For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, King of Judah,

by Father Lehii having dwelt to Jerusalem in all his days, and in that same year there came many prophets,

prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed.

1-Nephy chapter 1, verse 4.

Hey listeners, this is Nick from Book of Mormon Central, and today's podcast addresses

the question, how did Jeremiah's and Lehigh's ministries reflect one another?

According to Nephi, in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah,

king of Judah, there came many prophets

prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed.

Significantly, this is the very picture that the Bible paints of this time period, as Jeremiah,

Zefaniah, Abuk, Uriah, the prophetess Hulah, and others prophesying and preaching,

were all contemporaries of Lehi. Of these prophets who preached in the final years leading up

until the exile, Jeremiah left the most extensive and detailed writings about what Jerusalem

was like at that time. Nephi emphasized that he couldn't make a full account of

the things which my father hath written, but the book of Jeremiah helps fill in many of the gaps

left in Nephi's account. Studying writings and ministries of Lehi and Jeremiah together,

can therefore foster a great appreciation for these prophets and help illuminate the message they

proclaimed.

According to Joseph Smith, both Lehigh and Jeremiah would have held the Melchesitic

priesthood, allowing each to minister the ordinances of the priesthood despite their different genealogies.

Furthermore, both prophets are explicitly connected with the act of record-keeping. In Jeremiah chapter 36,

the Lord instructed Jeremiah to write all the words that I have spoken unto thee,

...