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This Advent Season Consider Isaiah’s Words

By
Darryl Alder
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This Advent Season Consider Isaiah's Words
For First Advent Consider Isaiah's Words

Advent Season was a new experience for me as a young Mormon missionary in Germany, but I immediately fell in love with the idea of spending four Sundays preparing for the holiday. Advent heralds a time of remembrance regarding the Savior’s birth, as well as, looking to His second coming and a coming of His spirit in our hearts.

Make an Advent wreath using a styrofoam base, greenery, and purple candles. If you do not have a styrofoam base, place your candles in candleholders. Arrange them in a circle, with the white candle in the middle with greenery worked around them.

The centerpiece of this holiday is the Advent Wreath. MaryJane Pierce Norton, explains, “The wreath, because it is a circle, symbolizes God’s, never-ending love. The wreath, because it is green, symbolizes life. An Advent wreath contains four candles representing the four Sundays leading to Christmas. Many people place a white candle in the center of the wreath to symbolize Jesus.”

Each Sunday beginning the fourth Sunday before Christmas, or Advent Sunday, families gather to light a candle and study scriptures. Isaiah’s texts work to guide us through the season with themes for each Sunday.

For First Advent, we look forward to His second coming. Isaiah 63 tells about events that will occur at that time. As part of this day

Fourth Sunday Before Christmas or Advent Sunday
Isaiah 63: 1–9

1 Who is this that acometh from bEdom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?
this that is glorious in his apparel,
travelling in the greatness of his strength?
  I that speak in righteousness,
mighty to save.
2 Wherefore art thou ared in thine apparel,
and thy garments like him that treadeth in the bwinefat?
3 I have trodden the awinepress alone;
and of the people there was none with me:
  for I will tread them in mine anger,
and trample them in my fury;
  and their blood shall be bsprinkled upon my garments,
and I will stain all my raiment.
 4 For the day of avengeance is in mine heart,
and the year of my bredeemed is come.
 5 And I looked, and there was none to help;
and I wondered that there was none to uphold:
   therefore mine own arm brought asalvation unto me;
 and my fury, it upheld me.
 6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger,
 and amake them drunk in my fury,
  and I will bring down their strength to the earth.7 ¶ I will mention the lovingkindness of the Lord,
 and the praises of the Lord,
  according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us,
and the great bgoodness toward the house of Israel,
which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies,
and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
 8 For he said, Surely they are my people,
children that will not lie:
   so he was their aSaviour.
9 In all their aaffliction he was afflicted,
 and the bangel of his cpresence saved them:
  in his dlove and in his pity
 he eredeemed them;
   and he bare them,
 and fcarried them all the days of old.

After studying Isaiah 63, also read Doctrine and Covenants 133:45–53 to find answers these questions about His Second Coming:

  1. How will the Lord be dressed?
  2. Why will He dress this way?
  3. What will the Lord say?
  4. What emotions will the Lord feel?
  5. What will “the redeemed” say when He comes?
  6. How will you use this Christmas season to prepare for His Second Coming?

Read other Advent posts here:

  • First Advent: Isaiah 63: 1–9
  • Second Advent: Isaiah 40:1–11
  • Third Advent: Isaiah 12:2–6.
  • Fourth Advent

You may also find this short video helpful:

Isaiah and Handel’s Messiah

By
Search Isaiah
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With the onset of Advent, Christmas traditions abound, but for me, the consummate event is a Messiah Sing-in with its famed “Hallelujah” chorus. Because Handel’s Messiah and Isaiah are close companions, on this first day of Advent your SearchIsaiah team, is taking a deeper look at Isaiah’s influence on this remarkable work.

However, the oratorio was not really intended for Christmas as Emily C. Hoyler wrote in a University of Chicago Divinity School publication. “Every December, major orchestras and choirs across the United States and Europe stage performances of Messiah. 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 continues: “To the present day, orchestrated Messiah “sing-alongs” draw large crowds of non-professional singers, particularly in American and British communities. … 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.”

Charles Jennens
Georg Friedrich Händel

In each full performance of the Messiah, more than 20 verses from Isaiah are sung, making it the most common source for Handel‘s masterpiece, but Handel had help in selecting the words for his famous libretto from Charles Jennens (1700–1773). Jennens was an English aristocrat who had worked with Handel (1685–1759) on several other oratorios. He shared his compilation of 81 verses from the Holy Bible. Taken from 14 different books including the 21 verses from Isaiah. Jennens organized the verses into three parts:

  1. The prophecy of the birth of a Messiah and the Incarnation
  2. The Passion and the Resurrection
  3. Christ’s glorification in Heaven.

