We best understand “the meek” when we use the contrasting parallel to help us define the term. The promise to the meek is that they shall inherit the earth. This is a much clearer element to understand. Just as the poor become rich, will have something that they cannot acquire in this life. They shall inherit the earth. The meek, therefore, are those who are unable to inherit the earth because of their meekness. They are the unempowered. They cannot take any of the earth by force, but simply must accept what comes. This condition of being unempowered will reverse and they shall be so completely empowered that they shall inherit the earth. The concept of inheritance is another important clue as to how this will occur. In this life, the meek have no connections, no family, that will assist them in gaining power. In the next life, theirs will be a royal lineage, and what is denied to them in this life will come to them by right n the next.
The Mesoamerican context of this particular verse is not as easy to understand since the economics of power were very different, particularly in the classic Nephite society. However, there was more of this removal from power that was seen around them, and they would be familiar with the concept. They would not have been as directly affected by the conditions of the Beatitude as were those of the Old World who heard this saying.