4th blog post reply

In first Nephi chapter 13 in the Book of Mormon, it tells of gentiles coming across the great waters to the land of Nephi's inheritance. Though vague about the particular dates and people we can infer who the passages are referring to and how God affected the founding of America.
Nephi is communing with an angel who commands him to look and behold the many great nations of the gentiles.(Ne 13:1-3) Nephi sees these nations and how they are a very covetousness people who want riches.(Ne 13:7-8) During this time Nephi sees a man among the gentiles being guided by the spirit to come across the many waters.(Ne. 13-12) At this point it can be safely assumed that Nephi is seeing Columbus crossing the Atlantic. An interesting aspect of this vision is how Nephi states that the man was led by the spirit to cross the ocean, giving god the credit for allowing the Americas to be discovered.
The angel then shows Nephi how other people were led by the spirit to come across the ocean to settle in America.(Ne 13:13) Nephi makes a point of saying that the people who came over were escaping captivity. Most people who migrated to the Americas from Europe were in what they believed captivity from their government. Either from position in society or religious conflict, most people felt that the would gain more freedom in the Americas.
As these people migrate to the Americas, Nephi sees how the gentiles affect his brothers descendent's. (Ne. 13:14) We know that the Indians were greatly afflicted with diseases and were driven from their homes. Nephi tributes this to Gods wrath with them.
The gentiles prosper in the new country and do humble themselves before the lord (Ne. 13:16) They then go to battle against the mother country on the gentiles. Nephi says they fight her both on land and on sea. (Ne. 13:17) However, since the power of the lord was with them, Nephi sees them being delivered by God out of the hands of their enemies.
Through Nephi's description of the founding of America, we can see that he believes that god had directly affected its creation. In contrast, it can be said that because of the vague detail that this could take place in any point in history, however, the situation described is so unique that despite the lack of detail you can pin point the time period this prophesy is taking place. Another argument that can be raised against divine intervention aiding the Americans in the Revolutionary war can be the fact that there was a war at all. In the scriptures, Nephi say that the gentiles were delivered from the hands of their enemies. Usually when one hears that statement, it is inferred that they escaped without blood shed. However, the founding fathers more than once attributed the creation of the United States to God. Also there are many circumstances in the Revolutionary War that could only have been coincidence or divine intervention.