2 Chronicles 32 - 36

"Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem." (Old Testament 2 Chronicles 36:11)

The window of the rule of Zedekiah was not very long, only eleven years. And during those years -

"...he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD." (Old Testament 2 Chronicles 36:12)

Not only did Zedekiah do wickedly but even -

"...all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem." (Old Testament 2 Chronicles 36:14)

It was during this brief period that -

"...the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place..." (Old Testament 2 Chronicles 36:15)

Lehi, living during this period, prayed unto the Lord. And -

"...as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly..." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 1:6)

After such a great vision, being exhausted, he returned home and cast himself upon his bed, and -

"...being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen.
8 And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.
9 And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day.
10 And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament.
11 And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read.
12 And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord."...(Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 1:7 - 12)

And upon reading the book, Lehi exclaims -

"...Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine abominations! Yea, and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem—that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be carried away captive into Babylon." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 1:13)

And with this great knowledge, the Lord sends Lehi as a messenger and -

"...he went forth among the people, and began to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard..." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 1:18)

"...But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy." (Old Testament 2 Chronicles 36:16)

Nephi also records as his father delivered his message -

"...the Jews did mock him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard, and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of the coming of a Messiah, and also the redemption of the world.
20 And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 1:19 - 20)

Becausethe Jews would not repent, the Lord -

"...brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.
18 And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon." (Old Testament 2 Chronicles 36:17 - 18)

But because of Lehi's willingness to be the Lord's messenger, the Lord tells him -

"...Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to take away thy life.
2 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness..." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 2:1 - 2)

And with that Lehi comes to realize -

"...I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice..." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 5:5)