Do You Recognize the Commercialization of Easter?
The commercialization of Easter…
“Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail, hippity hoppity Easter’s on its way.”
Who the heck is this rabbit anyway?
The concept of the “Easter hare” was brought to the U.S. in the 1700’s by way of the German immigrants who settled in the Pennsylvania Dutch country. The Easter hare was an egg-laying rabbit and the children would build nests for the eggs. The nests evolved into baskets, thus the Easter basket, which moved from being filled with eggs, to also including chocolate, toys, and money. The German chocolatiers became, I guess, the first in a long line of those who commercialize Easter.
Nobody apparently knows where the term Easter comes from. It is believed that maybe it came from a pagan celebration of spring bringing a renewal of life. One such festival was to honor the goddess Eastre who symbolized dawn, spring, and fertility in northern Europe. The goddess Eastre was closely aligned to the hare and eggs via the fertility link.
The early Christian missionaries used to link pagan festivals with religion to attract more converts. As a result, we wind up with the Easter bunny, and as of 2016 Americans spent 17.3 billion dollars on everything Easter…clothes, food, and toys and CANDY. It seems a terrible waste of money when Isaiah had this to say about such things in Chapter 1, verse 14. “Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me: I am weary to bear them.” He appeared to see the Pagans as hypocritical worshipers.
I grew up looking for jelly beans (little eggs?) hidden by my Dad in our home. We then all went to Church and sang “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” At least we knew what Easter was about. I am saddened to think of the young children of today. As the number of active Christians decreases, the children know nothing about Christ, but they can sure tell you about Satan. It is easy to see why the soul of Isaiah hated the pagan feasts. What do parents of today think when they grew up knowing the Lord, but don’t have the time or inclination to teach their own children.
Isaiah doesn’t write about the resurrection of, Christ. He does, however, refer to God’s sacrifice of his only begotten Son to save us all. This Easter, let’s go out and speak to all of our children and grandchildren about what Easter really means. Don’t let the pagans or the dark side, take the true, beautiful meaning of the resurrection from us.
Ann Madsen – Insight into Jerusalem
Kelsey Wilding: You’ve been to Jerusalem, right?
Ann Madsen: I’ve lived in Jerusalem for five years.
Kelsey Wilding: Five years?
Ann Madsen: Yes, I taught there.
Kelsey Wilding: Are you serious?
Ann Madsen: Yes.
Kelsey Wilding: So, you were there for a full five years and you just taught?
Ann Madsen: While I was there, I was there…I was in Haifa for six months and then four and a half years I was in Jerusalem and I came home a little bit in the middle, but I was there most of the five years. I lived in Jerusalem, and I taught at the Jerusalem center and I took classes at Hebrew University. That was so fun.
Kelsey Wilding: What was your experience like there?
Ann Madsen: Oh, it glorious. I used to think that it didn’t matter if you were in a spot that it was the feeling you had and that God would tell you that things were true, but there’s something to be said for standing at Caesarea Philippi, for Jesus said to his disciples whom de men say that I am, and you’re standing there at this place and, over in a shady part, and there’s water flowing out of a big red rock, and then he says, Peter, you’re a rock, and there’s the rock, you know? I mean it’s…so they’re in Gethsemane and Jerusalem itself, you know, the garden tomb, the places that…There are several places that they believe Jesus was buried and resurrected from. And I think there’s a lot to be said for walking where Jesus walked. I met a girl last night at the concert and she said, Sister Madsen, Sister Madsen, I was in Jerusalem with you, but I bet you don’t remember me. And I said, don’t we all remember each other that were in Jerusalem, because we had a unique experience there, walking where Jesus walked and up around the Galilee. That’s a glorious place. I love it up there and I love to swim in the Galilee.
Kelsey Wilding: I think that would be neat.
