No Kings

Jacob, ca. 550 BC, gave us one of the most audacious prophecies in the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 10:10-14:

• This land (North and South America - see the blog article "This Land") will be a land of inheritance for Lehi's posterity.
• The Gentiles (immigrants mainly from Europe) shall be blessed upon the land.
• This land shall be a land of liberty (see the blog article "Free Nations").
• There shall be no kings upon the land.
• This land will be fortified against all other nations.
• He that raiseth up a king against me shall perish.
• The Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king (see the blog article "Christians by Continent and Country").

When this prophecy was published to the world in 1830, monarchies and empires were the norm across most of the surface of the earth.

• The Imperial House of Japan had been in power since 660 BC.
• The Cambodian Royal Family had been on the throne since AD 68.
• Other monarchies had been in place since:
• 751 Oman
• 788 Morocco
• 804 Denmark
• 814 Spain
• 871 England
• 872 Norway
• 970 Sweden
• 1139 Portugal
• 1462 Russia
• 1526 Austria (Habsburg)
• 1544 Netherlands
• France was flirting with republican forms of government after having kings from 509 - 1795 and 1804 - 1815. The French monarchy was re-enthroned again in 1830.
• The Holy Roman Empire, dissolved in 1806, had ruled for 1,000 years since Charlemagne.
• Other empires were going strong, subjugating and colonizing vast extensions of territory beginning in:
• 1299 Ottoman Turks
• 1492 Spain
• 1604 Britain
• 1605 France
• 1644 Qing Dynasty
• 1721 Russia
• 1804 Austria

In the Americas, wars of independence had begun to change the governing dynamic. See the blog articles "Prophecy Fulfilled 015" and "1830 Americas." Brazil had opted for monarchy beginning with Dom Pedro I (known as "The Liberator") in 1822.

Dom Pedro I of Brazil (1798-1834)

So, for the Book of Mormon to announce in 1830 that attempts to establish royalty in the Americas would end badly ("he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish") it was a bold declaration, practically unprecedented in world history. Like other Book of Mormon prophecies, this one was fulfilled precisely.

King James I (James J. Strang) was coronated in 1850 and reigned over Beaver Island, Michigan until his assassination in 1856.

James I of Michigan (1813-1856)

James Jesse Strang at the height of his power ruled over 12,000 followers and counted Joseph Smith's brother, William, among his supporters.

Maximilian I of Mexico was coronated in 1864 and executed by firing squad in 1867. 

Maximilian I of Mexico (1832-1867)

The Imperial House of Brazil reigned from 1822-1889 when a coup d' etat forced Dom Pedro II (known as "The Magnanimous") into exile in Paris where he died 2 years later.

Over a dozen sovereign nations in the Americas have some form of fealty to a monarch through a voluntary Commonwealth association such as Canada to the UK, but since 1889 no absolute monarch has reigned anywhere in the New World. Those few who attempted to establish a king in the Western Hemisphere post 1822 did perish just as the Book of Mormon foretold.

I recommend Stephen Smoot's blog article about 2 Nephi 10.