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Jeremiah


Jeremiah

An Old Testament prophet who was born to a priestly family and prophesied in Judah from 626 to 586 B.C. He lived near the time of other great prophets: Lehi, Ezekiel, Hosea, and Daniel.

Jeremiah was ordained to be a prophet in the premortal life (Jer. 1:4–5). During his approximately forty years as prophet he taught against idolatry and immorality among the Jewish people (Jer. 3:1–5; 7:8–10). He had to face continuous opposition and insult (Jer. 20:2; 36:18–19; 38:4). After the fall of Jerusalem, the Jews who escaped into Egypt took Jeremiah with them (Jer. 43:5–6), where, according to tradition, they stoned him to death.

The book of Jeremiah

Chapters 1–6 contain prophecies given during the reign of Josiah. Chapters 7–20 are prophecies during the time of Jehoiakim. Chapters 21–38 deal with the reign of Zedekiah. Chapters 39–44 contain prophecies and describe historical events after the fall of Jerusalem. Chapter 45 contains a promise to Baruch, his scribe, that Baruch’s life would be preserved. Finally, chapters 46–51 are prophecies against foreign nations. Chapter 52 is a historical conclusion. Some of Jeremiah’s prophecies were contained in the brass plates of Laban secured by Nephi (1 Ne. 5:10–13). Jeremiah is also mentioned two other times in the Book of Mormon (1 Ne. 7:14; Hel. 8:20).

The book of Jeremiah also includes an acknowledgment of man’s premortal existence and Jeremiah’s foreordination (Jer. 1:4–5); a prophecy of the return of Israel from their scattered condition, gathering one of a city and two of a family to Zion, a pleasant land where Israel and Judah could dwell in safety and peace (Jer. 3:12–19); and a prophecy of the Lord gathering Israel from the north countries by sending many “fishers” and “hunters” to find them (Jer. 16:14–21). This event of the latter days will be larger in proportion than even Moses’ bringing of Israel out of Egypt (Jer. 16:13–15; 23:8).