No Land is Without its Beauty
“I should like to say a few words about America…No land is without its beauty, no people without their virtues, and I hope that you who come from elsewhere will pardon my saying a few words concerning my own native land, America…surely this is a good land, a choice land, a chosen land. To me it is a miracle, a creation of the Almighty.” Gordon B. Hinckley Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled”, BYU Speeches of the Year, October 29, 1974, pp. 267-68 )
“Nephi saw in vision also the coming of the Pilgrims, who came to escape religious persecution. He foresaw the coming to America of peoples from many nations, their wars and contentions. As Nephi said, they did humble themselves before the Lord. Thus the American colonies attained their independence and set up the government of the United States, all under the divine intervention of God in preparing this land for its divine destiny. We believe that both freedom and the continuing reformation that flourished here occurred in preparation for the restoration from heaven of the full gospel of Jesus Christ. That restoration began in the United States of America in the 1820s, through the [assistance] of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who was chosen by the Lord and who, through [visits] from heavenly messengers, received … records that contained the authentic record of early American peoples and God’s dealings with them. He received the priesthood and authority to reestablish the church of Jesus Christ in these latter days. At the time of this restoration, God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ actually appeared to Joseph Smith, as they had appeared to leaders of previous dispensations. They announced to him that Christ’s church would be reestablished upon the earth. … This restoration was the greatest event in the history of mankind since the birth, death, and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.” A Choice Land President N. Eldon Tanner, First Counselor in the First Presidency
America!
“Moroni’s father was commander of the armies of this ancient people, known as Nephites. His name was Mormon. The war of which we speak took place here in America some four hundred years after Christ. (See Mormon 6.) As the fighting neared its end, Mormon gathered the remnant of his forces about a hill which they called Cumorah, located in what is now the western part of the state of New York. Their enemies, known as Lamanites, came against them on this hill…
He accounted for about a quarter of a million Nephite soldiers killed in that final encounter at Cumorah….
When finished with the record, Moroni was to hide it up in that same Hill Cumorah which was their battlefield. It would come forth in modern times as the Book of Mormon…
Had not the Lord said to them, as he says to us now, that America is a choice land and that those who live here must obey God or be swept off? And had he not kept his word to those rebellious Nephites, now totally wiped out? So it is that today’s archaeologists find the ruins which are silent witnesses to the greatness that once was theirs….
He made it clear that advance warning is given to us who live today through the very book which he and his father had written and which he was now about to bury in Cumorah. It would be published in our day to give us that warning….
It should be remembered that these men wrote to us out of the desperation of the event they were passing through as the Nephites were being wiped off the face of the earth. They knew that we live here now under the same conditions that were given to them….
His people were Americans, too. His words constituted a people-to-people message, ancient Americans speaking to modern Americans. Theirs was the voice of bitter experience seeking to persuade us to avoid the dreadful conditions which engulfed them….
The last words of Moroni! Dare we forget them? God grant that we never will, I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.” The Last Words of Moroni Mark E. Petersen Oct 1978
“If the Book of Mormon is true, then America is a choice land, but if it is to remain such the inhabitants of the land must worship the God of the land, the Lord Jesus Christ. The histories of two great nations, told with warning in this sacred volume, indicate that while we must have science, while we must have education, while we must have arms, we also must have righteousness if we are to merit the protection of God.” Gordon B. Hinckley The Power of the Book of Mormon Ensign June 1988
America vs Americas
Notice above the word’s in orange, America or American or this Land or Here or this Country, or Land of Promise, is used, not Americas with the S on the end.
“When Moroni first visited Joseph Smith at the Smith farm outside of Palmyra, NY, he “gave a general account of the promises made to the fathers, and also gave a history of the aborigines’ of this country, and said they were literal descendants of Abraham.“
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/68
You might think that looks fairly straightforward. Webster’s 1828 dictionary defined “country” to mean the region in which one resides, the territory situated in the vicinity of a city, or the whole territory of a kingdom or state. Joseph Smith lived near Palmyra in western New York in the United States. You can choose among the Webster’s definitions (which remain valid today) to decide which “aborigines’” Moroni was referring to.
Our friends who promote M2C nevertheless claim that “this country” refers to Mesoamerica because, according to them, the Nephites never left the “limited geography” of Mesoamerica. They landed there and the entire Book of Mormon took place there, culminating in the final battle at Cumorah in southern Mexico.
They’ve written articles full of clever rhetoric and sophistry to justify their position. But it’s a patently ridiculous argument, so they’ve persuaded our Church historians to replace “this country” with the term “the Americas.”
For example, in Saints, Volume 1, we read this:
“Moroni spoke of gold plates buried in a nearby hill. On the plates was etched the record of an ancient people who once lived in the Americas.“
Moroni never said that. No original documents use the term “the Americas.” It is pure revisionist history, designed solely to accommodate the current intellectual fixation on Mesoamerica and M2C.
