The Kings of Judah and the Lessons They Teach Us

by Laurisa White Reyes

147 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 3, 2026

About the author

LAURISA WHITE REYES is the author of twenty-two books, including the SCBWI Spark Award-winning novel THE STORYTELLERS and the Spark Honor recipient PETALS. She is also the Senior Editor at Skyrocket Press and an English instructor at College of the Canyons in Southern California.

Reviews

[George Dickinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The chapter about Ahaziah in The Kings of Judah really made me stop and think about the influence our choices can have on the people who come after us. The chapter is titled “Sins of the Father,” and while reading it, I found myself thinking about my own family and the kind of legacy I am leaving for my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Ahaziah was the son of Jehoram and was influenced by his parents and by his mother's family. The chapter explains that his mother, Athaliah, was the granddaughter of Ahab and that Ahaziah followed the wicked ways of Ahab's family. What stood out to me was that Ahaziah was not simply making choices in isolation. The choices and influences surrounding him helped shape the direction of his life.

One of the most important lessons in this chapter is that we are not punished for the sins of our parents, but the consequences of those sins can still affect future generations. That distinction really made sense to me. We each have our own agency and are responsible for our own choices, but our choices can create circumstances that make life easier or harder for those who follow us.

The example of Laman and Lemuel in the Book of Mormon made this lesson even clearer. Their choices and the things they taught their children eventually influenced generations of their descendants. This caused me to think about how easy it is for attitudes, anger, resentment, or even small dishonesties to become patterns that get passed from one generation to another.

I also appreciated the reminder that this works in the opposite direction. Just as poor choices can have a negative influence, righteous choices can have an influence that reaches far beyond our own lifetime. The chapter gives the examples of Esther and Abinadi. Esther's courage helped save thousands of people, while Abinadi's testimony led to the conversion of Alma, whose influence eventually affected hundreds or even thousands of others.

That part of the chapter gave me hope. I don't have to be perfect to make a difference. One person making a good choice can influence another person, and that person can influence someone else. We may never know how far our example will reach.

The question from President Dallin H. Oaks especially stayed with me: “Where will this lead?” I think that is a question we should ask ourselves much more often. Before making a decision, we can ask not only, “Is this what I want right now?” but also, “What could this decision mean for my family in the future?”

As a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, this chapter made me think seriously about the spiritual legacy I want to leave behind. I cannot control every choice my children or grandchildren make, and I cannot make their decisions for them. But I can choose what kind of example I set. I can show them the importance of prayer, forgiveness, kindness, faith, repentance, and following Jesus Christ.

The final message of the chapter was probably the one that affected me the most: “Be the strong one.” I love that idea because it reminds me that I have a responsibility to strengthen the chain of faith I have received rather than become the weak link in it.

This chapter helped me understand that my life is part of a much bigger story. The decisions I make today may affect people I may never even meet. That can feel like a great responsibility, but it can also be a wonderful opportunity. I want my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to be able to look back and know that I tried to strengthen their faith and point them toward the Savior.

The Kings of Judah is more than a history of ancient kings to me. This chapter turned the story of Ahaziah into a personal lesson about family, agency, consequences, and legacy. It reminded me that every choice matters, and sometimes the most important people affected by our choices are the generations that come after us.

I received an advance review copy and my opinions are my own.

[Jaimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. The author clearly summarizes each of the stories from Kings, a section many people skip when reading the Old Testament because the stories in an initial read seem irrelevant to us today. Her analysis of the biblical stories and their current connections and real life applications show otherwise. The lessons from Kings are indeed relevant and relatable today. Through blending real world examples from as recent as a year ago and historical reference explaining the biblical times, Reyes shows that there is a lot to be learned from the righteous kings (and corrupt ones) of that time.

[Lynn Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the format of this book! The story of the kings of Judah - most of whom are barely known - and the lessons we can learn from them and their reign and circumstances. The author did a masterful job of telling the stories, and included the opportunity to, by a touch, access immediately the scriptures relevant to that passage or word. I prefer reading an actual book in my hands, but this was one time when I was happy to have the electronic version and not have to pull out my scriptures to see what I might find in the scriptures on that particular verse or word. I received an ARC - thankfully - but my opinions and words are definitely my own.

[Terrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great companion to your study of the Old Testament. The author summarizes each of the Kings mentioned in the book. Her analysis of the biblical stories and their current connections and real life applications helped me to see how these ancient stories apply to our lives now. Through blending real world examples from as recent as a year ago and historical reference explaining the biblical times, the Author shows that there is a lot to be learned from the Book of Kings.

I received an ARC from the Publisher, but the thoughts and rating are my own.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Kings of Judah and the Lessons they Teach Us is a concise summary, with the names, dates they reigned, major accomplishments both righteous & evil and lessons we can learn from each of the kings of Judah. It is especially timely right now, as the Come Follow Me curriculum of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Old Testament this year and we have been reading about these kings and their timelines. The lessons learned sections include scriptures from the Book of Mormon as well, with words of BoM prophets and their stories.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like what the author says, "We, too, should continually study and learn from the past." I learned that we should study the stories from the Bible as they will help us become better Christians and they will help us live good lives. We can learn from others mistakes and use this to help out lives.
Read this book if you want to learn more about the Kinds of Judah and how they can help you.