Many of Isaiah’s verses appear in part one, which makes it compelling to use at Christmas time. Here are the verses from Isaiah in the oratorio:

Part 1

Verse Isaiah’s Words
40: 1-3 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned.
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness; prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
40: 4 Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, and ev’ry moutain and hill made low; the crooked straight and the rough places plain.
7: 14 Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Emmanuel, God with us.

40: 9

 

60: 1

O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain. O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, behold your God!

Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
60: 2-3  For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.
And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
9: 2  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
9: 6 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.
35: 5-6 Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.
40: 11 He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; and He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young

Part 2

Verse Isaiah’s Words
50: 3 He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
53: 6 He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off His hair: He hid not His face from shame and spitting.
He was despised
53: 4-5 Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows!
He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.
53: 5 And with His stripes we are healed.
53: 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way. And the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
53: 8 He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgressions of Thy people was He stricken
52:7 How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.

(Part 3 does not include any verses from Isaiah.)

As I read these words, I find myself humming along and tapping my feet; I guess I knew a lot more of Isaiah by heart than I knew I did, how about you?

Sources:

Why is Isaiah’s Style Imposing and Obscure?

By
Search Isaiah
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Youth contemplating why Isaiah’s Literary Style is Imposing and Obscure?

Paul Y. Hoskisson,  a professor of ancient scripture at BYU, in his paper “A Latter-Day Saint Reading of Isaiah: The Example of Isaiah 6.”  In that paper, he listed six factors that “contribute to the difficulties modern readers encounter in understanding Isaiah:”

  1. Hebrew Poetry
    He says that for the most part, Isaiah wrote in poetry, “and poetry is by nature obscure, if not cryptic, even to the native speaker of the poetic language.” However, he explained that when Isaiah’s poetic imagery is comprehended it contributes one’s “appreciation and understanding of the passage.”
  2. Hebrew literary style
    As with any language’s literature, he writes, “Hebrew is endowed with its own esoteric peculiarities that could escape even Isaiah’s contemporary readers. These same peculiarities often baffle the modern reader also.” However, Isaiah’s ability “to coin new words (if indeed Isaiah was the first to employ seraphim) from the basal forms by using existing patterns is characteristic of Semitic literature,” showing him to be both highly educated and expert in the language.
  3. Cultural Distance
    Like anyone from 2700 years ago, “Isaiah is removed culturally from our day.” People then ate, dressed and lived differently. Books were written from right to left. The world superpowers of his time were “Egypt and Assyria, and were deeply embroiled in petty squabbles with neighbors.” References to things like these from his time and culture leave modern reader lost.
  4. Time differential
    In some ways, this aligns with culture, but puts in it in a “different dimension.” As an example of this he points to the difference between modern Japanese culture and ours and then explains “however removed in culture and literature from Japan, still may have contact with and access to living informants both here in the United States and on the isles of native Japanese culture in Asia. Though this does not alleviate all problems, it does eliminate many.” This cannot be so with Isaiah, who has been dead for 27 centuries along with all his contemporaries, “we must content ourselves with a few scraps of Hebrew literature” and a few other “contemporary documents. By learning” he says,  “of the times involved we can approximate in our own minds the milieu in which Isaiah composed his beautiful verses.”
  5. Isaiah draws heavily on scripture and doctrine outside his time and place.
    To understand his message we need a knowledge of doctrines taught over the ages. This means “it is necessary to be familiar with more than the times and culture of Isaiah” to understand and appreciate his “embedded allusions… In this respect, Latter-day Saints have a distinct advantage because of our extended scriptural database.”
  6. Prophetic vision
    Isaiah was an “eloquent, well versed and culturally astute” prophet.  We must “realize that he spoke from the higher ground of his prophetic insights and visions.” This, however, does not mean that we have to be prophets to understand his words. Many of his prophecies have been fulfilled, which we can all see, but with the Gift of the Holy Ghost, “the same prophetic insights and visions given to Isaiah are available to Latter-day Saints.”

