But as it was, their perspectives were pretty limited. They refused to believe a huge walled city like Jerusalem could be overtaken. According to them, the prophets who declared such were spastic old fools. (Dad didn’t take too kindly to that comment, and Laman got a whack with a walking stick.) In case you're wondering, the L-man doesn't take correction well. That day marks the beginning of his decent into Telestial Glory. If there were a documentary of how my eldest brother became a murdering psychopath, his face after Dad smacked him would've been freeze-framed with ominous music. At the time there were no actual murder attempts, (that would come later) but in every other respect L&L quickly became indistinguishable from the hot-headed prophet killers who prompted this extended desert vacation in the first place. Dad had escaped the murderers of Jerusalem only to have his own kids plotting against him. It wasn't doing much for his self-esteem. And family prayers? Fuggetaboutit.