2 Kings 22 - "The Book of the Law"

In the process of repairing the Temple, Hilkiah, the High Priest finds the "Book of the Law" and delivers it to king Josiah's scribe, Shaphan. Shaphan reads the "Book of the Law" and gives a progress report on the Temple. At the kings request, Shaphan reads the book to Josiah and the king rents his clothing as he realizes how seriously Judah has transgressed their covenant with the Lord. (vs.8-13)

"Go ye, enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, (vicarious, Aaronic representation,)concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us." (vs.13) The "Book of the Law" are covenant instructions recorded by Moses and Prophets who followed after. Covenant transgression has come about through neglect of the scriptures. We can liken these circumstances to ourselves:

"And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received- Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say but to do according to that which I have written. That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father's kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion. For shall the children of the kingdom pollute my holy land? Verily, I say, nay." (D&C 84:54-59)

"For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant; They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great which shall fall." (D&C 1:15-16)

"Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord. And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house." (D&C 112:24-26)

The parallels between Josiah's Judah and ourselves are abundant. We share the same challenge, lets see now how the Lord uses Josiah and Hilkiah to address the problem.