The Book of Mormon prophesied that the land of America would become a land "choice above all other lands" (1 Nephi 2:20; 13:30; Ether 2:7). It also foretells that the American Gentiles would become the most powerful people on the face of the earth: "unto the pouring out of the Holy Ghost through me upon the Gentiles, which blessing upon the Gentiles shall make them mighty above all" (3 Nephi 20:27).
Richardson, Richardson and Bentley write that in 1830 when this prediction was first published, it must have sounded quite ludicrous, for this nation had scarcely begun its great experiment with democracy--and could hardly be considered a world power. Today, however, few can dispute the literal fulfillment of this bold prophecy. Not only does America dominate the world economy, and have the largest and best equipped military in the world, but it is also "choice above all other lands' in that it yields the more farm product exports than any other country in the world. It accomplishes this with a work force of only three-percent of the U.S. population. America's farmers are the most productive on earth--with the average farmer producing enough food for 78 people, and creating an annual value of 136 billion dollars (in 1980). The United States also leads all nations in mineral production and in manufacturing which produced about $140 billion and $1.85 trillion per year respectively in 1980.
The United States became a choice land in a political sense in that is leads the world in protection of human rights as enumerated in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. People from all over the world are trying desperately to immigrate to the United States, and participate in this grand experiment in democracy and personal freedom. [Allen H. Richardson, David E. Richardson and Anthony E. Bentley, 1000 Evidences for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Part Two-A Voice from the Dust: 500 Evidences in Support of the Book of Mormon, pp. 97-98]