Jacob shifts the scene from the Old World to the New World. Thus, he was again speaking about his immediate audience. Jacob had earlier used the idea of gentiles to describe the indigenous population that was already in the New World. With everything else in this sermon that is being tied together, the most conservative reading is to see these gentiles also as the existing indigenous populations. How does this enhance our understanding of what Jacob was doing?
If Jacob is speaking of his intermingled gentiles, then he is also speaking of those who have received the promise of the land—that they would prosper if they remain righteous. Thus, a land of liberty is what allowed them to prosper and practice their religion. That is the way Mormon will later use the concept of liberty.
What about the phrase “no kings upon the land”? There is an unfortunate comma in the sentence that disguises the meaning. That comma was included by the compositor, not by revelation. The better reading keeps the longer phrase together: “there shall be no kings upon the land who shall raise up unto the gentiles.” Thus, it isn’t that there would not be kings. Most of the New World was subject to a king at one time or another. The meaning is that there would be something about what those kings might do.
The context suggests that we should read “raise up unto the gentiles” as parallel to verse 14’s “raise up a king against me shall perish.” The context is defense against outside dangers. Thus, while there would be kings on the land, witnessed by the Lamanite kings, they would not be a threat to them if they fulfilled their part of the covenant of the land.
Jacob began this day’s sermon citing prophecy that destruction would come, so this promise is part of the conditional covenant. In verse 14, Jacob makes sure that his audience understand that no king can stand against the king of kings. Rather than stating that there would be no king upon the land, Jacob is clearly stating that their king of heaven is the only true king, and against Jehovah no worldly king could stand.