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Editor’s Note:  Several civilizations lived on the American continent over the centuries, and each of them was eventually decimated or destroyed. Does a similar fate await us?  Author Douglas E. Brinley describes ten stages of decline through which all of the previous societies passed through before they were destroyed, and he compares our current circumstances to theirs.  His book, serialized here, provides insights that give us hope in a time of upheaval, and offers timely counsel on what we must do to avoid the fate that befell former civilizations.

A covenant is a promise between two parties whereby each agrees to abide by mutually acceptable obligations. The covenant on the land between God and its inhabitants is an everlasting covenant. The civilizations prior to that of the Gentiles were swept off the land when they broke their covenant with Deity. They turned away from the promises made by their righteous forebears. It is the inhabitants, not God, who seem to find it difficult, especially in times of ease and prosperity, to maintain a righteous course, and when they break their covenant, the contract is void. If repentance and retrenchment are not forthcoming, severe consequences are inevitable.

The Covenant with the Antediluvians

The covenant between God and the first group of inhabitants on the land is not as clearly spelled out in the biblical record or even in the Pearl of Great Price as it is with later civilizations on the American continent. We know, however, that Adam and Eve were given dominion in an area known as the Garden of Eden. This first couple fell from a paradisiacal, or terrestrial, state in the garden to a telestial environment after Satan successfully beguiled Eve. Adam, not wanting to remain alone when his wife made a choice that would mean she must leave the garden, joined his wife and therefore brought the children of God into their mortal state. They were forced to leave their pristine surroundings, their promised land (or garden). Though one of the penalties they suffered was to be cast out of the land of their first inheritance, their transgression was not in the same category as the sins of the later inhabitants of Noah’s time or the days of the Jaredites or Nephites.

Our first parents did not willfully rebel against God and His laws as did these later people. It is true that they broke a law of God, but living in a state of innocence, they did not comprehend the consequences associated with the violation of the law given to them in their level of understanding in the garden (2 Nephi 2:23). Like little children, they transgressed a law in innocence that caused their expulsion from the garden. This was part of God’s plan, wherein they could learn for themselves through the experiences of mortality and the use of their agency. They had never seen death before, and in the garden environment, nothing they did made them sick or ill. They knew no pain.

Thus, the Latter-day Saint doctrine of the Fall is that the change from immortality to mortality was known to God beforehand and planned for accordingly. The plan of salvation was first explained to the Father’s spirit children in a premortal council. In that first estate, we all understood that the Fall was necessary, and provisions were made to negate its long-term effects by having a Redeemer prepared ahead of time. Jehovah was called and chosen by the Father – in anticipation of the Fall itself – to be that individual. All who have come to the earth sustained in that premortal sphere the plan to come to earth.

The fall of Adam and Eve was necessary to bring all of us to a probationary state where we could obtain a physical body for ourselves, where punishment and rewards are not always immediate, and where we could learn for ourselves the differences between good and evil in an environment where opposites can exist together. Such was not possible in the premortal sphere, for there perfection reigns and wickedness is not tolerated (D&C 1:30). When Lucifer sinned by rebelling against the Father, he and those who followed him were cast out of God’s presence (Abraham 3:27-28).

To attain godhood, each of us must understand the differences between right and wrong. The point is that the violation of the law given to Adam and Eve was not done in rebellion against repeated warnings and threats of destruction by Church leaders or prophets as were the violations by Jaredites and Nephites. The decision of our first parents to go against God’s counsel was done in a state of innocence rather than as a serious plot to overthrow the kingdom of God. And when Adam and Eve learned of the consequences of their decisions, they repented of their transgression and were forgiven by God (Moses 6:53). Nevertheless, they had broken a law, a penalty had been decreed, and they moved into a state of mortality as natural, physical changes took place in their bodies. Blood replaced spirit element, and death became the inevitable result of their decision in the garden. The good news was that now parenthood and spiritual progression were open to them, and they rejoiced together (Moses 5:10-11). They paved the way for us all to come to earth for the wonderful experiences of mortality.

Enoch

Enoch headed the next dispensation after Adam. That the land in which he grew up was a land of promise is mentioned by him:

Enoch came out of a righteous heritage and background. But by the time he reached adulthood, the people were in a state of wickedness and the Lord called him to preach repentance to the people. By then, the ripening process was already well underway with many of the earth’s inhabitants. The level of wickedness that developed among the people caused God to send Enoch to warn the people of their impending destruction if they did not repent. “Go to this people,” the Lord commissioned him, and “say unto them – Repent, lest I come out and smite them with a curse, and they die” (Moses 7:10).

War was already raging between the righteous people and the wicked who were justifying their sinful behavior (Moses 7:13). Until the people of Enoch were translated, the division between the obedient and the wicked of Enoch’s city became increasingly volatile. Those who were not translated with his people remained on the earth and were later destroyed in the flood in the days of Noah (Moses 7:33-38).