Ann Madsen: Oh, it’s just wonderful. I’m a swimmer and I like swimming, so…
Isaiah Chapter 12 (2 Nephi 22)
Isaiah 12 is a straightforward psalm, a song of praise and gratitude. It speaks of the Millennium when all people with sing this psalm “of thanksgiving, praising the Lord whose anger is turned away and recognizing that He is the source of strength and of salvation.”1
This chapter compares to 2 Nephi 22 and is a “short but beautiful chapter referring to the Millennium. It describes the faithful who survive the destruction at the Second Coming of Christ as praising the Lord and rejoicing at the salvation that has come to them.”2
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
|
||
King James Version |
Book of Mormon
|
Expanded Notes and Commentary |
| Joseph Smith Translation (JST) corrections in the Book of Mormon are in RED; commentary and notes are GREEN | ||
|
1 aAnd bin that day thou shalt say, cO Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. |
1 aAnd in that day thou shalt say: O Lord, I will praise thee; though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
|
bIE in the time of the events of the preceding chapter. “In that day” refers to the millennial day, continuing the theme from the previous chapter. 2 Nephi 22:1. “Thine anger is turned away” Covenant Israel felt the wrath of the Lord, now they praise him with song. Problems created by fallen man always find their solution in the atonement and mercy of Christ. Anger and reconciliation, sin and repentance, fall and atonement, death and resurrection, apostasy and restoration—man’s problems and Christ’s solutions are a noticeable theme throughout the scriptures. We learn that we must go through the wilderness before we are led to the promised land.1 |
| 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord aJEHOVAH is my bstrength and my song; he also csalvation. |
2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will atrust, and not be afraid; for the Lord bJehovah is my cstrength and my dsong; he also has become my salvation. |
This verse may be translated literally as follows:
Behold El is my salvation, As Jesus himself would later testify, he was the great Jehovah, the Law and the Light, who came to earth to provide eternal life (3 Nephi 15:5–9). He literally became salvation, as Isaiah prophesied. El is the singular of Elohim, but the word seldom occurs in the Bible in singular form. In the King James Version of the Bible, both singular and plural are rendered by the word God. Yah is a contracted form of Yahweh, or Jehovah, which in the Bible is usually rendered in English as Lord. Here, to avoid Lord Lord, the translators rendered it Lord Jehovah. This is one of only four times the name is written out fully as Jehovah in the King James Version. We are not exactly sure why the King James Bible translators chose to do this. The short form Yah also occurs in Hebrew in Exodus 15:2 and Psalm 118:14, which passages reflect a similar tone of praise. Moses, a type of the Messiah, was a great lawgiver and a great deliverer; the Messiah himself was the great Lawgiver and the great Deliverer. The Messiah is Jehovah, and Jehovah is our strength and our song; he is our salvation. It was Jesus Christ who gave his life for our salvation. Jehovah, therefore, could be none other than Jesus Christ, our Lord.3 |
| 3 Therefore with ajoy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. | 3 Therefore, with joy shall ye draw awater out of the wells of salvation. | “Wells of salvation” What better metaphor for the gospel could there be for a desert people than plentiful water? It gives life, it sustains, it saves. Jesus taught, “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him.1 |
| 4 And in that day shall ye say: aPraise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. |
His doings refers to all God’s works that bring salvation to mankind during the history of the world, including his restoring priesthood keys, revealing his word, and establishing Zion among his people. …The names Jehovah, Jesus Christ, Son of God, and others belonging to the Lord are the highest, most honorable, and most magnificent of all names. 4 |
|
| 5 aSing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. | 5 aSing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things; this is known in all the earth. | At the time of Passover and the conclusion of His ministry, Jesus entered Jerusalem in triumph. Although within days He would suffer and atone for the sins of the world and be crucified at the hands of the wicked rulers of the Jews, He would triumph over death and hell and, by so doing, enable the salvation of mankind. As He entered Jerusalem, His grateful disciples honored Him with palm branches and shouts of praise, “saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest” (Matt. 21:9).5 |
| 6 Cry out and shout, thou ainhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the bmidst of thee. | 6 aCry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee. | The terms cry out, shout, inhabitant, and thee are feminine forms in the Hebrew and personify Christ’s bride who is ready to be received by the Holy One of Israel. Zion is depicted as the bride elsewhere (54:1–6; Rev. 21:2, 9; D&C 109:73–74), and Jehovah is portrayed as the husband (54:5). Zion’s inhabitants are the pure in heart (D&C 97:21). …Christ, the Holy One of Israel, will reign over the Saints during the Millennium.6 |
1 John Bytheway, Isaiah For Airheads Deseret Book Company, Kindle Edition.
2 David J.Ridges, The Book of Mormon Made Easier, Part 1, p. 292, Cedar Fort, Inc. Kindle Edition.
3 D. Kelly Ogden, Verse by Verse, Old Testament: Volume Two, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition.
4 Donald W.Parry, Understanding Isaiah, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition.
5 Reg Christensen, Unlocking Isaiah, Covenant Communications Inc.. Kindle Edition
6 Parry, ibid.
Isaiah’s 8 Reasons to Fast
Isaiah 58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward.
