McConkie and Millet assert that for the Nephites, “Jews” are nationals, persons from the kingdom of Judah (See 2 Nephi 30:4; 33:8). On the other hand, “the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles” (1 Nephi 13:3) are persons from elsewhere. In this sense, the Latter-day Saints are called Gentiles (see D&C 109:60). In this vision the “nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles” are the European nations. [Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 1, p. 89]
“Many Nations and Kingdoms”
According to John Sorenson, most Latter-day Saint readers have supposed that the “other nations” (1 Nephi 13:1-3) in Nephi‘s vision who overran the promised land after Columbus’ discovery were the European “Gentiles.” But does it make sense that the fate prophesied by Lehi would be delayed until 1,100 years after Cumorah? “Many nations” nearby in the Americas could have entered the lands of the American Israelite groups on short notice. Linguistic reconstruction tells us about one of the later groups--Nahua speakers, which included the Aztecs. None of them came into Mesoamerica until after the Book of Mormon account had been sealed up, yet soon they came to dominate much of the area. [John Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, F.A.R.M.S., p. 84]