3 Nephi 16

Two of the purposes of the Book of Mormon outlined in the introduction are: the convincing of Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, and to make known the covenants of the Lord that Israel is not cast off forever. For the Nephites, there is no doubt now that Jesus is the Christ and in this chapter he explains the promises made to Israel, that they will not be forgotten but will be gathered again. To be gathered again means to come to a correct knowledge of the Savior and his gospel and organized as a people. The Savior commands the people to write the things he tells them and this includes the knowledge that he will visit many of the House of Israel that have been scattered all over the earth. He explains that in our day, these writings will go first to the gentiles and if they accept it, they will be numbered among the House of Israel. If the gentiles reject it, those of the House of Israel will go through the gentiles and tread them down. The groundwork for this possibility is being done at this time as we see the tribes of Israel in Mexico, Central and South America, as well as other countries, become more populous and aggressive. So many of the prophecies are beginning to be fulfilled and the Lord has promised us that if we have eyes to see, we will recognize them as they occur.