For a fun exercise, go to the Joseph Smith Papers and search for “the Americas.” You’ll get 17 results. Every one of them is in the commentary and notes. You’ll read things such as “For early believers, the book was not only a religious history of ancient inhabitants of the Americas…” “The idea that God would establish the New Jerusalem, or the city of Zion somewhere in the Americas stemmed from the Book of Mormon.” “The Book of Mormon also prophesied that the New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, referring to the Americas.” “Jaredites: a term used in the Book of Mormon to refer to descendants and followers of Jared who departed for a “land of promise” which JS later identified as the Americas.”
The last one is especially fun because Joseph never used the term “the Americas.” This is putting words in Joseph’s mouth for a specific modern agenda–M2C. It is not history.
You can also search “this country” on the Joseph Smith Papers website and see how Joseph and his contemporaries used the term. It always referred to a specific nation (the United States or England, depending on where the author was at the time) or a local region.” Jonathan Neville Full blog here
Mighty Nation- Spain or the USA?
Who could ever this a “Mighty Nation” from the scriptures could be Spain? It just doesn’t make any sense and yet read below.
“And it meaneth that the time cometh that after all the house of Israel have been scattered and confounded, that the Lord God will raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles, yea, even upon the face of this land; and by them shall our seed be scattered.” (1 Nephi 22:7)
The term appears just once in the Book of Mormon. It appears twice in the Bible, in Genesis 18:18 (“Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation”) and Jeremiah 5:15 (Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the Lord: it is a mighty nation”). Some think the Book of Mormon “mighty nation” is the United States. Others think it is Spain. Let’s look at the arguments so you can make an informed decision. The argument for Spain as the “mighty nation” has been made by Kirk Magleby of Book of Mormon Central, here: http://bookofmormonresources.blogspot.com/2020/09/mighty-nation-spain.html. Kirk is a fine scholar, great guy, and effective writer. He has a strong bias in favor of M2C. [Moroni Two Cumorah Theory]. Although I shared his bias for decades, I no longer do. Instead, I have a bias in favor of the North American setting.” Jonathan Neville Full Blog Here
I have no idea how Book of Mormon Central can think that The Mighty Nation is Spain. It’s hard enough for me to figure out how Mesoamerica has anything to do with the Promised Land. I just feel these intellectuals are trying to rewrite our history.
Why I Believe America is Exceptional by Ski Ingram
“I just returned from a wonderful trip to Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota. Looking up at four of America’s best presidents reminded me of just how exceptional America is. That’s a dirty word to many people today, but I’d like to make the case for why it’s true.
I am an American patriot, meaning I love and support this country and I am ready to defend it against all “enemies foreign and domestic.” I am also a defender, if necessary, of our individual rights against an overreaching and tyrannical government. I believe in American exceptionalism. I believe that God inspired Thomas Jefferson and the framers of the Constitution while this country was being conceived. Some people reading this may be mocking me for what I believe and that is okay for I truly believe that everyone is free to believe what they want. That is part of what makes America exceptional.
There are turmoil and commotion going on all around us. Many cities are experiencing violent protests and riots. We are witnessing historic statues of American heroes being torn down by mobs. Police officers are being killed by anarchists who say they are doing it because the police are the enemy of their desired society.
As a combat veteran and a retired police officer, I see things differently than many people. In the last several years, we have heard politicians and activists say they want to “fundamentally change America.” I believe them when they say that and I believe that is just wrong. Using my training and experience, I’d like to explain why I believe America is an exceptional place in which to live and raise a family.
Like many, I believe that America is a “shining city on a hill” spoken of by Ronald Reagan. This lofty concept of a “city on a hill” was first used by Jesus during his Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:13–16 we read:
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Today we can apply this not only to individuals but communities, even a nation.
The phrase was also used by John Winthrop in his treatise, “A Model of Christian Charity,” delivered on March 21, 1630, before the Puritans sailed to the New World. In his treatise, John Winthrop explained that those pilgrims would be an example to the rest of the world of Christian charity. He impressed this upon them when he said, “For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.”
Alexis de Tocqueville understood that America was that “city on a hill” when he called the new nation “exceptional.” He stated, “America is still the place in the world where the Christian religion has most retained true power over souls; and nothing shows better how useful and natural religion is to men, since the country where today it exercises the most dominion is at the same time the most enlightened and the most free.”
For me, the designation of this land being something set apart goes back even farther than this. The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi, who lived 600 years before Christ, tells us that America is a “land of promise.” In 2 Nephi 1:5, 7 we read:
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. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord. Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.
These powerful words help us understand not only the promise of this land but the responsibilities of those who live here.
President Ronald Reagan believed America was exceptional and preserved by God when he stated, “There was some divine plan that placed this great continent between two oceans to be sought out by those who were possessed of an abiding love of freedom and a special kind of courage.” The phrase “American exceptionalism” became universal when it was added to the official Republican party platform in 2012.
