The world of the Nephite nation was born out of the world of seventh century BC Jerusalem. The traditions and tragedies of the nation of Judah set the stage for what would happen over the next ten centuries of Book of Mormon history. In his opening statements, Nephi tells of an explosion of divinely commissioned ministers preaching in the holy city. He declares that Jerusalem was a place of “many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they they must repent” (1 Nephi 1:4). Nephi alludes to the prophetic service of Jeremiah (c. BC 626-587), Zephaniah (c. BC 640-609, Obadiah (c. BC 587), Nahum, Habakkuk, Urijah, and possibly many others. This disproportionate number of prophets in the city was accompanied by an increasing wave of imitators. Amidst this apparent competition between valid and invalid prophetic representatives, Jeremiah sets a standard of who can be trusted in this visionary arena. Continue reading →
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