Isaiah 58:9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
Isaiah 58:10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
Do you know the difference between a fast and a true fast? What are your thoughts on true fasting? Do you have any tips or tricks on how to make fasting easier?
Do You Have to See to Believe?
“Do You Have to See to Believe?” That question has been screaming in my ears for weeks since the significant archeological find in Jerusalem.
It may or may not be the Prophet Isaiah’s signature.
Which may or may not prove that there was an Isaiah.
Oh, come on now folks! Would a half inch piece of clay convince you of anything at all? And it probably won’t convince anyone that Isaiah ever lived either, let alone wrote 66 of the most wonderous chapters in the Bible.
Even archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar, who found the piece of clay with Isaiah’s name on it warned in her announcement, this bulla (clay seal) might not be the Prophet Isaiah’s. She stated: “The name of Isaiah… is clear, [however] the absence of this final letter… requires that we leave open the possibility that it could just be the name Navi” or Isaiah, not the Prophet Isaiah. However, just as easily, it could be the miller Isaiah’s or the baker Isaiah’s or even the delivery man’s.
What a bunch of bull(a) and speculation this find has caused!
Look for me it is pretty simple, I don’t have to find the empty tomb to believe in the resurrection. Nor do I need to see gold plates or archeological evidence, to know in my heart the Book of Mormon brings me to Christ, it just does. So why all this hubbub about Isaiah?
The problem is pretty clear; almost no one has read the book. Sure when I read Isaiah parts are confusing, but then I come across verses like these in Isaiah 9:
The people that walked in darkness
have seen a great light,
and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death,
upon them hath the light shined.
For unto us a child is born,
unto us a Son is given:
and the government shall be upon His shoulder:
and His name shall be called
Wonderful, Counsellor,
The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.
And man I feel the lyrics burn testimony in my hear as Handel fills my mind with music. Isaiah speaks to me! What about you!
This bulla thing has opened the door to something else: people who call themselves Bible “scholars” apparently dispute the authorship of Isaiah. Who in the heck knew that?
Nearly every article I have read, and that has been a bunch of them, brings up the “Isaiah Problem.”
“Who wrote the book,” they ask, “no single person could.”
“Did Isaiah Write All of Isaiah?” “It just is not possible for men to predict the future,” they say, “it had to be written after the fact. And by a team of authors, no one writer could be that good.”
Oh my gosh, read the book and solve the problem! Feel God’s hand in the words, and you will know Isaiah as Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles does when he wrote,
“Isaiah is by every standard the messianic prophet of the Old Testament and as such is the most penetrating prophetic voice in that record.”—Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon
Just In Time for Easter: Handel’s Messiah
The Messiah is easily one of the world’s most treasured musical works and is an excellent way to prepare for the Easter season. At SearchIsaiah we pleased to report that this classic composed by George Frideric Handel features the words of Isaiah. In fact, more than a quarter of the biblical verses sung are from the Book of Isaiah; and in the coming days and weeks, you can sing along with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra.
They will present Handel’s beloved oratorio this Thursday, March 22 and Friday, March 23 in the historic Salt Lake City Tabernacle. The program for this performance includes verses from the Old and New Testaments, but to sing along you will need to download the lyrics, but Choir suggests you can plan a Messiah Sing-Along with them on Friday.
Thursday and Friday’s programs explain, “Though the English audiences had for several decades embraced Handel as their favorite composer, that admiration was no guarantee of this work’s success.” Because of the oratorio’s theme, Handel and Jennens, 1741 project, was risky. Some “critics and clergy considered it blasphemous for a ‘theatrical entertainment’ …on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Even more controversially, the lyrics for Messiah were drawn directly from scripture, in a collation by Charles Jennens, an aristocrat and musician/poet of modest talent who had worked with Handel on a couple of earlier oratorios.”
Jennens use of scripture, twenty-one verses from the Book of Isaiah, makes the words his, while the music is Handel’s. Together their combined genius makes the Messiah Handel’s most famous work, and in England, the most often performed of any sizable choral work.
