This verse is a very insightful verse. Lehi obtains a promise from the Lord regarding his people and all others who will come to possess the land of the Americas. The promise is this: inasmuch as those who are led out of the land of Jerusalem to the Americas shall keep the commandment, they shall prosper. They shall be kept from all other nations, that being all other peoples in Europe, Africa, and Asia. They shall possess the land by themselves and live off the fruits thereof. The promise is reiterated, if they keep the commandments they shall be blessed in this land and there shall be none to molest them or take away their land. They shall live safely forever.
As we will see, this is a promise of the Lord and was fulfilled to the very letter. When the Nephites were good, they prospered and lived in peace with the Lamanites. When they let pride and disobedience come into their lives, which happened on frequent intervals, the Lamanites were stirred up to war against them. So, I am led to think about when the time came that other nations came over to the Americas, for example Pilgrims from England, had the descendants of Lehi fallen into a state of wickedness so that the promise of having nations come to molest them be fulfilled? I believe so. The indigenous people of the Americas were oppressed and pushed inland, mostly by England on the north and Spain and Portugal on the south. Nephi had foreseen this (see 1 Nephi 13, specifically verse 14). Some wonder why such bad things happened to the people when Columbus and others came to the Americas. Many people nowadays blame him for it. We see from scripture that they had broken their promise with the Lord. It seems, however, that there were good pockets, too. Think of the story of the first Thanksgiving. However, generally speaking we cannot judge what happened to them as many do. The Lord has His ways and purposes. Isaiah 55:8-9 says:
"8 ¶ For my athoughts are not byour thoughts, neither are your cways my dways, saith the Lord.
"9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my aways bhigher than your ways, and my cthoughts than your thoughts."
Modern prophets have told us that the colonization of America was one of the Lord's stepping stones for the restoration of the gospel. People came to the Americas for religious freedom. They felt that the Church of England did not worship how they were supposed to, according to the scriptures (the New Testament, in particular). Such devotion to the Lord merited the time for the restoration to take place and a marvelous work and wonder wrought (see Isaiah 29:14).
Going back to the posterity of Lehi. The Lord says "Come unto me" 66 times in the scriptures. Those that do, and repent and keep the commandments will find Him, and prosper, no matter of what origin they might be.
Modern prophets have told us that the colonization of America was one of the Lord's stepping stones for the restoration of the gospel. People came to the Americas for religious freedom. They felt that the Church of England did not worship how they were supposed to, according to the scriptures (the New Testament, in particular). Such devotion to the Lord merited the time for the restoration to take place and a marvelous work and wonder wrought (see Isaiah 29:14).
Going back to the posterity of Lehi. The Lord says "Come unto me" 66 times in the scriptures. Those that do, and repent and keep the commandments will find Him, and prosper, no matter of what origin they might be.
No comments:
Post a Comment