Isaiah 2 begins Isaiah’s vision of events in the latter day, including the construction of the Lord’s house. Isaiah also prophesied that at the time of the Second Coming, the proud and the wicked would be humbled for their transgressions. The Old Testament Student Manual Kings-Malachi explains this chapter “summarizes the basic spiritual problems that troubled Israel in Isaiah’s day and that will prevail again among the people before the Second Coming.
Monte Nyman writes that it takes, “three chapters of Isaiah …to present his vision of Judah and Jerusalem.” Parts of this chapter, “and 3 paint quite a dismal picture, but chapter 4 describes the final glorious condition of ‘the branch [or church] of the Lord.” 1
John Bytheway introduces this chapter with this: “In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house [the temple] will be established in the top of the mountains, where all the nations will receive instruction from the Lord. The Lord will judge the nations. In the millennial day, people will turn from war to peace. The Lord invites Israel to walk in the light. Israel has foolishly given in to pride, materialism, and idol worship. The day of the Lord is coming, which will humble all the proud and mighty. Israel is commanded to stop relying on man and to rely on God.” 2
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
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King James Version |
Book of Mormon |
Expanded Foot Notes and Commentary |
| Isaiah sees the establishment of the Lord’s house in the latter days | ||
| 1 THE word that aIsaiah the son of Amoz Amos bsaw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. | 2 Nephi 12: 1 aTHE word that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: | aIsaiah received his message through a vision from the Lord bHEB envisioned |
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Read Isaiah 2:2–5, and notice the prophecy about temples in the last days included in verses 2–3. These verses teach that many people will come to the house of God, which is the temple, and desire to learn God’s commandments and walk in His ways. Why do you think Isaiah described the temple as “the mountain of the Lord”? “This passage is an… excellent example of dualistic prophecy (see Enrichment E for a discussion of prophetic dualism). Though Isaiah’s prophecy was given ‘concerning Judah and Jerusalem’ (v. 1), it is obviously also related to the last days and the Second Coming of Jesus.”—Old Testament Student Manual Kings-Malachi. |
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| 2 And it shall come to pass in the alast days, that when the bmountain of the LORD’s chouse shall be destablished in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all enations shall flow unto it. | 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, awhen the bmountain of the Lord’s chouse shall be established in the top of the dmountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. |
bmountain (Zion) chouse (Temple) |
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Comparison with the King James Bible in English shows that there are differences in more than half of the 433 verses of Isaiah quoted in the Book of Mormon, while about 200 verses have the same wording as KJV. These changes are noted in red The Old Testament Student Manual Kings-Malachi (1982), “The Establishment of Zion (Isaiah 1–12)” lists this commentary: Isaiah 2:1–5. “In the Last Days … the Mountain of the Lord’s House Shall Be Established. ”These same verses appear in Micah 4:1–5. It is not known whether they were revealed first to Isaiah or to Micah. The “mountain of the Lord” in the last dispensation refers to the restoration of the Church. President Harold B. Lee said: “The coming forth of his church in these days was the beginning of the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy when ‘the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains’” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1973, p. 5). On another occasion President Lee observed that “with the coming of the pioneers to establish the Church in the tops of the mountains, our early leaders declared this to be the beginning of the fulfillment of that prophecy” (“The Way to Eternal Life,” Ensign, Nov. 1971, p. 15). The establishment of the Church headquarters in Salt Lake City is only a beginning of the fulfillment of that inspired declaration. Obviously, the effect of the Church center in Utah has been great. Elder LeGrand Richards said: “How literally [Isaiah 2:3] has been fulfilled, in my way of thinking, in this very house of the God of Jacob right here on this block! This temple [Salt Lake], more than any other building of which we have any record, has brought people from every land to learn of his ways and walk in his paths.” (In Conference Report, Apr. 1971, p. 143.) But this scriptural statement extends far beyond Salt Lake City. Verse 3 suggests that eventually other world centers will be included. Then this prophetic statement will reach its fulfillment. Isaiah’s “words about the gathering have received a partial fulfillment in the gathering of Israel from many nations to the American Zion in the tops of the mountains, but their complete realization is for another day and another that latter-day temples must arise in the mountains of the Lord before the Second Coming; that none can build such holy houses unless divinely commissioned to do so; and that when they are built—in proof, as it were, of their divine status—all nations will flow unto them.”The Millenial Messiah, p.299 “Micah says all this and more. He speaks in addition of the millennial gathering of Israel and says, “The Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even forever.” (Micah 4:1-7.) The Mortal Messiah-Book 1, p. 95 Ancient prophets often went to mountains to commune with the Lord and receive counsel from Him, and God revealed truths to them there. We can have similar experiences in temples today. According to Isaiah 2:3, why will people in the last days desire to go to the temple? What can you learn from these verses about what happens as we attend the temple? |
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3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us ago up to the bmountain of the LORD, to the chouse of the God of Jacob; and he will dteach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of eZion shall go forth the flaw, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
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3 And many apeople shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the bmountain of the Lord, to the chouse of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will dwalk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