“Handel completed the entire score in only 24 days. Enthusiastic romanticists of later eras would attribute this swiftness to divine inspiration, though Handel composed other works of comparable size, more secular …just as swiftly. He was by nature a facile composer. The miracle of Messiah’s composition, then, is not how rapidly Handel wrote the music, but how comprehensively astute, finely-detailed, and consistently powerful it is.”
The was oratorio first performed in the spring of 1742 and Handel expected it would always be an Easter performance. In a University of Chicago Divinity School publication, Emily C. Hoyler explained, “It is a work so strongly tied to Christmas that many are unaware that it was originally intended for performance during the Easter season.” She continued that at its April 13th premiere, it “supported three charities: the Society for Relieving Prisoners, the Charitable Infirmary, and Mercer’s Hospital.” That
In addition to the two listed live performances above with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, their website suggests these options:
- Live Stream: Friday, March 23, beginning with a pre-concert feed at 7:00 p.m. MDT and the full concert at 7:30 p.m. MDT (pre-concert feed length: 30 minutes; concert duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes; total broadcast length: 3 hours).
- On Demand: Friday, March 23, beginning at the end of live stream-approximately 11:00 p.m.for on-demand viewing at motab.org/messiah until Monday, April 9 at 11:59 p.m. MDT.
- Church Satellite Broadcast: Various dates in LDS Church buildings with planned events.
- BYUtv (BYUtv.org): Sunday, March 25, at 3:30 p.m. MDT; Easter Sunday, April 1, at 10:00 p.m. MDT.
Hoyler wrote: “To the present day, orchestrated Messiah “sing-alongs” draw large crowds of non-professional singers, particularly in American and British communities.” At their website, the choir promotes the idea of hosting Messiah Sing-ins at Chapels and private homes. They suggest: “We encourage everyone to plan their own Messiah Sing-Along using the concert live stream or on-demand viewing from our website through Monday, April 9.
“During the last Messiah performances in 2016, more than 170,000 people in over 190 countries around the world joined via the digital stream in their homes with family and friends, or with larger groups in churches, schools, and community centers. Many others joined as their own Messiah events took place using the on-demand internet stream available from the Choir’s website for a limited period following the live performance.
“Check with your local LDS congregation to confirm if an event is scheduled.”
Hoyler concluded, “Messiah has never needed a revival; it has been performed continually since its premiere in various arrangements and contexts all over the world but has found an enduring place in Christmas repertoire.”
Join us this Easter season by celebrating the birth, death, and resurrection of the Messiah about whom Isaiah wrote so much.
Ann Madsen – Understanding Isaiah with the Help of the Holy Ghost
Kelsey Wilding: So, do they truly understand Isaiah, if you don’t have the spiritual component of it or is it just…
Ann Madsen: I don’t think you can understand scripture, the words of the Lord without caring about the Lord and caring to understand or hear his voice in the words. If you don’t hear the voice of God in the words, that means it’s just a literary production. It’s like Moby Dick, you know you can read Moby Dick and you can find all kinds of metaphors and other things in it but is it the Bible. I mean as latter day saints, we say we believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it’s translated correctly, and we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. Well, that’s a different stance. We believe in an open canon too, we believe in a book, that there can be more. Every time we have general conference, we have more, and other people believe in closed canon. It’s done and it’s so now we’re going to study it. We’re going to pull it apart. Nobody does it better than the Jews. They go through the Old Testament, their scripture, and they have a whole other book about interpreting it, you know, because you keep interpreting it and then another rabbi interprets it and then someone else interprets it and they’re still interpreting. Those people in Jerusalem are over there in schools, interpreting what the other rabbis interpreted.
Isaiah 11 / 2 Nephi 21—An Ensign to the Nations
“Much of what occurred in Isaiah’s time occurs in our own. We also live in a wicked time, and the Lord has promised the wicked will experience the consequences of their actions—just as in the days of Isaiah. While our day and Isaiah’s day differ in details, the principles are the same.”1Isaiah 11 tells of Millennial times when Christ (the stem of Jesse) will judge in righteousness and knowledge of God will cover the whole earth. Studying this chapter offers readers both hope and warnings as an Ensign to the Nations is raised.
