This saying repeats part of Psalms 37:11: “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Like the “poor,” the meek will be blessed with something that they cannot acquire in this life. They will inherit the earth. This understanding produces a clearer definition of “the meek.” They are those who are unable to inherit the earth because of their meekness. They are the unempowered. They cannot take any of the earth or its goods by force but simply must accept what comes. In the next life, this condition will be reversed; they will be so completely empowered that they will inherit the earth.
The concept of inheritance is another important clue about how this event will occur. In this life, the meek have no powerful friends or family connections. 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 in the next.
Book of Mormon Context: The Mesoamerican context of this particular verse is more difficult to understand since the economics of power were very different, particularly for traditional Nephites. They would have been less directly affected by the conditions implied in this beatitude than Jesus’s Old World listeners. However, they had also experienced being distanced from social and political power and would be familiar with the concept.