LEHI PREACHING TO THE JEWS.
The Prophet Lehi also preached to the people, and told them what awful things would happen to them because of their sins. The people did not believe Lehi, and they became angry at him because he told them of evils which would come upon them. They even tried to kill him, but the Lord did not let them harm His servant.
Both Lehi and Jeremiah told the people of Jerusalem, who were called Jews, that a king who lived in another city called Babylon would come with a great army of soldiers and destroy Jerusalem. They would tear down the walls of the city and burn the houses in which the people lived. Then these soldiers would kill many of the people who lived in the city, and others would be taken away to Babylon and put into prison. The Lord told these Prophets, Lehi and Jeremiah that these things should happen, and that is how they knew about what would happen.
The Lord loved the people of Jerusalem. Sometimes they were good people, and the Lord wanted to save them. But they had become so wicked that the Lord now sent these and many other Prophets to warn them, or tell them of what should happen if they did not do better.
The people would not do right, so, just as these Prophets had said, in a few years the king of Babylon sent a great army of soldiers to Jerusalem, and they killed many thousands of the men and women. They took others to prison, and the city and the beautiful temple were burned.
Perhaps you will wonder what became of the few good people who were in Jerusalem. The Lord took care of those who loved Him. Jeremiah was treated kindly by the king of Babylon, and was allowed to stay with a few others in his old home. Daniel, and a few other good young men whom the Bible tells of, were carried to Babylon and placed in the king's palace, where they were kindly treated. Lehi and his family and a few others were cared for in a different way. How the Lord so wonderfully provided for their safety will be told in the next story.
This story shows that the Lord is kind to His children, and tells them how to be saved from trouble, just as our parents teach us how to avoid dangers and accidents. If we obey our parents we are safe from harm; so when people obey the Lord they are safe, for He will protect them. The story teaches us, also, that what the Lord says is always the truth. He never promises to do anything and fails to do it. Another thing in this story to be remembered is that the Lord is not pleased with wicked people, and they are sure to be punished for their sins.
Points to be remembered in this story: Jerusalem is a city in Asia, where the Savior and many Prophets have lived long time ago—The Book of Mormon tells about a Prophet named Lehi who lived in Jerusalem many years before the Savior was born—The people at that time were wicked—Lehi told them of their sins, and that they would be destroyed if they did not do right. The people did not repent, and an army of soldiers came from Babylon and burned the city, killed many people, and took others to prison—The good people were saved—The Lord is kind to His children—He always tells the truth—He is not pleased with wicked people.
LEHI AND HIS SONS
THEIR JOURNEY IN THE WILDERNESS.
After the Prophet Lehi had warned the people of Jerusalem of what was going to happen, the Lord told him in a dream to leave the city and take his family with him.