It is of interest to note that Near Eastern specialist William J. Hamblin, a professor of history at BYU and former board member of FARMS, states that “The Lord makes covenants with people, not lands. Lands are ‘promised,’ or better covenanted, to a people.” While that may be correct on the surface, or in a general way, we need to keep in mind that at least some lands are dedicated to a purpose and people are privileged to fulfill that purpose.
In this case, that land is used as a
distinction from the separate this land, pointing to a certain thing separate
from “this” thing, the latter being present in time or near in place. This land
upon which we stand—that land to from which we came
In looking at this simple statement, we find that”
• After the waters had receded off the face of this land implies a single area which was inundated with water, such as by a Flood, and as the waters receded, the land became a Land of Promise. This is what is unique about the Western Hemisphere, or North, Central and South America—when the waters of the Flood receded, an entire land was exposed. Not a portion of it, not a part of it, not a small section of it—but the entire land…this land…the land upon which there were no borders, not divisions, no separations. A single land. What was known until the 1940s, as a single continent, connected, inseparable.
• This land became a choice land implies that the Lord held all this land in a special category, one which the Creator designed separately, and would keep separate for his own purposes. Obviously, this was known from the beginning and when this land was organized, it was formed with this land in mind, which was to play a significant role in the latter days.
• Above all other lands implies that this land was unique to the Lord—one in which he had a special purpose for and would bring special peoples to live upon it from the rest of his vineyard. No other land anywhere would be as important, as capable and as successful in fulfilling the Lord’s purpose.
• A chosen land of the Lord implies that this Western Hemisphere was designed from the beginning to be a land chosen above all other lands by the Lord. While there are problems in this land, they do not sink to the depths of the difficulties other lands have around the world. The Western Hemisphere is indeed a chosen land, with the United States governed by, and protecting all other nations here, the standard of liberty.
It should also be noted that when the Lord promised the land of Palestine to Abraham, because it was only part of a land, he spelled out the dimensions or boundaries of that land promised, referring to the Mediterranean Sea, the Nile River, and the Euphrates River. However, in the case of the land promised to the Jaredites and later Lehi, there is no boundary stated—it was all of the land that was being promised—this land.
In fact, in 1831, through the prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord promised to lead the Saints to a "land of promise" (D&C 38:18). Because of persecution by enemies and sin among Church members, Joseph Smith was unsuccessful in establishing a permanent community (D&C 101:1-8). After his death, the Saints migrated to the Rocky Mountains, "a land of peace" (D&C 136:16), and still anticipate fulfillment of the Lord's promises to open the way for building New Jerusalem in the designated place (D&C 42:9; 57:1-5; 101:9-22).
In addition, we are told that this promised Land would not only be a “land of liberty” to the gentiles, but that there would be “no kings” upon it: “this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles” (2 Nephi 10:11).
We also need to understand what that passage means, as on the surface level it would appear that only the United States fits this part of the promise—a land of liberty with no kings. There seems to be no question that the Lord’s hand was involved in the establishment of the United States and the freedoms — especially the religious freedoms — that are enjoyed here. Such a land was necessary for the restoration of the gospel, and to be a standard bearer for all other Nations in the western Hemisphere.
Having noted this, however, there are a couple of important things to consider. First, Orson Hyde—an early Church leader and contemporary of Joseph Smith—quoted the above verse and claimed that “This land, means both North and South America, and also the families of islands that geographically and naturally belong and adhere to the same,” (JD 7:108). The phrase “this land” does not necessarily restrict the Promised Land to the United States. However, it should be noted that all lands in the Western Hemisphere were subject to kings at one time or another—even the Nephites had kings, as did the Lamanites and the Jaredites before them.
The meaning of this is a little different than most tend to imagine. It was Jacob who said that if those who occupied this land remained righteous, they would continue to have religious liberty and that they would be protected against those who fought against Zion. Jacob’s point was that no other kings shall stand against the Nephites if they are righteous, for their true king is Yahweh who has promised to preserve them.”
As the prophet Lehi put it: “We have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed" (2 Nephi 1:5). Because the earth belongs to the Lord (Psalms 24:1), those who inherit a Promised Land must covenant to "serve the God of the land," who will then keep them "free from bondage, and from captivity" (Ether 2:12); otherwise they will "be swept off" (Ether 2:10; Deuteronomy 27- 28).
Obviously, in this overall Land of Promise, there were certain areas dedicated specifically to proportional use, i.e., the land promised to Lehi was that area described within the scriptural record. That area dedicated to be the government of the Western Hemisphere, i.e., provide protection and control over the region was the United States, which also guaranteed a condition wherein the gospel could be restored. The Land of Promise could include a large area — or overall land of promise — as well as smaller sections of lands of promise in a larger area of promise. Thus the Book of Mormon can speak of lands of promise (2 Nephi 6:11, 9:2, 24:2).
Obviously, then there is obviously more than one land of promise (because both the Old and New World covenant people had such lands). Secondly, the “promise” was given to the righteous people, not just anyone living there. Third, the actual land dedicated to, or promised to, a people could extend beyond the area they possessed. Thus, we find that during the last century BC, many Nephites decided to move into the Land Northward—an area they had not before been—“to inherit the land” (Helaman 3:30), that is, to acquire lands that had been earlier promised to them.
Thus we find that in the Americas, this land, the entire Western Hemisphere was set aside by the Lord as a land to be promised to those who would live righteously upon it. One such portion was given to Lehi and his posterity forever, provided they lived righteously—that land is described in the Book of Mormon by the prophet Mormon as to its location and general size. Other portions have been dedicated to other purposes, such as the Rocky Mountains for a land of peace and safety for the Saints. And another portion for the building of the New Jerusalem. We would do well to think of the Western Hemisphere as that land described by Moroni (Ether 13:2), and broaden our understanding of the workings of the Lord, rather than continue to think in much smaller areas, limiting the Lord’s involvement in this entire world.
The overall Land of Promise
described in Ether 13:2
The Jaredites had a portion of this Land of Promise set aside for them, as later did Lehi and his descendants—while these lands overlapped one another, they were not both the same. Thus, we see that the Lord has an overall plan in mind and promised to his righteous followers portions of the most choice land upon the Earth.
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