Lehi had seen the devastating invasion of the Gentiles from Europe in the latter days. First he saw the Spanish, then the French and finally, the English. As for Central and South America, who would have believed that Cortez and Pizarro, with less than a thousand Spanish soldiers, would conquer literally millions of native Americans. As a result, Lehi saw that his descendants lost nearly all of their lands and ended up being suppressed, conquered, scattered, and persecuted.
Then we hear the plea of a dying father which seems to be directed to his older, rebellious sons. Lehi says he is not sure there is any hope for them. He urges them to rise from the sleep of apostasy and break off the chains of hell by which he fears they are ensnared. He pleads with them to listen to the words of a trembling parent, who within the next few days will be laid away in a cold and silent grave.