While it is true that the Land of Promise was reserved for first, the Jaredites, and second, the Nephites (including the Mulekites who became Nephites), before it was discovered and peopled by the Europeans, the concept that the Lord hides things from people is a little stretch of the meaning.
The route to the Land of Promise was a simple one for winds and currents have always blown sailing ships in the same directions across it. The problem is, these winds and currents were not known to the Europeans until Columbus “discovered” how they worked while sailing in the waters off the Canary Islands. The currents and counter-currents of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans have always been there; however, man was unable to understand how they worked until the 15th century. First, they discovered that the currents heading south off the coast of western Africa swung wide out into the Atlantic (actually clear to the east coast of South America) and then down and around the cape of south Africa. Once discovering this, the Portuguese sailors were able to pick up the southern ocean’s currents—west wind drift and prevailing westerlies—far south of Africa and whip across the Indian Ocean to the east indies.
Such a discovery led to other discoveries about winds and currents that eventually led Columbus to understand that these currents, which in the northern part of the Atlantic flow from west to east, thus stopping any movement out into the Atlantic from England to Spain. From that point, the current bends or curves south (in a clockwise manner) before picking up the east to west flow around the Canaries that takes a ship out into the Atlantic and toward the Mediterranean.
It is the same concept of discovery that allowed the U.S. to put a man on the moon; or build the Nimitz aircraft carrier. The ingredients, natural resources, and possibilities were always there—but man’s knowledge and technology were not known in earlier times to take advantage of the possibilities. Nothing changed in the world when the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina. The wind, woods, fabric had been known for some time—but the idea had not occurred to man in earlier times, and when it did, it was a long, drawn-out process of attempt and failure until man finally discovered the way to accomplish it.The winds and currents leading to the Land of Promise have always been there. But man had not developed the astrolabe, sextant, compass, etc., that allowed him to overcome the fears of deep ocean sailing and move out away from the sight of land before the 14th-15th centuries. Did the Lord hide all this knowledge from man? No. It was always available to him. However, the Lord did not inspire man to develop the technologies necessary to accomplish modern achievements until he was ready.
The reason the Land of Promise was “hidden” from the knowledge of man until the late 15th century, is that the world’s natural conditions were not understood until that time. Winds and currents drive sailing ships. A knowledge and understanding of the world’s oceans and their winds and currents are necessary to use them to reach distant lands and ports.
The Lord has always known of these. He created them. Consequently, when he wanted man to come to the Land of Promise he gave Lehi the Liahona—a compass that would direct them along their path—and told Nephi how to build a ship “not after the manner of men” to travel in. The reason Nephi needed the compass was simply because he had no knowledge of winds and currents in the deep ocean and knew not where to travel in order to reach the Land of Promise--he was completely and totally dependent upon the Lord.
Man at any time is capable of discovering great things. But when he fails to acknowledge the Lord’s hand in things, he fails to “see” beyond his own understanding. Thus, man awaits the will of the Lord. When the Lord is ready for man to know and understand matters, he provides a way for man to better understand and use the natural world, its resources and its forces.
(See the Next Post, "Book of Mormon Lands Not Hidden - Part II")
I have seen references to Portuguese fishing in the North Atlantic (possibly the Grand Banks) before Columbus. It was thought to have been an 'industry' secret -- If true, how did they keep together if they were using a mother ship and longboat approach? Could they also have known more about the not too distant coasts or lost some of their people to winds and currents who might have made landfall?
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