Each of these six potential stumbling blocks to understanding Isaiah can become “stepping-stones” to comprehension can be turned into tools by anyone serious about discerning Isaiah message. All we have to do is learn a bit about Hebrew literary and poetic styles, come to know the times and history surrounding his visions, mix in our own use of scripture, knowledge of doctrine and modern prophetic insights and our study of Isaiah will not only glean “glean from his writings wisdom for our day.” Perhaps we will even come to love “one of the greatest prophets and poets who ever lived on this earth.”

By Paul Y. Hoskisson| a professor of ancient scripture at BYU, earned his MA and BA from BYU, and a PhD from Brandeis University, all in Ancient Near Eastern Studies. He knows German, Bibilican Hebrew, Ugaritic, Akkadian, Spanish, and a few other research languages. He and his wife, Joaqina, have four children.

You can read his entire paper at “A Latter-Day Saint Reading of Isaiah: The Example of Isaiah 6” in Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson (Provo and Salt Lake City: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, and Deseret Book 2005), 209–225.

Finding Doctrine and Meaning in Book of Mormon Isaiah

By
RoseAnn Benson
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The book of Isaiah & Book of Mormon: Finding Doctrine and Meaning in Book of Mormon

For many readers of the Book of Mormon, the Isaiah passages quoted in 1 and 2 Nephi, Mosiah, and 3 Nephi present an almost insurmountable obstacle made up of Hebrew poetry and imagery. Particularly daunting is the sudden change of style from historical narrative and the sermons and teachings of Nephi, Lehi, and Jacob to the more literary and symbolic style of the Isaiah passages.

Since Nephi clearly states that he loves “plainness” (2 Nephi 25:4), many readers are somewhat perplexed by the inclusion of the Isaiah chapters in his writings. What these readers fail to understand is that Nephi included the writings of Isaiah not as a test or advanced course for scripture readers but because they formed the foundation of his own scriptural understanding, which he then communicated in plainness in his writings. [2] In other words, the simplicity in Nephi’s writings reflects a depth of understanding that can only be grasped after fully absorbing the meaning of Isaiah’s words. Therefore, the reader who absorbs and plumbs the depths of Isaiah’s writings, as Nephi did, will more fully understand the profound insights contained in the clarity of Nephi’s words. The plain and more accessible writings of Nephi, Abinadi, Christ, Mormon, and Moroni act as keys to illuminate Isaiah, and the writings of Isaiah in turn act as a key to fully unlock the profound nature of Book of Mormon prophetic thought.

Twice the Savior urged the Nephites to study the words of Isaiah. First, after declaring that they would be fulfilled, Jesus commanded, “Behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them” (3 Nephi 20:11). Second, after quoting Isaiah 54 and numerous other passages, the Savior admonished the Nephites:

“Ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles” (3 Nephi 23:1–2).

In response to this commandment, this article’s chief purpose and contribution to existing Isaiah scholarship is to show how the main doctrines and purposes of the Book of Mormon, found on the title page and in the writings of Book of Mormon prophets, mirror and follow the central focus of the Isaiah chapters. [3] Specifically, we will show how the scattering and gathering of the house of Israel, due to their acceptance or rejection of the covenant of Christ, illustrate the doctrines of justice and mercy as taught in the Book of Mormon. While in one sense this article simplifies the message of Isaiah by pointing to overarching themes recognized by the Book of Mormon prophets, we do not intend to obfuscate the complexity of Isaiah’s teachings, the nuance of his literary skills, or his multilayered approach that emphasizes numerous concepts not mentioned in this article. In this article, we intend to focus on one way of teaching Isaiah that will help students synthesize the overarching themes of his messages, rather than to minimize other important concepts he taught that have been discussed by other scholars. [4]

To create a foundation for this discussion, we will first briefly describe Isaiah’s writing style and historical context. Next, we will propose new possibilities for how Nephi and Jacob used Isaiah’s teachings as they applied his writings to their own situation, which will be followed by a discussion of Nephi, Abinadi, and Christ’s extensive quotations of Isaiah. Finally, illustrations of the connections between the major purposes of the Book of Mormon and the writings of Isaiah will illustrate the meaning and relevance of many of Isaiah’s statements and demonstrate why Nephite prophets and the Savior found it so important to quote the writings of Isaiah.