The chapter break between this chapter and the last is an arbitrary break; they should be read in connection with each other. In addition, both Nephi and the Doctrine Covenants offer commentary on selected verses (see below). Joseph Smith noted the importance of Isaiah 11 when he said, “In addition to these, he [Moroni] quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled” (Joseph Smith—History 1:40).
The importance of Isaiah 11 was taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith when he said, ‘In addition …he [Moroni] quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled’ (Joseph Smith—History 1:40).
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
|
||
King James Version
|
Book of Mormon
|
Expanded Notes and Commentary |
| Joseph Smith Translation (JST) and changes in the Book of Mormon are in RED; commentary and notes are GREEN | ||
|
1 aAnd there shall come forth a brod out of the cstem of dJesse, and a eBranch shall grow out of his roots: |
1 aAnd there shall bcome forth a rod out of the cstem of Jesse, and a dbranch shall grow out of his roots.x x x x x x x x x x x x x |
Rod=branch or twig D&C 113 Answers to certain questions on the writings of Isaiah, given by Joseph Smith the Prophet, at or near Far West, Missouri, March 1838. |
| 2 And the aspirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of bwisdom and cunderstanding, the spirit of dcounsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; x x x x x xx xxx x xxx x x |
2 And the aSpirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of bwisdom and cunderstanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;x x x x x |
The stem and the branch of Jesse are Jesus; the description in Isaiah 11:2–5 could only be of Jesus, the same Being described in Isaiah 9:6. He is the personification of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, reverence, judgment, righteousness, equity, and faithfulness.—Ogden, D. Kelly, Verse by Verse, Old Testament: Volume Two, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition. |
|
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not ajudge bafter the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:x x x x x x x x |
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not ajudge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.x x x x x x x x |
Verses 2–3 describe “Christlike qualities of leadership:
—Ridges, David J., The Old Testament Made Easier Part 3, Cedar Fort, Inc., Kindle Edition. |
|
4 But with righteousness shall ahe bjudge the poor, and creprove with equity for the dmeek of the earth: and he shall esmite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the fbreath of his lips shall he gslay the wicked.x xx xxx x |
4 But with arighteousness shall he bjudge the poor, and reprove with equity for the cmeek of the earth; and he shall dsmite the earth with the erod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.x x |
The Book of Mormon (2 Ne. 30:9 especially) and the Doctrine and Covenants 113 reinforce the fact that Jesus Christ is the main character in Isaiah 11.…he will be the advocate of the poor and the meek and will settle their case—Parry, Donald W., Understanding Isaiah, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition |
|
5 And righteousness shall be the agirdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his breins.x x x x x x x x x x x x |
5 And arighteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. x x x x x x x x x x x |
Isaiah 11:2-5 must be understood within the context established in verse 1, including the “rod” (servant) mentioned there, and verses 2 through 4 especially may refer to Joseph Smith. “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.” As Doctrine and Covenants 5:6-10 clearly points out, Joseph Smith was chosen to give the Lord’s word to this generation. These verses may have a double reference to both Christ and Joseph Smith. …After all, the servant was to be an instrument in the hands of Christ to carry out his work. As the Spirit of the Lord came upon Joseph Smith, he did attain wisdom, understanding, and knowledge; further, Joseph did judge—Nyman, Monte S., Great are the Words of Isaiah Cedar Fort, Inc.. Kindle Edition. |
| 6 The awolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. x x x x xx xxx x x xxx x |
6 The awolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.xx |
Modern revelation teaches us that “the enmity of man, and the enmity of beasts, yea, the enmity of all flesh, shall cease from before my face” in the Millennium (D&C 101:26). Isaiah’s description of these particular animals may also be a metaphor—Bytheway, John, Isaiah For Airheads, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition. |
| 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. xxx xxx xx |
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. xxx xxx xx |
Six animals are listed… three are wild carnivores (wolf, leopard, lion) that feed on the three tame animals (lamb, kid, calf). The wild animals, which are ferocious, aggressive, and vicious, are a threat to mankind; the tame animals are docile, submissive, and useful to man. This passage may be taken literally; or the wolf, leopard, and lion may represent those who foment war and murder; the lamb, kid, and calf may symbolize meek and peaceful people.—Parry, Donald W., Understanding Isaiah, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition, p 119) |
| 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of athe asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the bcockatrice’s den. xxx |
8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den.x x x x |
An asp is a viper, one of the deadly snakes in the Holy Land. The cockatrice is another venomous serpent. To appreciate the peaceful period when a little child may, without worry, play on the hole of a viper—Ogden, D. Kelly, Verse by Verse, Old Testament: Volume Two, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition. |
|
