Hugh Nibley
"This is the ‘choice land above all other lands’ since the Flood, reserved for the New Jerusalem and the ’remnant of the house of Joseph … like unto the Jerusalem of old’ (Ether 13:2, 6-8). But God placed the promise upon it ‘in his wrath’ (Jacob 1:7; Alma 12:35; Ether 1:33; 2:8; 15:28). Why that, of all things? Because his patience was at an end when men had defiled all the other lands in the glorious and beautiful world he had given them. He would set apart a place where he would stand for no nonsense; there men would be given such freedom as nowhere else, and could enjoy such prosperity as nowhere else.
“But in return for this liberty, certain ground rules have to be observed. Perfect liberty means that you can go as far as you want…But when the inhabitants abuse that freedom until they ’are ripened in iniquity,’ their presence will be no longer tolerated…God was angry when he laid down these conditions: ’These are my thoughts upon the land which I shall give you for your inheritance; for it shall be a land choice above all other lands.’ And these are the thoughts: ’My Spirit will not always strive with man; wherefore, if ye will sin until ye are fully ripe ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord’ (Ether 2:15). This promise is conveyed to us for our special benefit: ’And this cometh to you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God—that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done’ (Ether 2:11). It is Moroni’s prophetic warning to stop doing what we are doing. Fullness and ripeness: when the cup is full, it can no longer be diluted; when the fruit is ripe, it can only rot—there is no point to continuing the game. But up to that point all is permitted.” (The Prophetic Book of Mormon, p. 505)