Jeremiah 10

The words of Jeremiah could easily be his own, the Savior's, or even Judah and the Holy City as he writes -

"Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.
20 My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains."  (Old Testament | Jeremiah 10:19 - 20)

In speaking of broken covenants, (Jeremiah 11:9), Jeremiah suggests that "all my cords are broken" and "there is none to strethc forth my tent".  Concerning Zion, the cords of the tent as spoken by Isaiah -

"Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes..."  (Old Testament | Isaiah 54:2)

The cords then are in reference to covenants.  As we lengthen the cords of Zion, we are making and keeping sacred covenants.

Jeremiah also wrote -

"O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps."  (Old Testament | Jeremiah 10:23)

When we follow men or governments and do not follow the commandments of the Lord, we will fail.  The Prophet Joseph Smith commented -

“It has been the design of Jehovah , from the commencement of the world, and is His purpose now, to regulate the affairs of the world in His own time, to stand as a head of the universe, and take the reins of government in His own hand. When that is done, judgment will be administered in righteousness; anarchy and confusion will be destroyed, and ‘nations will learn war no more.’ It is for want of this great governing principle, that all this confusion has existed; ‘for it is not in man that walketh, to direct his steps;’ this we have fully shown” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pages 250– 51).