Answer: unequivocally, without room for doubt, the "mighty nation" is the United States of America.
"...the time cometh that after all the house of Israel have been scattered and confounded, that the Lord God will raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles, yea, even upon the face of this land; and by them shall our seed be scattered."
Nephi is unfolding the meaning of the scriptures to his brothers. He also has the advantage of having already seen these things happen in a vision.
We know they are on the American continent ("the face of this land" = the American continent). We know the "marvelous work" that is "of great worth...unto all the house of Israel" referred to in verses 8-9 is the restoration of the gospel.
At a general conference sometime in the past 5 years there was a really great talk given which I cannot for the life of my find. It was given by a Brazilian general authority who talked about his sincere feelings of frustration that the restoration of the gospel did not occur in Brazil. If I remember right, he was incredulous about why it had to happen in the United States. I think this was the first time I had really thought about that idea before. After that talk, I read in several other places (which I don't remember now! arghh) and had some long discussions with Danny and Danny's parents about this idea.
The hill where Joseph Smith unearthed the golden plates is in upstate New York. Joseph's family had been pushed to migrate there by the year without a summer. But, surely, not only could the golden plates have been given directly to an earnest seeker of knowledge, but also no way (!!) was Joseph Smith the first such seeker. So why him, why then, and more to the point of the original question, why there?
Religious freedom is a relatively new reality, if not concept. The Book of Mormon also testifies of the founding father's being inspired men, of the Constitution of the United States being inspired, of this being a promised land, "that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord." (2 Nephi 1:6) This includes my Mayflower pilgrim ancestors from the 1600's as well as my 1880's Moravian ancestors.
In a 1963 General Conference, Delbert L. Stapley gave a long talk about this topic.
Thus, from ancient American prophets, we learn that this United States of America was established by God for a divine purpose, and that great blessings, which all must admit, as we review the history of this nation, have so far been literally fulfilled; yet the fulfillment of future promise of blessings is conditional upon the continued righteousness of its people. A great challenge is presented to the citizens of this land if God is to be on our side and give us power as a nation to overcome our enemies and not be brought down into captivity.
This nation did not come into being by chance. God declared that the gentiles who came here were to be brought out of captivity by his hand. The prophecies previously quoted concerning the establishment of this nation have been fulfilled to the letter. The people coming here in the beginning did so to find religious freedom. Nevertheless, they were subjected to tyrannical rule, unjust demands, and no representation. They had lost the opportunities, the privileges, the religious freedom and liberty which impelled them to settle in this new land. The colonists became an aroused group because of oppression; therefore, the time had arrived in the economy of God for the people to break off the yoke of domination which subjected them to these unjust and intolerable conditions. The Lord, knowing beforehand the events which would set the pattern for independence, raised up strong and valiant men to meet this hour of crisis and challenge. The Declaration of Independence came from a determined people. The successful Revolutionary War which followed united the colonies; and the gentile nation of destiny and of divine purpose, as foretold by the prophets, was born. A Constitution was needed to set forth the purposes, obligations, and the guide lines for the new nation. God was prepared and ready and did not neglect this newborn nation which he had ordained to be established thousands of years previously.
The restored church is for the entire world; we are not an "American" church. God's love and his blessings extend to all people of all languages everywhere and throughout all time.
At the same time, the restoration of the gospel was meant to begin in the United States. Can you even imagine an alternate reality of Joseph Smith's first vision happening in the Austrian Empire of 1830? I really can't. Regular people, my ancestors, were literally still living under a feudal-type system there.
I love my country. It is pretty chilling to think that the prophecy of the restoration beginning here came true, so the additional warning will also be true; that if we as a nation forget God and start to become wicked (ha! Start? Yeah. I'd say we've definitely started), then my country will be cursed. From the same talk:
If wickedness prevails and wicked men rule, then we will be as other nations. We will stand alone without the guiding influence and power of God to sustain us in time of trouble and in meeting the challenge and threat of internal and external Satanic ideologies, also the evil designs and intrigues of men and nations.
Pretty chilling indeed, considering the personal morality of the person who is currently standing at the head of my government :-(
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