.

10 But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord—having a knowledge of the creation of the earth, and all men, knowing the great and marvelous works of the Lord from the creation of the world; having power given them to do all things by faith; having all the commandments from the beginning, and having been brought by his infinite goodness into this precious land of promise—behold, I say, if the day shall come that they will reject the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, their Redeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of him that is just shall rest upon them.

11 Yea, he will bring other nations unto them, and he will give unto them power, and he will take away from them the lands of their possessions, and he will cause them to be scattered and smitten. (2 Nephi 1)

God loves us, but He requires us to do our part. He keeps His promises which are based on our own choices. We must, even today, safeguard our own nations against evil if we want His protection.