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Referring to 2 Nephi 12:2–3, President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “I believe that prophecy applies to the historic and wonderful Salt Lake Temple. But I believe also that it is related to [the Conference Center]. For it is from this pulpit that the law of God shall go forth, together with the word and testimony of the Lord” (“This Great Millennial Year,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 69) f HEB teaching, or doctrine |
| This “will come to pass during the Millennium… The Millenial Messiah, p.299 Both Isaiah and Micah prophesied of the building of temples in the last days, of the gathering of Israel to those holy houses, and of the gospel teaching they would there receive… naming the two great world capitals and indicating the authoritative decrees to go forth from each…In the great day of restoration—a day that has commenced, but in which many things yet remain to be restored—there will finally be two world capitals, both called Zion, both called Jerusalem. One shall be the seat of government, the other the spiritual capital of the world, for out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isa. 2:1-5.) That is to say, Jerusalem of old shall be restored, built up anew in glory and beauty, according to the promises, and also, another Jerusalem, a New Jerusalem, shall be established. Moroni tells us “of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven,” and of “the holy sanctuary of the Lord.” He says that Ether wrote both of this New Jerusalem, which should be upon the American continent, and of the restoration of the Jerusalem in the Old World, the one whence Lehi came. “And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth,” the account says; “and they shall be like unto the old save the old have passed away, and all things have become new. And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb. … And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father, Abraham.” (Ether 13:1-12; 3 Ne. 20:22; 21:23-24.) The Mortal Messiah-Book 1, p. 95
President Joseph Fielding Smith gave the following explanation of this prophetic statement of Isaiah: “We are informed in the revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, that the city of Zion and the New Jerusalem is one and the same. [D&C 28:9; 42:9; 45:66–67; 57:2; 58:7.] …Jerusalem of old, after the Jews have been cleansed and sanctified from all their sin, shall become a holy city where the Lord shall dwell and from whence he shall send forth his word unto all people. Likewise, on this continent, the city of Zion, New Jerusalem, shall be built, and from it the law of God shall also go forth. There will be no conflict, for each city shall be headquarters for the Redeemer of the world, and from each, he shall send forth his proclamations as occasion may require. Jerusalem shall be the gathering place of Judah and his fellows of the house of Israel, and Zion shall be the gathering place of Ephraim and his fellows, upon whose heads shall be conferred ‘the richer blessings.’ …These two cities, one in the land of Zion and one in Palestine, are to become capitals for the kingdom of God during the millennium. In the meantime, while the work of preparation is going on and Israel is being gathered, many people are coming to the land of Zion saying: ‘Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.’ The Latter-day Saints are fulfilling this prediction since they are being gathered from all parts of the earth and are coming to the house of the Lord in these valleys of the mountains. Here they are being taught in the ways of the Lord through the restoration of the gospel and by receiving blessings in the temples now erected. Moreover, before many years have passed away, the Lord will command the building of the City Zion, and Jerusalem in Palestine will in due time be cleansed and become a holy city and the habitation of the Jews after they are cleansed and are willing to accept Jesus Christ as their Redeemer.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 3:69–71.) While the Saints await the time of the establishment of these world centers, the principle of sending forth the law has been associated not only with the spread of the gospel and its blessings, but also with the providing of a climate in which the gospel work can grow. President Harold B. Lee said: “I have often wondered what that expression meant, that out of Zion shall go forth the law. Years ago I went with the brethren to the Idaho Falls Temple, and I heard in that inspired prayer of the First Presidency a definition of the meaning of that term ‘out of Zion shall go forth the law.’ Note what they said: ‘We thank thee that thou hast revealed to us that those who gave us our constitutional form of government were men wise in thy sight and that thou didst raise them up for the very purpose of putting forth that sacred document [the Constitution of the United States—see D&C 101:80]. …We pray that kings and rulers and the peoples of all nations under heaven may be persuaded of the blessings enjoyed by the people of this land by reason of their freedom and under thy guidance and be constrained to adopt similar governmental systems, thus to fulfill the ancient prophecy of Isaiah and Micah that “… out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”‘ (Improvement Era, October 1945, p. 564.)” (“The Way to Eternal Life,” p. 15). |
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| Isaiah 2:4–5. These verses deal with the ushering in of the millennial era and with the changes that will accompany it. The writings of Isaiah as found in the Book of Mormon show the following additional phrase in verse 5: “Yea, come, for ye have all gone astray, every one to his wicked ways” (2 Nephi 12:5). This verse indicates a widespread apostasy in Israel and the return of Israel to the Lord before the Second Coming—Old Testament Student Manual Kings-Malachi. | ||
| 4 And he shall ajudge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn bwar any more. | 4 And he shall ajudge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks—nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. |  |
