Prosper in the Land

One of the most common statement in the Book of Mormon is this well-known promise: “Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land” (Jarom 1:9).  In many instances, but not always, the statement is accompanied by a corollary about what happens when we don’t keep the commandments.  This was how Lehi taught the principle to Laman and Lemuel: “And he hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence” (2 Nephi 1:20).  He repeated the same thing when speaking to Laman’s children: “Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence” (2 Nephi 4:4).  Nephi also confirmed that the Lord had spoken the same words to him: “Wherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto me, saying that: Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his presence” (2 Nephi 5:20).  Obedience leads to prospering, and disobedience leads to being cut off from the presence of the Lord.  This was a foundational principle for the whole of Nephite society, for Lehi’s words were repeated on numerous occasions throughout the rest of the Book of Mormon.
                Alma in particular liked to stress the importance of this Nephite promise.  He told the people of Ammonihah, “Behold, do ye not remember the words which he spake unto Lehi, saying that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land? And again it is said that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord” (Alma 9:13).  He also mentioned this twice to his son Helaman: “But behold, my son, this is not all; for ye ought to know as I do know, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and ye ought to know also, that inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence. Now this is according to his word” (Alma 36:30).  He then repeated, “O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of God. And he said: If ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land—but if ye keep not his commandments ye shall be cut off from his presence” (Alma 37:13).  Clearly to Alma this was a very important promise and warning about obeying the commandments of God—perhaps to him it was particularly important because he had spent part of his life in wickedness where he was in some sense cut off from the presence of the Lord.  Alma repeated this again to his son Shiblon: “My son, give ear to my words, for I say unto you, even as I said unto Helaman, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence” (Alma 38:1). 

               One obvious question about this promise is this: what does it mean to prosper?  One common theme that accompanies the promise suggests that prospering includes being delivered from your enemies.  For example, King Benjamin said, “If ye shall keep the commandments of my son, or the commandments of God which shall be delivered unto you by him, ye shall prosper in the land, and your enemies shall have no power over you” (Mosiah 2:31).  Another theme is that of physical abundance.  Mormon recorded a time when the people of Nephi “did prosper exceedingly, and they became exceedingly rich.”  He then commented that Lehi’s promise was fulfilled when he said, “and they shall be blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my commandments they shall prosper in the land. But remember, inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord” (Alma 50:20).  Surely protection and some kind of physical prosperity is a part of prospering, but one book I listened to suggested that we should look at the second phrase of the promise to understand what it means to prosper in the land in the first phrase.  From this we infer that to prosper in the land is the opposite of being cut off from the presence of the Lord.  When we keep the commandments we have the presence of the Lord with us instead of being cut off; we have the Holy Ghost to guide and direct us.  Mormon recorded this kind of prospering at one time in the Nephite history: "And they were called the people of God. And the Lord did pour out his Spirit upon them, and they were blessed, and prospered in the land” (Mosiah 25:24).  Ultimately the greatest prospering that we can hope for is to have the presence of the Lord with us, to fill our souls with "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith" (Galatians 5:22).  We don't keep the commandments to become rich in material things--we keep them so that "the Holy Ghost shall be [our] constant companion" (Doctrine & Covenants 121:45).