9 They shall anot hurt nor bdestroy in all my holy mountain, for the cearth shall be full of the dknowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.x x x x
xx x
x x x x x x x
|
9 They shall not ahurt nor bdestroy in all my holy cmountain: for the dearth shall be full of the eknowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.x x x x
x x
x x x x x x x
|
The knowledge of God will then cover the earth as the waters cover the mighty deep. There will be no place of ignorance, no place of darkness, no place for those that will not serve God. Why? Because Jesus, the Great Creator, and also the Great Redeemer, will be himself on the earth, and his holy angels will be on the earth, and all the resurrected Saints that have died in former dispensations will all come forth, and they will be on the earth. What a happy earth this creation will be, when this purifying process shall come, and the earth be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the great deep! What a change! Travel, then, from one end of the earth to another, you can find no wicked man, no drunken man, no man to blaspheme the name of the Great Creator, no one to lay hold on his neighbor’s goods, and steal them, no one to commit whoredoms—for all who commit whoredoms will be thrust down to hell, saith the Lord God Almighty, and all persons who commit sin will be speedily visited by the judgments of the Almighty! —Elder Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, 21:325 |
|
“At the same time the standard should be lifted up, that the honest in heart, the meek of the earth among the Gentiles, should seek unto it; and that Zion should be redeemed and be built up a holy city, that the glory and power of God should rest upon her, and be seen upon her; that the watchman upon Mount Ephraim might cry—’Arise ye, and let us go up unto Zion, the city of the Lord our God;’ that the Gentiles might come to her light, and kings to the brightness of her rising; that the Saints of God may have a place to flee to and stand in holy places while judgment works in the earth; that when the sword of God that is bathed in heaven falls upon Idumea, or the world,—when the Lord pleads with all flesh by sword and by fire, and the slain of the Lord are many, the Saints may escape these calamities by fleeing to the places of refuge, like Lot and Noah.” —Elder Wilford Woodruff, History of the Church, 6:26 |
||
|
10 ¶ And in athat day there shall be a broot of Jesse, which shall stand for an censign of the people; dto it shall the eGentiles seek: and his frest shall be glorious.x x x x x
x x x x x x |
10 And in that day there shall be a aroot of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the bGentiles seek; and his crest shall be glorious.x x x x x x
x x x x x x |
D&C 113 Answers to certain questions on the writings of Isaiah, given by Joseph Smith the Prophet, at or near Far West, Missouri, March 1838. 5 What is the aroot of Jesse spoken of in the 10th verse of the 11th chapter? 6 Behold, thus saith the Lord, it is a adescendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the bpriesthood, and the ckeys of the kingdom, for an densign, and for the gathering of my people in the elast days. The standard, or ensign, that the Gentiles will seek after is the everlasting covenant, or the gospel of Jesus Christ: Doctrine and Covenants 45:9 And even so I have sent mine aeverlasting bcovenant into the world, to be a clight to the world, and to be a dstandardfor my people, and for the eGentiles to seek to it, and to be a fmessenger before my face to prepare the way before me. |
| 11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the asecond time to brecover the cremnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the dislands of the sea. xxx xx xxx xx xxx x x |
11 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the asecond time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left, from bAssyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from cShinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.xx xx xxx x x x x x x x x x
x x x x |
See 2 Nephi 25:17 and 2 Nephi 29:1 for Nephi’s explanation of this verse. These two verses in the Book of Mormon both paraphrase the phrase “the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people” from Isaiah 11:11. In each, there are slight variations due to context (“I” instead of “the Lord”) and who is speaking. Also note that 2 Nephi 25:17 uses “restore” but 2 Nephi 29:1 uses “recover” just like Isaiah 11:11. Neither one refers to “the remnant of his people”, but only refers to “his/my people.”—Isaiah in the Book of Mormon Jesse was the father of David. Isaiah speaks of the Stem of Jesse, whom he also designates as a branch growing out of the root of that ancient worthy. He recites how the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him; how he shall be mighty in judgment; how he shall smite the earth and slay the wicked; and how the lamb and the lion shall lie down together in that day—all of which has reference to the Second Coming and the millennial era thereby ushered in.—Elder Bruce R. McConkie, The Promised Messiah, pp. 192–95). |
|
12 And he shall set up an aensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. x |
12 And he shall set up an aensign for the nations, and shall assemble the boutcasts of Israel, and cgather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. x |
Because of latter-day revelation, we understand that the phrase “he will set up an ensign for the nations” in verse 12 refers to the Restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual (2014) |
 “We are from Ephraim. The Lord expects us, since we are the custodians of his gospel as restored in these latter days, according to my understanding, to extend the hand of friendship to Judah, because after all we are all descendants of the prophets Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and we come under the promises that through their descendants should all the nations of the earth be blessed.
