The first statement about the existence of the Book of Mormon in our day was made by Moroni to Joseph Smith.  Moroni stated, among other things: “he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.  He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants;” (JS-H 1: 33-34).  The “former inhabitants of this continent” would necessarily be North America.

The remnant came from people who frequently received a place called “this land” in the prophecies. For example: “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.”  (2 Nephi 1: 5.) The relevant “land” is one which the ancestors of the remnant were promised would be choice above all other lands. A land of inheritance for the remnant. And one to which people would be “led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord” to later occupy. This is a reference to Nephi’s earlier vision wherein the unfolding history of the Americas were shown to him. That included the following:

There would be a man separated by “many waters” who would be wrought upon by the Spirit of God and make the journey across the “many waters” to the remnant “seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.” (1 Nephi 13: 12.) This identifies Columbus, whose original landfall was in the West Indies of the Caribbean. However, the prophecy continues with greater details, increasingly focusing on a North American setting.

After the original discovery by the man wrought upon by the Spirit of God (Columbus), the same “Spirit of God… wrought upon other Gentiles” who also made the migration across the “many waters.” (1 Nephi 13: 13.) Again it is not unequivocal because migration included and still includes both North and South America.

 

When the gentile waves of immigration overtake the promised land, they are humbled, fleeing from captivity (1 Nephi 13: 16), and the power of God was upon them (Id.). They were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations. (1 Ne. 13: 19.) These gentile people are then “lifted up by the power of God above all other nations, upon the face of the land which is choice above all other lands, which is the land that the Lord God hath covenanted with thy father that his seed should have for the land of their inheritance.” (1 Ne. 13: 30.) That description seems to identify the United States, for there is no historic basis for saying Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba, Columbia or Peru are or ever have been “lifted up by the power of God above all other nations.” The United States, however, as the world’s single recognized “superpower” has fit this description. If it is the area of the United States being identified, then this is the “land that the Lord God hath covenanted with thy father that his seed should have for the land of their inheritance.” Or, in other words, this is where one should expect to find remains of the remnant who inherited and will inherit again the land as their promise from the Lord.

 

The gentiles who inherited the area of the United States waged a continuing campaign to dispossess the native people, succeeding in causing them to dwindle, but not be utterly destroyed. (1 Ne. 13: 30-31.) It is in the United States, beginning in upper New York State that the gentiles are given the chance to remove the “awful state of blindness” through the restoration of the Gospel. (1 Ne. 13: 32, 34.) The coming forth of the Book of Mormon was a North American event, coming to the gentiles who are occupying the land covenanted to the fathers and upon which we would find the remnant. (1 Ne. 13: 35-36.)

 

There is enough, therefore, in Nephi’s prophecy to identify the area where the remnant would initially be found. That area is inside the United States. This is where the remnant would initially be swept away, smitten and afflicted by the gentiles. But they would not be utterly destroyed. A small fraction of them would be preserved, so the promises could be realized. (1 Ne. 13: 30-31.)

 

So they were here. And some of them remain still.  So, when we begin to identify who they are, the initial proof of their identity is found in Nephi’s prophecy and our own history. I do not think it was intended to be particularly difficult to see what was prophesied or who was involved. But we need to pay some attention or we miss the information lying before us.

Joseph Smith also made statements identifying the former occupants of the area that is now the United States where the Book of Mormon people were situated. From his mother, Lucy Mack Smith, we have the following description of what Joseph told the family during the four years he was being educated by Moroni in the annual visits to the Hill Cumorah before obtaining possession of the plates: “During our evening conversations, Joseph would occasionally give us some of the most amusing recitals that could be imagined. He would describe the ancient inhabitants of this continent, their dress, mode of traveling, and the animals upon which they rode; their cities, their buildings, with every particular; their mode of warfare; and also their religious worship. This he would do with as much ease, seemingly, as if he had spent his whole life among them.” The reference to “this continent” being a reference to North America.

 

There are other references by Joseph Smith, as well.  In looking at this I am not trying to identify where Book of Mormon events occurred. Instead I am only interested in the subject of whether at the time of dispossession of the land, the people who were dispossessed were descendants who had promises extended to them in the Book of Mormon. It seems evident that is the case. It seems almost undeniable that the promised people who are yet to receive the benefit of an earlier covenant with Lehi and Nephi, Jacob and Enos, include those who were occupants of the area of the United States during the early years of American conquest.