"Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land"

"The question arises, Are these laws (of God to Israel) realistic? Are they workable in the modem world? No! They are very special laws given to very special people. They are simply fantastic as far as the world is concerned. But that is just the point, says the Lord. The people of the world are not good enough to be my people. "I have called you out of the world. Your covenant is not with them, nor need you make any concessions to them. Do not intermarry with them, for marriage is a covenant. You must have nothing to do with them, because you are something different from the world - holy, set apart, chosen, special - peculiar, not like any other people upon the face of the adamah. God will keep faith with you all the way; he is merciful and loving and wants to bless you for a thousand generations" (Deuteronomy 7:1-9). To reject such an offer of love is to incur resentment and disaster; disposed love turns to hate. If you hate him, you will have to pay for it. That is fair, because he intends to make you blessed above all other people. You will be a veritable Zion, of eternal increase..."

Collected Works of Hugh Nibley