The Jaredites and the Covenant on the Land

The covenant between God and the land’s inhabitants is most clearly outlined in the Jaredite record. After the cataclysmic event of the Flood, the land was prepared anew for the Jaredites:

Moroni’s outline of the covenant clearly reviews the blessings (Plan A) and cursings (Plan B) of the covenant. Plan A involves choosing gospel principles and the associated blessings and guidance from the Lord that come from such choices. If the inhabitants choose to live this way, they will be allowed to remain on the land forever. Plan B, on the other hand, becomes operational when people choose evil and wickedness rather than righteousness. Plan B leads to the destruction of the inhabitants when they fail to repent as their wickedness becomes more gross and offensive.

Moroni wrote:

The Lord promised these righteous inhabitants freedom from bondage and captivity. It was made known to them that no other nation or people would take possession of the land as long as the covenant remained intact.

This covenant is repeated frequently by subsequent prophets in the Book of Mormon record. The inhabitants were reminded of the requirements needed to remain on this land. “And thus the Lord did pour out his blessings upon this land, which was choice above all other lands; and he commanded that whoso should possess the land should possess it unto the Lord, or they should be destroyed when they were ripened in iniquity; for upon such, saith the Lord: I will pour out the fulness of my wrath” (Ether 9:20).

The Nephites and the Covenant

The Nephites understood the provisions of this covenant because Lehi and Nephi had taught their families and descendants concerning its promises, its terms, and the consequences of breaking it. Even before they arrived in the promised land, the Lord told Nephi: “Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands” (1 Nephi 2:20).

Lehi, in one of his last sermons before his death, reminded his family of the covenant that exists on this land:

When we view the covenant as it is outlined in both the Jaredite and Nephite accounts, we see that the inhabitants of the land have many promises extended to them when they are righteous. They enjoy exclusive possession of the territory. No other nation will come and take their land away from them; it is to be a land of liberty to the righteous. Prosperity accompanies righteous living. God promises to protect His people from outside domination or subjugation as long as they maintain the provisions of the covenant. Righteousness and obedience ensure the continuance of the compact.

The covenant among the Nephites was given in the simplest of terms: “Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land” (2 Nephi 1:20). That was Plan A. They were also given the alternative, or Plan B: “But inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence” (2 Nephi 1:20).

Many blessings come through obedience; but punishment, a loss of revelation, and a forfeiture of political and economic blessings are the consequences that follow the choice of evil. These are blessings and penalties associated with the way those who occupy this land treat the prophets and their divine instructions.

The conditions of the covenant were repeated by subsequent prophets and writers. Jarom used the exact words Lehi had used with his family members years earlier (Jarom 1:9). By Jarom’s day the Nephites had grown wicked and rebellious. Jarom lamented the bluntness that was necessary to keep the Nephites in line: “The prophets of the Lord did threaten the people of Nephi, according to the word of God, that if they did not keep the commandments, but should fall into transgression, they should be destroyed from off the face of the land” (Jarom 1:10; italics added).

Many were swept off the land at a later time because of their wickedness, as Amaron recorded:

This theme of a covenant land and the need to remain righteous was taught to the people throughout Nephite history.1 King Benjamin, circa 124 B.C., reminded his sons of the need to consistently obey the commands of the Lord “that ye may prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers” (Mosiah 1:7; see also vv. 13, 17; 2:22). A few years later, Alma cautioned: “Thus saith the Lord God – cursed shall be the land, yea, this land, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, unto destruction, which do wickedly, when they are fully ripe; and as I have said so shall it be; for this is the cursing and the blessing of God upon the land, for the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance” (Alma 45:16).

The covenant on the land may be summarized as follows.

God Promises the Inhabitants

1. They may live forever on this land of promise (Ether 2:8, 12; 1 Nephi 2:1-5).

2. They will be free from bondage (Ether 2:12; 1 Nephi 2:7-9).

3. They will be free from captivity from all other nations (Ether 2:12; 2 Nephi 2:80-9).

4. They will prosper in the land (2 Nephi 2:9).

5. They will be the sole possessors of the land (2 Nephi 2:9).

6. They will dwell safely forever on the land (2 Nephi 2:9).

7. They will be kept from the knowledge of other nations who might capture or overrun them (2 Nephi 11:8).

The Inhabitants Promise God

1. They will serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ (Ether 2:10, 12).

2. They will keep his commandments (2 Nephi 1:9).

3. They will repent of any evil or iniquity (Mosiah 11:10-21; Ether 2:11).

The Gentiles

The Gentiles were led to this land of promise by the impressions of the Holy Ghost to Columbus, according to his own account, but the Gentiles were not (and still are not) aware that a covenant exists between Deity and the land’s inhabitants. That covenant was not known until the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, wherein the requirements for living in this land are outlined. Perhaps because the Gentiles were not led here under prophetic leadership, more mercy is extended to the present inhabitants because the Gentiles as a whole are unaware of the Lord’s requirements for living here.

