2 Nephi 10

While reading Chapter 10, I kept in mind the events that occurred 70 years ago yesterday: the attack on Pearl Harbor. I wanted to say something about the day that happened long before my birth.

I've learned about Pearl Harbor through the American History classes taken while in school, the History Channel, and every once awhile a book or newspaper article. I also learned from a great-great aunt who was a Japanese school girl living Japan during WWII. She told our family that she was grateful for the atomic bomb that hit Japan, because as a school child she was training with poles to fight the American soliders. The bomb was the only thing that could have stopped such a total destruction of her people. They were ready to die fighting. Every citizen.

When my family visited Hawaii in the Spring of 2009, we visited Pearl Harbor. It was quite the experience. Seeing all the names of all the people who died during the attack was heart-wrenching. It makes you grateful for the men and women who serve our country.

So I was reading Chapter 10 when I came across verses 10-17:

10 But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon the land. 

11 And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles. 

12 And I will fortify this land against all other nations. 

13 And he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God. 

14 For he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words. 

15 Wherefore, for this cause, that my covenants may be fulfilled which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the secret works of darkness, and of murders, and of abominations. 

16 Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish; for they are they who are the whore of all the earth; for they who are not for me are against me, saith our God. 

17 For I will fulfil my promises which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh—

He's talking about America here. The Book of Mormon speaks about America a lot. But it's comforting to know that if we live righteously, if we do the best we can, then we will be okay. God keeps his promises. We just have to keep our end.

How blessed we Americans are. We just take it for granted most of the time. We are people who don't have to worry about dictators ruling and killing mass amounts of people. We don't have to fear. Most of us will never see war, unless we volunteer to serve and protect this country. We are blessed upon this land to have freedoms. How wonderful it is to be here.