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“The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.” (Isa. 14:7.) “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. And my people, shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” (Isa. 32:17-18.) Isaiah put his words in a millennial context by saying that “he [Christ] shall [then] judge…” The Mortal Messiah-Book 1, p. 95 The setting here is one of judgment followed by millennial peace. The nations are judged, the wicked are rebuked, and the social order destined to prevail on the new heaven and the new earth is ushered in. Micah, in the same prophecy, has him judging “among many people” and rebuking “strong nations afar off” (Micah 4:3), but the thought and intent are the same. The Lord Jesus sits in judgment at his coming …In that day there will be peace on earth; wars will be unknown and unheard of; crime and evil and carnality will vanish away; and the Son of Righteousness shall replace evil with good… Where there is peace, there is neither crime nor war. “He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth.” (Ps. 46:9.) The Millennial Messiah- p.654 Isaiah foresaw this formula for peace when he recognized that after the leaders of the peoples would come to the house of the Lord and receive his instruction… Lasting peace will come when governments learn to prepare for peace as their leaders and citizens practice the principles of gospel living. Ludlow, Principles and Practices p. 596 |
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5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us awalk in the blight of the LORD.
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5 O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord; yea, come, for ye have all agone astray, every one to his bwicked ways.
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a2 Ne. 28: 14 They wear astiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and bwhoredoms, they have all cgone astray save it be a dfew, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are eled, that in many instances they do ferr because they are taught by the precepts of men. Mosiah 14: 6 All we, like asheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all. Alma 5: 37 O ye workers of iniquity; ye that are apuffed up in the vain things of the world, ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness nevertheless have gone bastray, as csheep having no dshepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath ecalled after you and is still calling after you, but ye will not fhearken unto his voice!bIsa. 53: 6 All we like asheep have gone bastray; we have turned every one to his cown way; and the LORD hath laid on him the diniquity of us all. |
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To walk in the light we will have to first receive it in the Temple of the Lord. The following verses, Isaiah 2:6–22, explain how the proud and the wicked will be brought low |
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| 6 ¶ Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they abe replenished from the east, and are bsoothsayers like the Philistines, and they cplease themselves in the children of strangers. | 6 Therefore, O Lord, thou hast forsaken thy people, the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and hearken unto asoothsayers like the bPhilistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers. | aIE are filled, supplied with teachings, alien beliefs. cHEB strike hands with, or make covenant with |
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The Old Testament Student Manual Kings-Malachi explains: They were “replenished from the east,” or in other words, they looked to the religious philosophies and the gods of the Assyrians and other heathen countries for power and sustenance. Today people look to many other religions and philosophies of men for wisdom and guidance instead of to the gospel. They “hearken unto soothsayers” (2 Nephi 12:6), those false prophets who claimed to be able to foretell the future. Today, true prophets are largely ignored, and all kinds of false religionists and counselors are looked to for guidance. “They please themselves in the children of strangers” or, as C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch translated the phrase, “and with the children of foreigners they go hand in hand” (Commentary on the Old Testament,7:1:118). In short, ancient Israel was joining the heathen nations in all their wickedness, and modern society is joining with the influences of the world rather than looking to the Lord. |
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| 7 Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots: | 7 Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their atreasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots. | “Replenished from the east” means to have partaken of false eastern religions; “soothsayers” are like fortune tellers—Bytheway, John. Isaiah For Airheads |
| The Old Testament Student Manual Kings-Malachi explains:
The land was “full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots.” The horse was a symbol of warfare, as was the chariot. Today is an age characterized by “wars and rumors of war” (see Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:28.) These endless chariots may well be our cars and endless traffic. Horses and chariots are often mentioned to signify military might and are listed along with treasures and idols in these verses. Relying on military power alone for peace and security is a form of idolatry—Bytheway, John. Isaiah For Airheads |
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| 8 Their land also is full of aidols; they bworship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: | 8 Their land is also full of aidols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made. | The land was filled with idolatry then, and people still turn to false gods today, though not necessarily to idols made of wood or stone—OTSM |
| President Spencer W. Kimball observed: “When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel—ships, planes, missiles, fortifications—and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become anti-enemy instead of pro-kingdom of God. …We forget that if we are righteous the Lord will either not suffer our enemies to come upon us—and this is the special promise to the inhabitants of the land of the Americas—or he will fight our battles for us. (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 417) | ||
| 9 And the amean man bboweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not. | 9 And the mean man aboweth bnot down, and the great man humbleth himself not, therefore, forgive him not. |
aKJVIE ordinary man b2NeIE unto God; he worships idols instead. |
| In statistics, the word mean means “average.” In this verse, mean means the average or common man doesn’t bow down to or worship God—see footnote 9b—Bytheway, John. Isaiah For Airheads (Kindle Location 896). Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition.
