Charlemagne, King Josiah, and Lehi?

Charlemagne was buried with an open copy of the bible placed upon his lap.  Unfortunately, few remember his role in preserving religious writings and also paving the way for the Renaissance.  Although Charlemagne died in 814 A.D., he was perhaps the greatest “signal repeater” between ancient greco-roman thought and the Renaissance.  A signal repeater is a box on the ocean floor that receives the fading ones and zeros through fiber optic cables, strengthens them, and resends them along.  Just as data could not make the trans-oceanic journey without signal repeaters, the Renaissance would have been set back centuries without Charlemagne. 

Charlemagne

What Charlemagne did was copy and preserve almost every written document he could find throughout his realm.  “​​Most of the surviving works of classical Latin were copied and preserved by Carolingian scholars. Indeed, the earliest manuscripts available for many ancient texts are Carolingian. It is almost certain that a text which survived to the Carolingian age survives still.”  (Wikipedia: Charlemagne).  Without Charlemagne’s education reforms during what we call the “Carolingian Renaissance,” there would have been very little greco-roman thought for the great thinkers of the European Renaissance to build upon.  For the religious, it is not inaccurate to consider Charlemagne as having been wrought upon by God to preserve as many secular and religious writings as he could.  This is especially true because it was not the first time a restoration like this had happened.

Approximately 1400 years before Charlemagne, Josiah became King of Judah at the age of eight years old.  Although Josiah’s great-grandfather Hezekiah had been a notable reformer who ruled during the time of the prophet Isaiah, neither Josiah’s grandfather nor his father sought to follow the law or the prophets.  A key difference maker in Josiah’s life was the presence of the high priest Hilkiah.  The record is unclear how Josiah and Hilkiah connected, or who was more of an influence on whom, but the record is very clear on the results.  Josiah and Hilkiah were a tremendous force for good.  Josiah ordered the temple to be cleaned both physically and spiritually (his grandfather had altered it for idol worship), and in that process Hilkiah found the book of the law.  Most commentators believe they found Deuteronomy, one of the Pentateuch.  2 Kings 22:11 says, “[a]nd it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.”  Apparently, a lot that needed doing that wasn’t getting done, and an awful lot was getting done that never needed doing.  In verse 13 Josiah turned to Hilkiah and the other priests and said, “Go ye, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, 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 to the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.”  One of those consulted was the prophetess Huldah, who confirmed the truthfulness of the words of scripture.   

Josiah and Hilkiah began making changes to bring the kingdom in line with the law.  A lot of changes.  They tore down idols, restored temple worship, and even held the first passover celebrated in a long time.  2 Chronicles 35:18 says, “[a]nd there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” 2 Kings 23:25 reads, “[a]nd like unto [Josiah] was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.”  

Josiah attempted to lead his people in righteousness and encourage the people to repent.  Josiah and Hilkiah’s efforts are uniquely relevant to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who accept the Book of Mormon as an additional witness of Jesus Christ, equal to the Old and New Testaments.  The Book of Mormon begins with a man named Lehi living in Jerusalem during the first year of the reign of King Zedekiah.  Since Zedekiah was the third son of Josiah, this means Josiah was the king of Lehi’s youth.  Lehi grew up watching Josiah’s reforms and also seeing the effects the discovery of the book of the law of God had on all of Israel.  This context is very important to understanding the inception of the Book of Mormon.  

In chapter one, Lehi hears prophesying of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem unless the people repent.  He likely heard it from the prophet Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah.  Lehi takes these prophecies seriously, prays about them, and receives an answer from God that the prophets' words are true.  As a result, Lehi begins to prophesy as well.  Soon, his life is in danger much like Jeremiah’s.  God warns Lehi in a dream to flee Jerusalem with his family, telling him he will be led to a land of promise.  Soon after they leave, Lehi is commanded to send his sons back to Jerusalem to obtain a copy of the scriptures.  Lehi’s two oldest sons dragged their feet, but Nephi, Lehi’s third son, received his own witness from God that the scriptures were necessary.  1 Nephi 4:14-15 reads, “. . . I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.  Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses save they should have the law.”  

Lehi and Nephi’s understanding of the importance of the scriptures in preserving and promoting righteousness was a direct result of Josiah and Hilkiah.  But it goes beyond that.  Without Josiah and Hilkiah, there would have been no righteousness as Lehi understood it, and no set of scriptures for Nephi and Lehi to bring along.  It is unlikely Nephi and Lehi would have ever left Jerusalem or even understood the ways of the Lord at all if not for the efforts of Josiah and Hilkiah.

Leaving Jerusalem

But Lehi and his family did leave Jerusalem, and they did bring a copy of the scriptures.  After Nephi returned to Lehi with the scriptures,  Lehi “beheld that they did contain the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world, and also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents; [a]nd also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah; [a]nd also the prophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning . . . and also many prophecies which have been spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah.”  1 Nephi 5:11-13.  

After obtaining the scriptures, Lehi was commanded to invite another family to join them, and the two families left on an eight year journey to the ocean, where they were commanded to build a boat.  This boat landed somewhere in the Americas in approximately 592 years BC.  The Book of Mormon is simply the record of God’s dealings with Lehi and his descendants from 600 BC to approximately 530 AD.  The last prophet, named  Moroni, was the son of Mormon.  Mormon was a warrior/prophet who was commanded to write a summary of the history of the descendants of Lehi taken from the writings of their prophets.  That’s why it is called “The Book of Mormon.”  

Just as Charlemagne preserved religious and secular writings during the Carolingian Renaissance, 1400 years earlier Josiah preserved jewish law, life, and scripture.  Charlemagne’s efforts made the Renaissance of the 15th and 16th centuries possible.  Josiah didn’t just protect and preserve Jerusalem and their righteousness, he also laid the groundwork for a tribe of Israel to live in righteousness for over 1000 years in ancient America, and paved the way for what members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ.  Consistent with the litmus test for all prophets found in Matthew 7, the Book of Mormon is the chief fruit of Joseph Smith.  The Book of Mormon supports the divinity of Jesus Christ, his miraculous birth, his atoning sacrifice, and his resurrection.  The apex of the Book of Mormon is a record of the visit of Jesus Christ to the Americas following his resurrection in Jerusalem, consistent with John 10:16 in the New Testament, which reads, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” 

Christ in the Americas

The story of Josiah in relation to the timing of Lehi’s life and works is one of the reasons I know the Book of Mormon is true, just as I know the Bible is true.  Sadly, most members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not know how Josiah’s story relates to the commencement of the Book of Mormon, or understand how Nephi’s actions to recover the scriptures were informed by the events of his era.  I love King Josiah, I love Hilkiah, I love Lehi and Nephi, and I love the prophet Joseph Smith, because they are all signal repeaters who all point us to Christ.  Joseph Smith said “[t]he fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”  The Book of Mormon states:

“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.  Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.  And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end, Amen.”  2 Nephi 31:20-21.  

I believe that at times we can see the hand of God moving across the sweep of history.  I believe Charlemagne was inspired to create the reforms he did to both preserve and protect religion as well as future scientific progress.  I believe Josiah was sent, in part, to pave the way for the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.  I believe Lehi and Nephi were real people whose lives and actions were actually influenced and blessed by Josiah’s reforms.  I believe Josiah doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves for the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the Restoration of the The Church of Jesus Christ.  The Book of Mormon shows that God wants to give His word to all who are willing to

receive it.  I highly recommend reading it.