Isaiah...His Words in the Book of Mormon

Just as you are engrossed in the story of Lehi and his family from the Book of Mormon, things change!  The words get complicated and confusing.  What has happened?  Nephi begins teaching his family about the teachings of the great Prophet Isaiah.  Instead of skipping these important chapters, embrace Isaiah and his words! 

I believe that understanding Isaiah is a very personal and individual journey.  It's like a puzzle that has to be put together piece by piece until one day a beautiful picture has been completed.  Understanding Isaiah takes faith, prayer and a little detective work!  Following are ideas taken from the Old Testament Seminary Student Manual, plus various other articles on lds.org. to help you as you unlock the words of this great Prophet!

ISAIAH

ISAIAH……Prophet of God, Seer, Revelator, Gifted Writer & Poet

·         The name Isaiah means ‘The Lord Is Salvation’ or ‘Jehovah saves’.

·         Prophet in Jerusalem during 40 years (740-701 BC)

·         As King Hezekiah’s Chief Advisor, Isaiah had great religious & political influence.

·         Tradition states that he was “sawn asunder” during the reign of Manasseh

·         Jesus quoted Isaiah more frequently than he quoted any other prophet.

·         Isaiah is quoted more in the New Testament than any other prophet. (Quoted at least 57 times)

·         There are 66 Chapters in the Book of Isaiah for a total of 1,292 verses.

·         Nephite Prophets considered Isaiah’s words so valuable they put 35 percent of it on the valuable space they had on the plates as they quoted or paraphrased 468 verses of the Book of Isaiah.

·         The Doctrine & Covenants makes approximately 100 references to Isaiah by quoting, paraphrasing or interpreting its teachings.

IMPORTANT BACKGROUND TO ISAIAH

During the time that Isaiah prophesied, the Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  The Southern Kingdom of Judah, where Isaiah lived, was under tribute to Assyria and also faced destruction.  They were spared, however, because Judah’s King Hezekiah obeyed Isaiah’s counsel.  

WHAT TIME PERIOD ISAIAH PROPHESIED ABOUT

·         Many of his prophecies apply not only to his time, but to the time of Jesus, to our day & to the future.  Sometimes even the same verse can apply to more than one time period.

WHAT SUBJECTS ISAIAH TAUGHT

·         First & Second Comings of Jesus Christ

·         The Scattering & Gathering Of Israel

·         The Millennium

·         Prophecies of Jesus Christ

·         A major theme is that God requires righteousness of His people, & until they obey Him they will be smitten & scattered by their enemies.  But in the end, Israel will be restored.

·         He proclaims the message of Jesus Christ and the way of salvation Jesus provided through the atonement.

 

 

WHAT OTHERS IN THE SCRIPTURES HAVE SAID ABOUT ISAIAH

v  Jesus Christ to the Nephites:  3 Nephi 20:11 & 23:1-3

v  Angel Moroni to Joseph Smith: Quoted Isaiah 11 (JS-H 1:40)

v  Nephi to his people: 2 Nephi 11:2, 8 and 25:1, 4, 7-8

v  Jacob to his people: 2 Nephi 6:5

 

KEYS TO UNLOCKING THE WORDS OF ISAIAH

1.       As you SEEK THE HELP OF THE HOLY GHOST, you will find that Isaiah will become one of the most inspiring and powerful books of all Scripture.

 

2.       PAY THE PRICE IN STUDY & EFFORT – Isaiah’s writings are an advanced level of Scripture.  He seldom explained his doctrine but assumed that the reader already had a knowledge of the gospel and the Lord’s plan of Salvation.  Isaiah’s book is written in a poetic, literary style that makes extensive use of symbolism to communicate to those who are spiritually mature.  Isaiah’s words are similar to the parables that Jesus taught.  Many of the people of Jesus’ time were spiritually immature and unprepared to receive the doctrines he taught.  He was able to teach the more spiritually mature and at the same time veil his teachings from those who were not prepared to understand or follow them.  Isaiah also veiled his teachings in language that preserved his teachings for those who would understand with their heart. 

