Sometimes when we read the Old Testament we can get the impression of a vengeful, vindictive God. You know, the one that will strike you with lightening if you say something wrong. When the Israelites finally make it to the promised land they seem to leave a trail of blood and suffering behind them.
I love these verses 1 Nephi 17:33 & 35 "And now do ye suppose that the children of this land, who were in the land of promise, who were driven out by our fathers, do ye suppose that they were righteous? I say unto you, Nay... But behold this people had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of God was upon them."
Nephi clears it up a little for us. The people who inhabited the land before the Israelites had a chance to repent, probably a thousand chances, probably more.
Nephi also says in this passage "the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one." Which of course means that he loves us all and doesn't marginalize anyone. But I think there's another meaning here. As difficult as it is for our Anglo-Saxon culture to understand, the Lords loves us holistically. He loves mankind and He will do things for the greater good of all. Nephi learns this poignantly when the Lord commands him to kill Laban.
Yes the Lord loves us individually more than our mortal minds can understand, but he also loves us collectively as his children. The best chance for all mankind to return to live with him again was for the Israelites, the covenant people of God, to inherit the promised land.
But! As Nephi points out, he gave the wicked people a million and half warnings and chances to repent, to become covenant people, to develop faith in Jesus Christ and come unto him.
Elder Renlund says, "God cares a lot more about who we are and who we are becoming than about who we once were."
In fact, one of the repentant non-Israelites in the area joins the covenant people and becomes the great (many generations back) grandmother of the Savior. Her name was Ruth.
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