Saying that America is exceptional is not, despite popular perceptions, the same as saying America is wholly superior and better than other countries. You could also say that America is unique from other countries, but saying it is exceptional means so much more. It’s a belief that this country’s laws and standards are different from other countries. America is exceptional because it is a singular standard of freedom and liberty in the world.
America is unique among the other nations of the world because it was founded on the principles of individual liberty, private property rights, and the idea that justice ultimately belongs to everyone who lives here. Although it clearly took this nation time to live up to this standard, it was also established on the idea that all men are created equal under the law. In a letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island on September 9, 1790, George Washington expressed why he believed this new nation was unique in human existence to date. He wrote: “The citizens of the United States of America have the right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy worthy of imitation.”
America was built on the eternal principle that all men are created equal and they have certain rights given to them by God. Because these rights are God-given, they cannot be taken away by man. This was a completely new concept in the world at that time. In every other society, the citizens’ rights came from men, such as a king or dictator.
It perhaps goes without saying, that although this government was designed to encourage greatness by its citizens, it has not always lived up to its own ideal. It imposed injustices such as the legalization of slavery, indentured servitude, denying the right to vote to some, forced segregation, and cronyism.
America’s founding has always been about its ambitions. The founders did not claim the country would be perfect, only that through freedom it may encourage greatness among its citizens. Yes, ugly things took place in our history by flawed and dishonest men. But if one looks at history fairly we see that the great leaders of our founding succeeded in creating a nation in which individual freedom became the pathway for unparalleled levels of achievement by its citizens.
Another concept unique to America at the time of its founding is the idea of equal justice under the law.
These enlightened men who established this nation understood that what makes America great and remarkable is its citizens and not the government. They knew that the government can encourage goodness only by protecting its people from the aggression of others, even from within the government.
That brings us to the foundational idea of limited government. The rights guaranteed by God are “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Americans were truly free to pursue happiness because their government was limited. This nation is truly exceptional because it is the only country in the world that obtains its greatness from God-given rights and laws. Our founders believed the government received its authority from the “laws of nature and from nature’s God,” as stated in the Declaration of Independence.
Another concept unique to America at the time of its founding is the idea of equal justice under the law. Our founders were not thinking of social justice as some do today. They did not expect that everyone should be equal in wealth or social status for they knew that everyone had different talents and opportunities in life. Nothing was guaranteed except your right to pursue your desires and your happiness. Some will say that equal protection was not the case at the country’s founding, and they would be correct. However, the beauty of our constitution is the addition of the Bill of Rights and the ability to add amendments that rectified these wrongs in time. This is evidenced by the passage of Amendment XIII (1865), which abolished slavery, Amendment XIV (1868), which gives to all equal protection under the law, and Amendment XIX (1920), which gave women the right to vote, to name but a few.
The founders had a genuine suspicion of government because of what they had experienced while being governed by Great Britain’s monarchy. They knew that for government to be “for the people,” it had to be an outline of rules and laws that allowed people to construct their own moral and civil code. James Madison once said: “If men were angels, no government would be necessary. … In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and the next place, oblige it to control itself.” Arguably, it’s the people who must control government, because government won’t do it on its own. In America, the people have a say about how they will be governed and by whom. If they are not happy, they can vote their leaders and representatives out of office. This was a new concept in the 18th century, which likewise made America exceptional.
American exceptionalism does not mean that people here are better than in other countries. It means our Constitution is exceptional. It gives all who live here the opportunity to succeed or fail in what they choose to do in life. This enlightened document inspires, uplifts, and encourages American citizens, both native-born and immigrant, to live better lives, dream bigger dreams, and work hard for themselves, their families, and their fellow citizens.
Americans have been given a wonderful gift, Freedom. It is up to us to preserve it for this generation and all future generations. Benjamin Franklin summed up this idea when he was asked by a woman, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” He replied, “A republic if you can keep it.” By Ski Ingram Public Square Magazine.
Choice Because it was Chosen
“The Book of Mormon reveals that Joseph, the son of Jacob who was once sold into Egypt, foresaw the Prophet Joseph Smith and his day (see 2 Ne. 3:6–21) and noted that there would be many similarities in their lives. Centuries later, the Prophet Joseph stated, “I feel like Joseph in Egypt.” (The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, ed. Dean C. Jessee, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1984, p. 409; spelling modernized.) The Book of Mormon reveals that the inheritance of Joseph, son of Israel, was not forgotten when, as promised in the Abrahamic covenant, land was distributed to the tribes of Israel. Joseph’s inheritance was to be a land choice above all others. (See Ether 13:2, 8.) It was choice not because of beauty or wealth of natural resources, but choice because it was chosen. It was to be the repository of sacred writing on plates of gold from which the Book of Mormon would one day come, choice because it would eventually host world headquarters of the restored church of Jesus Christ in the latter days.” A TREASURED TESTAMENT By Elder Russell M. Nelson Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles JULY 1993 Adapted from an address given 25 June 1992 at a seminar for new mission presidents, Missionary Training Center, Provo, Utah.