3.       HAVE THE “SPIRIT OF PROPHECY” – Righteous people who are serving the Lord and seeking to do His will can obtain the spirit of prophecy by searching the scriptures diligently and giving themselves ‘to much prayer and fasting’ (Alma 17:3).  The Lord will give knowledge to those who prepare themselves and sincerely seek it.

 

4.       UNDERSTAND THE MANNER OF PROPHESYING OF THE JEWS - One reason Nephi gave for his people being unable to understand the writings of Isaiah was that they knew not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews (2 Nephi 25:1).  This has several elements:

 

 

a)      Law of Moses – The house of Israel in Old Testament times lived under the Law of Moses, which is found in the first 5 books of the Old Testament.  One of Isaiah’s main objectives in his writings was to bring the people to a consciousness of and conformity to the covenants of the law.  The Law, in turn, was designed to teach them of Christ, to keep them in remembrance of Him and bring them to Him.  The Law of Moses was the root from which the prophesying of the Jews sprang.

 

b)      Familiarity - Isaiah began his book with a quotation from the song of Moses, which is contained in the Law.  (Isaiah 1:2 compare with Deuteronomy 32:1)  This song was immediately recognizable to the Hebrew people, for it was very familiar to them.  A word or phrase from the law, which was known by most Hebrews, brought to their minds much more than was on the written page.  Isaiah was able to communicate very effectively with those who knew the law, for he didn’t need to explain in detail what he meant in every word or phrase.  This is similar to our day as well. A majority of active members of the Church could complete the statement by Pres. David O McKay, “No success can compensate for….”   Much of what Isaiah wrote was familiar to his Hebrew audience and therefore much didn’t have to be explained.

 

5.       Imagery & figurative language: Isaiah extensively used images and symbols to teach.  He wrote about the moon being ashamed, a land so joyful that the trees clap their hands & a book that speaks from the dust.  If you can read beyond these and other images to understand the FEELINGS & PRINCIPLES Isaiah wrote about, his words will take on much greater meaning.   Isaiah used in his writings images and figures of speech that were well understood by the Hebrew people.  For those with other backgrounds, understanding the Hebrew manner of writing is often difficult.  Isaiah did not intend for every word he used to be interpreted in its most literal sense.  He made constant use of metaphors, similes, analogies, parables, types and shadows.  In Isaiah 1:1 the prophecy said he was speaking about Judah and Jerusalem, yet in Isaiah 1:10 he said “Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; ye people of Gomorrah”.  He could not literally be speaking to Sodom and Gomorrah, for they were destroyed in the time of Abraham because of their wickedness.  Isaiah used the names Sodom and Gomorrah to tell Judah even more forcefully that they were very wicked and were very close to being destroyed, just as Sodom and Gomorrah had been.

Other examples:

‘Thy neck is an iron sinew’ representing the stubbornness of the people

‘Furnace of Affliction’ in which He would purity and refine his people

‘Thy peace as a river’ to convey the idea of peace of mind that comes to the righteous

 

6.       Learn of the Judgments of God and the Fulfillment of His Prophecies: The Lord is consistent in his dealings with his Children in all ages of the world.  To understand Isaiah’s writings, one should know of the Lord’s teachings and workings given thru other prophets.  As one learns of the patterns of actions that cause people to withdraw from God, the warnings of Isaiah can be better understood.  That which was condemned by Isaiah is treated similarly by the Lord in all ages. 

 

7.       Study all Scriptures and Learn Them Thoroughly:  Passages from Isaiah are quoted and explained in all of the Scriptures.  The more one knows of all the Scriptures, the better one can understand Isaiah.  All elements of the gospel plan are interrelated.  As you learn more and more from the Scriptures, the pieces come together as in a puzzle and begin to form one great and beautiful whole.

