Why so much about Israel?

Time after time, I've always read 3 Nephi and loved hearing the story of the Savior coming to the Americas... and then got completely lost and confused about why He proceeds to focus so much on the gathering of Israel for most of His ministry with the Nephites. But recently, I've been thinking about why Christ would do this, and it has hit me very hard.

First, let's remember what the gathering of Israel really entails. Abraham made a covenant with God, where he was promised that his seed would be blessed forever and that they would be responsible for taking the gospel throughout the world. From that point, they were God's chosen people. The Old Testament deals entirely with Israel. When Christ came to Earth, he taught only Israel. Gentiles did receive the gospel after He was crucified, but Israel was promised that they would be taught first. Part of the promise of Israel was that they were given a chosen land. Even when their disobedience led to God's children being expelled from their promised lands, the land was still rightfully theirs. Before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, it is promised that Israel's lands will be restored.

Second, let's look at who the Nephites and Lamanites really are. We know that Lehi's family left with Ishmael's family during the reign of King Zedekiah. Later, we learn that Lehi was a part of the Tribe of Manasseh and Ishmael was from Ephraim. The blessings involved with each of those tribes, while important otherwise, aren't necessarily essential here. What is crucial to understand is that the Nephites and Lamanites are from Israel, and the blessings made through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob belonged to them, too.

When Christ said in John 10:16, "Other sheep I have," He wasn't suggesting that He was going to see other random individuals; He was going to visit His sheep, His covenant people, other members of Israel.

Now, why is this at all important? And why does this matter to us. Clearly scripture isn't written to edify the people of the time, but those down the line - us. So again... why the emphasis on the gathering of Israel?

The Nephites and Lamanite had, by this point, been gone from Jerusalem about 600 years. While they (at least some of them, some of the time) strove to live righteously, they were away from their home. As we compare the early books of the Book of Mormon to the Old Testament, it is clear the different societies understood different things better than the other; as such, we know that the two societies were growing very differently.

Now put yourself in the shoes of the Nephites. Many of them, over the 600 years in between Lehi and his family's journey, surely forgot who they really were. They likely forgot the promises made to their ancestors. Then we have those who didn't forget, but quite possibly wondered if God had forgotten, thought that maybe their physical separation from Jerusalem also resulted in a separation of covenants and promises.

On my mission, I have found that many people, like the Nephites, have forgotten who they are. They have forgotten that they are "offspring of God" (Acts 17:29), made in God's "own image" (Genesis 1:26). They have forgotten that their Heavenly Father desperately wants to see them again. They have forgotten that they at one point "shout[ed] for joy" (Job 38:7) at the creation of Earth and the plan of redemption. Even those who do believe in a God often doubt that He has a plan for them, knows them personally, and acts on their behalf. These forgotten ideas lead people to lose self-worth, miss their potential, and treat themselves and those around them poorly.

A major focus of Christ's ministry to the Americas was to remind the Nephites who they were and assure them that they had not been forgotten. He wanted them to recognize their potential and own up to their responsibilities and reap the rewards of who they were. He wanted them to know that "I will remember the covenant which I have made with my people" (3 Nephi 20:29). Essentially, He wanted them to know that they were loved and had divine potential. When they came to understand this, they lived in a Zion society (4 Nephi 1) without contention or separation, and full of prosperity.

As a missionary, I've found that this is essentially my role. I help people remember who they are. Preach My Gospel says that the gospel will have a "familiar ring" to people who listen to the Spirit. Why is that? Because I'm not teaching them anything their soul hasn't already heard. My job is to help them recognize who they really are: sons and daughters of a King, a loving Father, the Almighty God of the Universe. When people understand this, they become someone new. They shoot higher, work harder, pray more often, study more diligently, and achieve much more. And it truly is a miracle.