What a wonderful thing for the descendants of Lehi to read such a book! Mormon declares that the Book of Mormon is a gift of God to this remnant. Unfortunately, without a spiritual perspective, not every gift from God appears to be either valuable or providential. Yet every day, from Canada to the southernmost tip of Chile, the Book of Mormon is given to the remnant of which Mormon spoke. Usually, at the hands of two missionaries, the unwitting remnant is given a veritable pearl of great price at no price at all. One would think that such a valuable record would be cherished by all those privileged to receive it. By it, they may know of their forefathers, their genealogy, their heritage, their origin, their history, their future, and their God.
But Satan continues to harden hearts. Nephi prophesied that this would happen, saying, many cast things away which are written and esteem them as things of naught. But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people (2 Nephi 33:2).
"In a special way, the Book of Mormon was written to the Lamanites, the descendants of Lehi, as a major tool to restore them to Christ. It seems that the righteous Nephite prophets, knowing the destruction of their own people, wrote with special feelings to the future Lamanites. Mormon in his final chapter said, 'And now, behold, I would speak somewhat unto the remnant of this people who are spared' (7:1); and Moroni in his last chapter said, 'Now I, Moroni, write somewhat as seemeth me good; and I write unto my brethren, the Lamanites' (10:1)." (Rex C. Reeve, Jr., Book of Mormon Symposium Series, 2 Nephi, edited by PR Cheesman, MS Nyman, and CD Tate, Jr., 1988, p. 2)