 

8.       Isaiah is Understood Line Upon Line:  The Lord always provides a way for his children to fulfill His commandments (1 N. 3:7)  When he gave instructions to study the words of Isaiah, he fully intended that those who followed His instructions would be able to understand Isaiah’s message and be positively affected by it.  To those who are willing to pay the price, Isaiah can become an open book.  Its greatest message is for the Saints of today, who live in an era when one can see the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecies.  For all who seek, Isaiah provides enlightenment that will be of great value in their efforts to perfect their lives and to contribute to the building up of the Lord’s kingdom.  Understanding will come, though not all at once.  It will come ‘line upon line, precept upon precept’ (2 N. 28:30) according to the efforts of the seekers of truth.

 

(Excerpts taken from LDS Old Testament Student Manual, Understanding Isaiah and other resources from www.lds.org 2013)

Compiled for The Happiness Project Scripture Study Group  10/22/13

 

Bound!

 

 

Isaiah describes beautifully the millenium and Lucifer's demise. Lucifer is so self absorbed. How many times in this passage does he refer to himself. I know some people who have the same problem. In other scripture passages, it says that Lucifer will be 'bound'. I picture shackles and a maximum security prison where Lucifer will be kept.

However, I have heard scriptorians say that Satan won't actually be bound. He will be bound by the righteous because they will be so spiritual at this time, that his 'binding' will be because he will be completely ineffectual in their lives. No temptations, no voices in our heads, no desire to do evil, no compulsions or obsessions. I can't wait.

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!

For thou hast said in thy heart; "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.

Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and shall consider thee, and shall say: Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms? And made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof, and opened not the house of his prisoners?

Thou art cast out of the grave like an abominable branch, and the remnant of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcass trodden under feet. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land and slain thy people; the seed of evil-doers shall never be renowed." 2 Nephi 24:12-20 compare Isaiah 14

With Plainness comes Greatness

Image: www.biography.com

At the end of Nephi's recitation of Isaiah's words, he speaks regarding 'plainness'. He acknowledges that the words of Isaiah were 'hard for many of his people to understand'. He correlates understanding what Isaiah is trying to teach to basically how 'plain' we are and how willing we are to humble ourselves to learn. Nephi's soul 'delighted' in the plainness of his people.

If 'plainness' is defined as modest, simple, unostentatious and unpretentious, that would give me a key to unlocking much understanding of the Scriptures, especially Isaiah. If I am humble and diligent and pray for guidance, not placing too much value on my own understanding, then I will probably be more likely to receive spiritual revelation to begin to make sense of much of Isaiah's writings and other difficult writings.

I love that the Lord and Heavenly Father look for the humble and plain. They are not looking for the most showy or those that have accomplished the most. The complete opposite of what the world looks for. The world views 'plain' as a bad thing. Father in Heaven and Jesus are just looking for those who are humble and willing to try. In the end, with plainness comes greatness.

"Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto my words; for because the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy. But I give unto you a prophecy, according to the spirit which is in me; wherefore I shall prophesy according to the plainness which hath been with me from the time that I came out from Jerusalem with my father; for behold, my soul delighteth in plainness unto my people, that they may learn." 2 Nephi 25:4

 

Just as I'm Riveted to My Seat....Along Comes Isaiah

Image: www.wikipedia.org

i·sa·iah

Just as I'm in the beginning chapters of the Book of Mormon, riveted to my seat, reading once again about the adventures of one of my favorite families: Lehi, Nephi, Laman, Lemuel, Sam and all the rest, there comes a series of passages quoted from the Prophet Isaiah. I always wondered why the Book of Mormon had to turn on a dime and go from fascinating to completely confusing with all that Isaiah-ese.