The “mean man boweth not down, and the great man humbleth himself not” (2 Nephi 12:9; emphasis added). The differences in the Book of Mormon account of Isaiah’s writings, noted by the italics, show that Isaiah was not making further reference to idolatry but was referring to the fact that men would not worship the true God. In the preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord indicated this failure would be a major concern of the last days. (see D&C 1:16.)—OTSM Because of her sins, ancient Israel brought upon herself the judgments of God, and because of the same problems the people of the last days will likewise bring sorrow and problems upon themselves.—OTSM The brass plates contained other differences that clarify Isaiah’s meaning. Compare Isaiah 2:10, 12–14, 16, 19, 21with 2 Nephi 12:10, 12–14, 16, 19, 21.—OTSM |
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| 10 ¶ Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty. | 10 O ye wicked ones, enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for the fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty shall smite thee. | |
| “In this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence” (Alma 12:14) | ||
| 11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be aexalted in that bday. | 11 And it shall come to pass that the alofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. | |
| 12 For the aday of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is bproud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought clow: | 12 For the aday of the Lord of Hosts soon cometh upon all nations, yea, upon every one; yea, upon the bproud and lofty, and upon every one who is lifted up, and he shall be brought low. | |
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13 And upon all the acedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,
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13 Yea and the day of the Lord shall come upon all the acedars of Lebanon, for they are high and lifted up; and upon all the oaks of Bashan; | |
| These cedars and oaks were the loftiest and most impressive trees in the ancient Middle East. They therefore symbolized not only the great beauty of the land that would be destroyed but also the proud and lofty people of the earth (see Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 7:1:122–23). | ||
| 14 And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, | 14 And upon all the ahigh mountains, and upon all the hills, and upon all the nations which are lifted up, and upon every people; | |
| 15 And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, | 15 And upon every ahigh tower, and upon every fenced wall; | |
| 16 And upon all the aships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. | 16 And upon all the ships of the asea, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. | |
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The Greek (Septuagint) has “ships of the sea.” The Hebrew has “ships of Tarshish.” The Book of Mormon has both, showing that the brass plates had lost neither phrase. “The Book of Mormon suggests that the original text of this verse contained three phrases, all of which commenced with the same opening words, ‘and upon all.’ By a common accident, the original Hebrew (and hence the King James) text lost the first phrase, which was, however, preserved by the Septuagint. The latter lost the second phrase and seems to have corrupted the third phrase. The Book of Mormon preserved all three phrases. Scholars may suggest that Joseph Smith took the first phrase from the Septuagint. The prophet did not know Greek, and there is no evidence that he had access to a copy of the Septuagint in 1829–30 when he translated the Book of Mormon.” —Sperry, The Voice of Israel’s Prophets, pp. 90–91. Trade with other nations would cease. Such trade had been established and had prospered during the reign of kings Uzziah and Jotham (see Enrichment F; Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 7:1:124). |
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| 17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the ahaughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. | 17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the ahaughtiness of men shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in bthat day. | |
| 18 And the aidols he shall utterly abolish. | 18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish. | |
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19 And they shall go into the aholes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for bfear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth
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19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for the fear of the Lord shall come upon them and the aglory of his majesty shall smite them, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. | |
| 20 In that day a man shall acast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; | 20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which he hath made for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; | |