Yet, the Latter-day Saints have the responsibility to make known to the Gentiles the elements of the covenant, if they will listen, because the Saints have been given the Book of Mormon and know of its message and promises. The Latter-day Saints have been asked to share the Book of Mormon message with the entire earth. This covenant between God and those who live here must be made known to the Gentiles before major judgments are brought against them. Alerting the Gentiles to the Book of Mormon message and the covenant on the land was a primary theme of President Ezra Taft Benson’s presidency: Get the Book of Mormon into the hands of as many people as possible, in part so they can understand the requirements and promises that pertain to this land and its people (“Book of Mormon Is the Word of God,” 2-5).

The Gentiles Have Responsibilities, Too

Although the Saints have an important responsibility to warn the Gentiles, the Gentiles are not without some responsibilities and accountabilities themselves. These relative newcomers were Christians when they came into this land of promise. Most of the early settlers – Pilgrims and Puritans – were God-fearing people who carried with them the Bible. In fact, Nephi points out that this record was brought by the Gentiles who crossed the great deep (1 Nephi 13:29). The first settlers on the land were seeking religious freedom that was unavailable to them in England and on the Continent. They understood the Christian tradition and message of the Old and New Testaments. They shared a belief in Christ and His teachings. If they were not accountable for the specific covenant as it is outlined in the Book of Mormon, they were certainly accountable to live the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ as presented in the Bible.

The Book of Mormon is much clearer than the Bible in explaining that righteousness must prevail in this land. Obligations go with ownership of the land. Nephi pointed out the promises and penalties (Plan A and Plan B) that the Gentiles should be aware of even before the restoration of the gospel and priesthood had taken place here. The Bible outlines both the promises to those who are righteous and the consequences and penalties that come to the wicked if the sons and daughters of God are slothful and careless in keeping the Lord’s commandments (Deuteronomy 28-32, including chapter headnotes). But the Book of Mormon outlines the promises to the Gentiles on this land in much more detail. It outlines the role they play in assisting the Lord in gathering Israel (2 Nephi 10:8-11).

An angel explained to Nephi the blessings that would come to the Gentiles if they hearkened unto the message of the Restoration:

Though the Gentiles are accountable for their knowledge of the teachings of Christ from the biblical record, they have the added opportunity to accept the message of the Restoration, which began with the Father and Son appearing to Joseph Smith, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and the establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in these latter days.

Surely with the worldwide growth and influence of the Church, with temples in greater proximity to more of the Saints, with missionaries coming to their homes and walking down their streets, the increase of Church membership, and an edition of the Book of Mormon being printed late in 2004 by a non-Church publisher (Doubleday), the Restoration cannot go unnoticed.

The light of Christ is given to all men and women (D&C 84:46), and that light will lead honest people, decent people, everywhere, to notice the growth of the Lord’s kingdom. Hopefully, they will want to inquire about our religious perspectives and read the Book of Mormon. As President Boyd K. Packer predicted, “Those who now come by the tens of thousands, will inevitably come as a flood to where the family is safe” (“Father and the Family,” 21). Many will be drawn to the Church in great numbers if we, as Latter-day Saints, do our part to live the gospel and extend its blessings to our neighbors.

Nephi indicated that a significant problem facing the growth of the Restoration would be priestcraft, where individuals “preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion” (2 Nephi 26:29). This problem surfaced early in the Restoration, and it has been a major hurdle in our spread of the gospel.

Joseph Smith learned that his report of the First Vision was not taken kindly by the professional ministry of the day. The message from the Lord to Joseph that their “creeds were an abomination” (Joseph Smith – History 1:19) cut into their vested interests as people were attracted to the new, fledgling, restored Church. Historically, the Saints have been a minority. Nevertheless, as the Church of Jesus Christ continues to come forth “out of obscurity and out of darkness” (D&C 1:30), as our missionary forces increase, as the Saints continue to become better known in government and business enterprises, and as we as individuals and families live gospel principles and keep the commandments, the differences between us and traditional Christianity will cause honest inquiry. As we listen to the Lord’s prophets at general conference, read the scriptural record, maintain high moral standards, contribute humanitarian relief, model a righteous and attractive lifestyle, portray standards of decency and righteousness by which God would have His children live, we can yet have a powerful influence on the people of our day.

Jesus, in his visit to the Nephites, explained why the Gentiles were brought to this land. He said to those at Bountiful that the gospel would go forth from the latter-day Gentiles to the remnant – the Lamanites – of those to whom he was speaking:

Mormon refers to members of the latter-day Church as those who “have care for the house of Israel, that realize and know from whence their blessings come. For I know,” he observed, “that such will sorrow for the calamity of the house of Israel” (Mormon 5:10-11).

Summary

From the very beginning of this world’s history, a covenant has been established between God and those who live upon this sacred soil. Gentiles, latter-day Christians (including Latter-day Saints), and others occupy the land at the present time. That there is a covenant on the land is clear from the writings of the Book of Mormon authors. Though the Gentiles are unaware of the covenant, they come from a Christian background and must be responsible for behavior consistent with the standards of the Christian tradition. Latter-day Saints have a particular responsibility to reach out, teach, and warn their Gentile neighbors of the consequences that come to those who fail to live a Christian standard of conduct.