I am only now finally beginning to embrace the words of Isaiah. Not that I understand all of them, but I am starting to appreciate and find peace in them. Trying to let my mind go and visualize what Isaiah was trying to tell me personally is an interesting exercise. Jesus told the Nephites that "great are the words of Isaiah". Nephi thought the words were so important that he read them to his brothers, even though every time I picture him doing that, I see his brothers rolling their eyes in disgust! Mormon thought they were so important he included them in the abridgement of the Book of Mormon when writing materials and space were so limited. Obviously we are in desperate need of his words, yet somehow many of us just don't connect to them.

"I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.....Then said I: Wo is unto me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar; And he laid it upon my mouth, and said: Lo, this has touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Also, I heard the voice of the Lord saying; "Whom shall I send; and who will go for us? Then I said: Here am I; send me. And he said: Go and tell this people--Hear ye indeed, but they understood not; and see ye indeed, but they perceived not." 2 Nephi 16:1-9 and Isaiah 6

 

This passage from 2 Nephi 16 particularly caught my attention. Isaiah was one of the privledged few to have actually seen the Lord. When he saw the Lord, he said he was 'undone'. When we read the Scriptures we're supposed to somehow 'liken' ourselves to whatever is happening. I feel 'undone' a lot of the time. He was undone because he said he was a man of unclean lips and dwelt with people who had unclean lips as well. I feel the very same way. In his vision, I liked that a seraphim (definition: one of the celestial beings hovering above God's throne or a member of the highest order of angels) flew to him with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar, and put it on Isaiah's mouth. With that, Isaiah's iniquity and sin were purged. I can picture in my mind what a beautiful sight that must have been and how blessed and humbled Isaiah must have felt.

Next, I love that Isaiah heard the call of the Lord. The Lord needed help. Who should he send? Who would help the cause? I love how the uber-righteous always jump at the chance to help, no matter what the consequences. Didn't Isaiah end up meeting his demise by being 'cut asunder'? But I digress. Of course Isaiah would help as he spoke similarly the words that the Savior had previously spoken "Here am I, send me". Isaiah went and did just what was asked of him. He went and preached to the people, but they understood not. They could see him, yet they perceived him not.

Are some of the people Isaiah is trying to preach to, with little result, us of the modern church? Every time we skip or skim the pages of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon or say it's too confusing are we indeed doing exactly what what prophesied by the Lord himself.

Am I hearing yet understanding Isaiah not, seeing him, but having no perception of who he really is and what he's trying to teach to me? When the Lord calls, will I answer "Here am I, send me"?

His Hand is Stretched Out Still...

"For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." 2 Nephi 19:21 taken from the writings of Isaiah

I have noticed that Isaiah makes this statement several times in a short section of verses. At first it doesn't make any sense. How can Jesus be angry, but still have a hand stretched out to us? In the scriptures we often have read of the Lord's outstretched hand or arm. I picture those outstretched arms reaching out to me telling me that I am good, that I can do better and that He is there to help me and walk beside me, if I choose Him.

In researching Isaiah's prophecies, I have learned that a hand is sometimes extended because he's angry but then at the same time a hand of mercy can be given. No matter what, the hand is always extended in love. I feel a sense that Heavenly Father and Jesus are reaching for us even when we are turning away from them.

I don't think 'anger' in this context is the type of anger that we understand. I picture the anger in a different way. Maybe angry because He can't be allowed to be a push-over. Jesus went thru the gauntlet for us here on earth. He performed his part perfectly. He is holding up his end of the covenant. We are the ones that keep forgetting our end of it.

I love that Heavenly Father's Plan of Salvation includes contingency plans and detours that will help us get back to him. If we mess up at Point A, we can turn and get right back on the road to recovery, as it were. At some point however, these detours and helping hands will be finished. We will have had all the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th chances that we get.

The Lord's hand will soon rise in power and authority. Jesus is our advocate. His hand is stretched out in mercy to us as a continuing covenant of peace, if we have held up our end of the covenant. If not...I don't want to be on the end of the anger that will not be turned away.