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21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
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21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for the fear of the Lord shall come upon them and the majesty of his glory shall smite them, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. | |
| 22 Cease ye from aman, whose breath is in his nostrils: for bwherein is he to be accounted of? | 22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of? | Blair Van Dyke, suggested that “cease ye” is far too gentle of a way to say STOP IT! |
| This expression is a warning about the weaknesses of trusting merely in man (see also 2 Nephi 4:34; 28:31; Topical Guide, s.v. “trust not in the arm of flesh”)—OTSM | ||
The land was “full of silver and gold,” that is, the people were wealthy and materialistic. Their hearts were set on the things of the world. Again in the last days, materialism runs rampant.Joseph Spencer explained that, “when Orson Pratt redid the chapter breaks in the 1870s, he reproduced in this part of the text the chapter breaks of the King James Version of the Bible. Where Isaiah 2 ends in the biblical text, 2 Nephi 12 ends in the Book of Mormon. Where Isaiah 3 ends in the biblical text, 2 Nephi 13 ends in the Book of Mormon. And so on. But as the Prophet Joseph originally dictated this larger block of Isaiah, it came in only three chapters—not at all today’s thirteen. Here’s how they work out:
- Chapter VIII 2 Nephi 11–15 (Isaiah 2–5)
- Chapter IX 2 Nephi 16–22 (Isaiah 6–12)
- Chapter X 2 Nephi 23–24 (Isaiah 13–14)
“Note here that we’re getting in 2 Nephi 11–24 what in the Bible comes as thirteen chapters, but we’re to read them as coming in three sequences. We’re to take Isaiah 2–5, Isaiah 6–12, and Isaiah 13–14 as three distinct chunks.
“…Isaiah 2–5 tells of Israel’s waywardness, of a general abandonment on Israel’s part of their covenantal responsibility, and the consequence of all this is announced to be chaos within and oppression from without.”2
1Bytheway, John. Isaiah For Airheads (Kindle Locations 832-836). Deseret Book.
2Spencer, Joseph M. The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi’s Record (Part 1 of 2) (Kindle Locations 2978-2992). Greg Kofford Books.
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It’s sometimes difficult not yearn for material things. It’s always reassuring to read Isaiah and study the teachings of the gospel to be comforted knowing that life isn’t just about things.
John Bytheway wrote: “In the millennial day, weapons for killing will be turned into tools for living. Can you imagine how many farm implements could be made out of an aircraft carrier? In 2005, the United States Department of Defense budget totaled 401.7 billion dollars. Imagine what can be done for the poor in all the world when millennial peace reigns and the inhabitants of the earth shall not “learn war anymore?”
Bytheway, John. Isaiah For Airheads (Kindle Locations 876-878). Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition.
I find Presidents Lee’s comments about Isaiah 2:3 “out of Zion shall go forth the law” very interesting. Our country’s constitution is the example to all nations as it should be. It was truly a product of inspired men. However, today we see laws being made to limit righteous behavior and encourage unrighteousness. We teach our kids “Just because it is legal does not make it right.” Unjust lawmakers will continue to make unjust laws. How much can our nation take? In the Journal of Discourses 7:15 Brigham Young explained a statement from Joseph Smith. He answered the question – Will the constitution be destroyed? No: it will be held inviolate by this people [the LDS people]. As Joseph Smith said “The time will come when the destiny of the Nation will hang upon a single thread. At that critical juncture this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction.” We [the LDS people] need to be prepared and be in positions of influence to fulfill this prophecy.
Powerful thoughts for us all to consider, but there is always the possibility that the law that shall go forth out of Zion is something more theocratic. President Gordon B. Hinckley taught, “I believe that [this] prophecy [2 Nephi 12:2–3, 5] applies to the historic and wonderful Salt Lake Temple. But I believe also that it is related to this magnificent [Conference Center] hall. For it is from this pulpit that the law of God shall go forth, together with the word and testimony of the Lord” (“This Great Millennial Year,” Ensign, November 2000, 69).
And John Bytheway wrote:”Two world capitals This verse mentions both Zion and Jerusalem. Are they the same place? Zion, of course, will be wherever the pure in heart are gathered. But modern prophets have also interpreted Zion to mean the New Jerusalem to be built in Jackson County, Missouri. The old Jerusalem will also be a world capital during the Millennium.”
Bytheway, John. Isaiah For Airheads (Kindle Locations 873-875). Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition.
Your comment makes me wonder if our constitution will be used in world government?
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