“I do not know how the enmity and the envy between Ephraim and Judah can disappear except that we of the house of Ephraim, who have the custody of the gospel, should lead out in trying to bring to this branch of the house of Israel the blessings of the restored gospel. …And it seems to me that the only way that the tribe of Judah can be sanctified to dwell in his presence forever and ever will be when we bring to them the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior promised them it would be brought in the latter days.” —Elder LeGrand Richards, Conference Report, Oct. 1956, pp. 23–24 |
||
|
13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not aenvy bJudah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. x x x x
x x x x |
13 The aenvy of Ephraim also shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not benvy cJudah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraimx
x x x
x x x x |
Anciently, during the days of the divided kingdoms, Judah (the leading tribe of the Southern Kingdom) and Ephraim (the leading tribe of the Northern Kingdom) were often in competition. Sometimes they were even at war with each other. Isaiah prophesied that in the last days that conflict would come to an end. Ezekiel, in a similar prophecy, promised that the house of Israel would no longer be divided, but under their true king, the New David (see Notes and Commentary on Isaiah 11:1) there would be one united nation again. (see Ezekiel 37:15–25.) Jeremiah and Zechariah also spoke of the future reuniting of the house of Israel (see Jeremiah 3:18; Zechariah 10:6–7)—Old Testament Student Manual |
| 14 But they shall afly upon the bshoulders of the Philistines toward the west; cthey shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
x x x x |
14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the aPhilistines towards the west; they shall spoil them of the east together; they shall lay their hand upon bEdom and cMoab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. x x x x |
Compare the translation in the New International Version: “They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia.” As Israel gathers to God’s signal (ensign) and possesses righteousness, the priesthood, and the power received in the temple, then Israel’s former enemies, the Philistines, Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites—symbols for the nations of our day—will be subject to them.—Parry, Donald W., Understanding Isaiah, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition |
| 15 And the Lord shall utterly adestroy the tongue of the bEgyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.
x x x |
15 And the Lord shall utterly adestroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind he shall shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over bdry shod.
x x x |
We have also presented before us, in verse 15, the marvelous power of God, which will be displayed in the destruction of a small branch of the Red Sea, called the tongue of the Egyptian Sea, and also the dividing of the seven streams of some river [perhaps the Nile], and causing men to go over dryshod; and lest any should not understand it literally… (continued in next verse) |
| 16 And there shall be aan bhighway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
x x x |
16 And there shall be a ahighway for the remnant of his people which shall be left, from Assyria, like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
x x x |
verse 16 says that ‘there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.’ Now we have only to ask whether, in the days of Moses, the Red Sea was literally divided or whether it was only a figure? for as it was then, so it shall be again.—Parley P. Pratt, Voice of Warning, p. 35 |
| xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
“Review
- What do the rod, a stem, and roots each represent? (see Doctrine and Covenants 113:1–6)
- According to Isaiah 11:1, what comes out of the stem?
- Whom does the stem of Jesse represent?
- According to verses 3–4, who is the rod?
- According to verses 5–6, who is the root of Jesse?
- How does Isaiah 11:10 describes Joseph Smith?
- What did Isaiah say that the root of Jesse would be for the people?
- What is an ensign?
- What is the standard, or ensign, that the Gentiles will seek after?
- How is establishing an ensign similar to what the Lord did through Joseph Smith
1Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide (2002), p 142
Chapters of Isaiah Quoted in the Book of Mormon
| 1 Nephi | 20 | 21 | ||||||
| 2 Nephi | 7 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 27 | |
| Mosiah | 14 | |||||||
| 3 Nephi | 20 | 22 |
