Post by Nephi –
Before continuing with my blog, I wish to clarify to you and my brothers about Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar. Laman says the city will not fall. Let me tell you what happened and then you decide if the city will fall. Laman is correct that Assyria failed in conquering Jerusalem. However, with the overthrow of Assyria a few years ago, Babylon has overpowered nations. Following the pattern of the Assyrians, these nations then must pay tribute or suffer siege and destruction.
We became one of these conquests when Nebuchadnezzar recently took Jerusalem. Our young King Jehoiachin had only ruled a few years when we were conquered. Yes we have Jehoiachin’s uncle Zedekiah in his place, but we are not free.
When the Babylonians conquer they deport many of the citizenry of their new conquest. Laman knows that happened here. Many of our dear friends were taken when Nebuchadnezzar came through. Several of them were quite dear to our family, including Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah and Ezekiel. This was quite a tragedy for Sam and I. They were great men and I feel certain God will watch over them. However, these were among the finest we had here in Jerusalem.
I can only imagine that as part of the conquest, King Nebuchadnezzar took these citizens away to allow him to rule those of us left behind easier. By looking at those he carried to Babylon, which were mostly our craftsmen, soldiers, aristocrats and some of our promising young leaders – along with of course King Jehoiachin, Nebuchadnezzar, wanted two things – he wanted these potential leaders absent from his conquered Jerusalem, making it more difficult for us, and he now had some of our best people to serve his needs in Babylon.
So when my father and the other prophets including Jeremiah, warn about the destruction of Jerusalem, they are not talking about being conquered, they are talking about being destroyed. It is not a matter of “if” Jerusalem will fall, it fell. The prophets are trying to warn us about a destruction that is eminent if we do not repent.
Jeremiah 21:1-10
2 Kings 24:10-14
1 Nephi 1:13
