Nephi explained to his brothers that the Lord would raise up a mighty nation among the gentiles in the New World
1 Nephi 22:7. This prophecy uses the phrase "upon the face of this land" in the sense of a large extension of territory up to continental scale. See the article "
Face of the Land" for context on the semantic range of meaning this phrase exhibits in the text. After other members of the House of Israel such as the Jews had been scattered worldwide, this mighty nation would scatter the Lamanites with some of Nephi's posterity counted among them. Nephi's angel explained that this mighty nation would be without peer - "above all other nations upon the face of the land"
1 Nephi 13:30. The phrase "face of the land" in this verse is also used in the sense of a large extension of territory up to continental or even planetary scale.
Who was the most powerful gentile nation in the Americas for 329 years (1492 - 1821)? Spain. Who was the most powerful nation on the planet for 151 years (1492 - 1643)? Spain, the House of Habsburg, the western seat of the Holy Roman Empire. Some historians argue for Spanish dominance not just through the Battle of Rocroi (1643), but all the way to the War of Spanish Succession (1714) which would make Spain the most powerful nation in the world for 222 years. In any event, France was ascendant during the reign of Louis XIV (1643 - 1715), the Sun King.
This is a map of the Spanish Empire aka Hispanic Monarchy aka Catholic Monarchy at its peak.
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| Territories Once Part of the Spanish Empire |
Spain was the world's first global superpower, the first nation able to project power and trade literally around the world. Every other European colonial power (Portugal, France, England, Netherlands, Denmark) tried to copy Spain's success. Between 1580 and 1640 Spain and Portugal were united in a formidable Iberian concentration of power. France followed Spain as the world's most powerful nation and French dominance lasted through 1815 (Waterloo) when England became pre-eminent.
The mighty nation Nephi and the angel prophesied would dominate the Americas, dominate the world, and scatter Lehi's posterity was Spain.
