Ezra 1

Ezra began his record with the revelation of Jeremiah -

"NOW in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled..." (Old Testament | Ezra 1:1)

Jeremiah had prophecied -

"...this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
12 ¶ And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations." (Old Testament | Jeremiah 25:11 - 12)

So in the first year of the reign of the King of Persia that -

"...the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem." (Old Testament | Ezra 1:1 - 4)

What is even more profound but not necessarily mentioned by Ezra was the prophecy of Isaiah years before -

"THUS saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut..." (Old Testament | Isaiah 45:1)

I don't even know if Cyrus was born yet at the time of this prophecy. It is hard to believe that the remnants of Judah did not open the prophecy to Cyrus himself. It must have been quite startling to him.

2 Chronicles 34

As Josiah eliminated the worship of idols throughout Judah and repaire and amended the temple -

"...Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 34:14)

It is always amazing what the written word can do for the children of men for -

"...when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 34:19)

Without the written word, man loses his way. We see this as Nephi contemplated what to do with Laban -

"...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.
15 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.
16 And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass." (Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 4:14 - 16)

We see the Lord's patterns as Josiah -

"...went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.
31 And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 34:30 - 31)

Is this not the first and great commandment.

2 Chronicles 29

In the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple, the Prophet Joseph Smith pleaded -

"...that no unclean thing shall be permitted to come into thy house to pollute it;
21 And when thy people transgress, any of them, they may speedily repent and return unto thee, and find favor in thy sight, and be restored to the blessings which thou hast ordained to be poured out upon those who shall reverence thee in thy house.
22 And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them;
23 And from this place they may bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ends of the earth, that they may know that this is thy work, and that thou hast put forth thy hand, to fulfil that which thou hast spoken by the mouths of the prophets, concerning the last days.
24 We ask thee, Holy Father, to establish the people that shall worship, and honorably hold a name and standing in this thy house, to all generations and for eternity;
25 That no weapon formed against them shall prosper; that he who diggeth a pit for them shall fall into the same himself;
26 That no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house..." (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 109:20 - 26)

Hezekiah seemed to have the same desire in his heart regarding the Lord's house in that -

"...he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD..." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 29:2)

In that -

"...he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,
5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 29:4 - 5)

"Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 29:31)

Then -

"...Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 30:1)

And of those that were not worthy, much like the Prophet Joseph Smith -

"...Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one
19 That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 30:18 - 19)

And -

"...the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 30:20)

Later, as the Assyrians, with all their warriors and weaponry came to conquer Judah, Hezekiah, counsels because of the faithfulness of Judah -

"...Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:
8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 32:7 - 8)

After the Assyrians had mocked the God of Judah -

"...the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 32:21)

Even -

"...the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses." (Old Testament | 2 Kings 19:35)

When the saints our faithful to their temples covenants, the promises of teh Lord will be fulfilled.

2 Chronicles 20

Jehoshaphat was a leader that taught the Judah to put the Lord first. He set the example for -

"...his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 17:6)

When his people were confronted with the approaching of the armies of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, and with the instruction of the prophet Jahaziel saying -

"...Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 20:15)

...it was Jehoshaphat that taught -

"...Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 20:20)

It seems as the people choose to follow the Lord and His prophets, the Lord protects His people. We see this same thing when Elisha said to his servant -

Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." (Old Testament | 2 Kings 6:16 - 17)

As we are faithful, the hosts of Heaven are there for our defense.

2 Kings 2

As Elijah was about to leave, he asked Elisha -

"...Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me." (Old Testament | 2 Kings 2:9)

Many have suggested that Elisha desired to even double the miracles performed by Elijah, but I don't see it that way. Elisha had a very righteous desire to be granted an increased portion of the Spirit as he took on the mantle.

Isn't this the same of everyone that is called to serve the Lord. Does not each plead that the Lord will grant an increase of spiritual guidance from the Spirit that the will of the Lord may be manifest.

Week after week, we covenant -

"O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them..." (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 20:77)

For the very same reason that Elisha had -

"...that they may always have his Spirit to be with them..." (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 20:77)