Did Lehi live under the reign of King Josiah?

As I read about Lehi sending his son's back to Jerusalem to secure and bring back a set of scriptures (Brass Plates) for the family to take on their journey, I wondered if Lehi might have lived under the reign of King Josiah.

When I taught Seminary, one of my favorite and most obscure stories in the Old Testament became that of King Josiah found in 2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-35.  A synopsis of King Josiah is found in the Bible Dictionary and sums up his rule as follows:

Josiah. (1) King of Judah, 641–610 B.C. (see 2 Kgs. 22–24; 2 Chr. 34–35). While still young, he made, under the guidance of Hilkiah, a thorough religious reformation, which extended to the northern tribes. He restored the temple, destroyed idolatrous images and the high places, put down the idolatrous priests, and celebrated a great Passover (2 Kgs. 23:21–23). During this reformation a book of the law was found by Hilkiah (2 Kgs. 22:8 f.; 2 Chr. 34:15 f.). It made at once a great impression, and led to the centralizing of all sacrificial worship at Jerusalem and the abolition of local idolatrous sanctuaries or high places. Josiah became involved in the war between Assyria and Egypt, and, though Pharaoh-Neco disclaimed enmity, Josiah met him in battle at Megiddo and was defeated and slain (2 Chr. 35:20–25; see also 2 Kgs. 23:29–30; Jer. 22:10–12, 18; Zech. 12:11). (2) Son of Zephaniah (Zech. 6:10).

I loved how Josiah was a righteous king....one of few during the Old Testament times... When he restored the temple and scriptures were found in the ruins he asked that they be read to him.  He was so moved by what he heard AND afraid of God's punishment because of how wicked and disobedient the Jews had become that he gathered the people together and had the scriptures read aloud to them too.  Then he did a thorough housecleaning so to speak to get rid of all the idolatry and restore his kingdom to one of righteous religious worship. Josiah reigned from 641-610 BC.....he died just 10 years before Lehi left Jerusalem.  I wonder if Lehi was in those crowds that listened to the reading of the scriptures and saw Jerusalem return for a time to a place of righteous worship....and then witnessed their fast decline again.  He tried to be a voice of warning to the people and they sought his life and he got out of town.  I wonder if he pondered on those things and through prayer and inspiration knew he could not leave the country without scriptures in hand.  If they hadn't secured the plates, they would have been like the Mulekites and slowly sunk to a state of not knowing the true gospel....they could not have remembered everything they needed to know.

It is the same for us today......it does not do us a bit of good to have the scriptures in our home or by our bed if we never open them up and read them. We will languish in half-truths and foolish traditions too if we are not constantly studying, pondering, remembering and applying the principles of the gospel that will lead to eternal life. Nephi says the scriptures are for our profit and learning.... and the Book of Mormon itself is full of things that Mormon and Moroni felt we specifically needed for our day to survive the challenges of the last days.  So..... GO BACK AND GET YOUR SCRIPTURES!  Dust them off and use them :)