Ether 9

In the scriptures we often read about “The Land of Promise.” What does that mean and what makes it the land of promise? Today I read chapter 9 in Ether about a land which was “choice above all other lands.” (v. 20) That is the same terminology that the Lord used with the brother of Jared when talking about the land that had been prepared for Jared. This brings me back to my original question, what makes it the land of promise? Is it the grain? Is it the resources? Is it the location?

I believe that all of those might have something to do with it, but the answer that I believe is true is that we are the ones that make it the land of promise. I don’t think it is because of our ingenuity that makes the land so great, but I think it is our righteousness that makes it so great. In Ether 9 we read that the part of the population was growing wicked and rejecting the Lord. Because of that, the Lord caused war and bloodshed to befall the land. Once the war stopped and righteousness was again found among the people, the Lord “began again to take the curse from off the land.” (v. 16) It was then, once the people were righteous, that the people started having “all manner of fruit, and of grain, and of silks, and of fine linen, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious things; and also all manner of cattle, of oxen, and cows, and of sheep, and of swine, and of goats, and also many other kinds of animals which were useful for the food of mad. And they also had horses, and asses, and there were elephants and cureloms and cumoms; all of which were useful unto man, and more especially the elephants and cureloms and cumoms. And thus the Lord did pour out his blessings upon the land…” (v. 17-20) We learn that living in a land which is choice above all other lands is contingent upon our righteousness. If we are righteous, the Lord will make us great, He will make our lands great, and he will make our work great. If we abound in wickedness, the Lord will allow famine, bloodshed, and wicked works to be among us. Even though he allows those things to happen, we learn in Ether 9 that He does this so that we might “repent of our iniquities and cry unto the Lord.” (v. 34)

Let us take a look at our lives and see if we are abounding in good works or if there is famine, bloodshed, or wickedness surrounding us. If the later is present, in any of its varying degrees, let us repent of our iniquities and cry unto the Lord, that he might make the land upon which we stand choice above all the other lands.