Lessons on the Book of Mormon 2020
Lesson No. Forty-Three

The Geography of a Land Choice Above All Other Lands - Ether 2:15

“And these are my thoughts upon the land which I shall give you for your inheritance; for it shall be a land choice above all other lands” (Ether 2:15, Jehovah speaking to the brother of Jared) – The Book of Mormon emphasizes again and again that ours is a “choice land.”  (See 1 Nephi 2:20; 2 Nephi 1:5; 3:2; 10:19; Ether 1:38, 42; 2:7, 10; 9:20; 10:28; 13:2)  At these challenging times we should remember that if the Lord considers ours “a land choice above all other lands” it does not really matter what other less informed people may think or say. 

Geography is one reason why the United States is a choice land – In large part thanks to our country’s geography the American economic system is far more stable, durable and flexible than most of the other global economies.  The most important aspect of the United States is not simply its sheer size, but the size of its usable land. Russia and China may both be similar-sized in absolute terms, but the vast majority of Russian and Chinese land is useless for agriculture, habitation or development. In contrast, the Midwest of the United States boasts the world’s largest contiguous mass of arable land — and that mass does not include the large and important usable territory on both the West and East coasts.  (Much of the detail in this Lesson comes from the Stratfor Global Intelligence Report, June 2, 2009)

River Systems of the United States - The Mississippi River System in the center of the United States, linked as it is to the Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Red rivers, comprises the largest interconnected network of navigable rivers in the world.

The American maritime transport system is another reason the United States is a choice land – The Mississippi River, linked as it is to the Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Red rivers, comprises the largest interconnected network of navigable rivers in the world. In the San Francisco Bay, Chesapeake Bay and Long Island Sound/New York Bay, the United States has three of the world’s largest and best natural harbors. The series of barrier islands a few miles off the shores of Texas and the East Coast form a water-based highway — an Intercoastal Waterway — that shields American coastal shipping from all but the worst that the elements can throw at ships and ports.

The Intercoastal Waterways and most of the bays overlap with near perfect symmetry – These important natural resources link up with agricultural regions and their own local river systems (such as the series of rivers that descend from the Appalachians to the East Coast), while the Greater Mississippi river network is the circulatory system of the Midwest. Even without the addition of canals, it is possible for ships to reach nearly any part of the Midwest from nearly any part of the Gulf or East coasts. The result is not just a massive ability to grow a massive amounts of crops — and not just the ability to move them easily and cheaply to local, regional and global markets — but also the ability to use that same transport network for many other economic purposes.  While there are many forces in the modern world that threaten various aspects of U.S. economic standing, there is not one that actually threatens the U.S. base geographic advantages.  (While living in Louisville Kentucky we often visited the locks at the Falls of the Ohio, and were astonished at the amount of shipping going up and down the Ohio River)

Ours is a choice land because it has an essential part in the restoration of the gospel – As we have discussed in this Lesson, the Lord has established the geography of our country in unique and remarkable ways that bring us many blessings.  But more importantly ours is a choice land is because the Lord has chosen it as a land of freedom where the gospel could be restored.  It is the headquarters of His Church in the last days, and from where His gospel will be taken to the entire world. 

Ours is a choice land because Jesus Christ is the God of this Land, and He has made great promises to its inhabitants – “Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the Land, who is Jesus Christ” (Ether 2:12).  To serve the God of this land we should make repentance and prayer essential parts of our daily life.  We can pray that righteousness will increase among our citizens, and in our families, and with our leaders.  We can live and promote the gospel of Jesus Christ, and recognize that it only has the power to change hearts in our nation or anywhere else in the world.