(read this entire article Here: “Finding Doctrine and Meaning in Book of Mormon Isaiah,” Religious Educator 15, no. 1 (2014): 95–122)

Follow this series:

[1]Boyd K. Packer, “The Things of My Soul,” Ensign, May 1986
[2] Karel Van der Toorn, Scribal Culture and the Making of the Hebrew Bible (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2007), 101–2, as discussed in Brandt A. Gardner, “Musings on the Making of Mormon’s Book: Preliminary, Nephi As Author,” Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture
[3] Victor L. Ludlow, Unlocking Isaiah in the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003), 13–15
[4] other important Latter-day Saint studies include, but are not limited to, Victor L. Ludlow, Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1982); Unlocking Isaiah in the Book of Mormon; Donald W. Parry, Jay A. Parry, and Tina M. Peterson, Understanding Isaiah(Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1998); Donald W. Parry and John W. Welch, Isaiah in the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1998); Donald W. Parry, Harmonizing Isaiah: Combining Ancient Sources (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2001); David R. Seely, “Nephi’s Use of Isaiah 2–14 in 2 Nephi 12–30,” Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, 151–71; Avraham Gileadi, The Book of Isaiah: A New Translation with Interpretive Keys from the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1988); Ann N. Madsen, “What Meaneth the Words That Are Written? Abinadi Interprets Isaiah,” Journal of Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 10, no. 1 (2001): 4–14; Monte S. Nyman, Great Are the Words of Isaiah (Springville, UT: Horizon Publishers, 2009); David J. Ridges, Isaiah Made Easier: In the Bible and the Book of Mormon(Springville, UT: Bonneville Books, 2002); John Bytheway, Isaiah for Airheads (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2006); Philip J. Schlesinger, Isaiah and the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: P. J. Schlesinger, 1990); Mark Swint, Compare Isaiah: Understanding Biblical Scriptures in the Book of Mormon (Springville, Utah: Horizon, 2009); H. Clay Gorton, The Legacy of the Brass Plates of Laban: A Comparison of Biblical & Book of Mormon Isaiah Texts (Bountiful, UT: Horizon Publishers, 1994); Sidney Sperry, “The Isaiah Problem in the Book of Mormon,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4, no. 1 (1995): 129–52. W

Authors: RoseAnn Benson and Shon D. Hopkin| Benson (rabenson@byu.edu) was an adjunct professor of ancient scripture and Hopkin (shon_hopkin@byu.edu) was an assistant professor of ancient scripture at BYU when this article was published.

Why Study the Book of Isaiah?

By
Search Isaiah
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Why read Isaiah

When Jesus came to the Americas after His death and Resurrection, He quoted from the scriptures, but of the words of Isaiah, he said: “A commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah” (3 Nephi 23:1). He also told the Nephites that all that Isaiah had prophesied would be fulfilled (see 3 Nephi 23:3).

The book of Isaiah was written when the Jews were in wickedness and apostasy. Its message covers events of Isaiah’s era and events that would occur in the future, often at the same time, in a layered fashion. However, the most important part of the book is Isaiah’s witness of Jesus is the Christ as the promised Messiah.

Studying the book of Isaiah can strengthen anyone’s testimony of the Savior. Reading carefully will teach you to listen to the Spirit as you come across symbolism in this book. “As students mature in their understanding of the gospel, they can appreciate Isaiah’s witness and feel a desire to study his words and say as Nephi said: ‘My soul delighteth in his words … for he verily saw my Redeemer’” (2 Nephi 11:2).

Excerpts are taken from the “Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual | Introduction to the Book of Isaiah

First Nephi 20 and Isaiah 48—The Furnace of Affliction

By
Darryl Alder
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Click here to read the Isaiah Chapters in the Book of Mormon

Chapter Summary

John Bytheway offers this chapter overview: “Members of the house of Israel talk about God but don’t rely on Him. The Lord has shown, and will show, the house of Israel many things that are to come, but they are stubborn and rely on their own wisdom and their idols. The Lord still loves them, and will refine them in the furnace of affliction. The Lord created the heavens and the earth and has raised up a servant to declare his words to the people. The people should follow the Lord’s way and flee Babylon (abandon wickedness).”1

Background

The chapters as we know them in the Book of Mormon have undergone some changes since the 1830 edition. Royal Skousen wrote, “Evidence from both the original and printer’s manuscripts shows that Joseph Smith apparently saw some visual indication at the end of a section that the section was ending. Although this may have been a symbol of some kind, a more likely possibility is that the last words of the section were followed by blankness. Recognizing that the section was ending, Joseph then told the scribe to write the word chapter, with the understanding that the appropriate number would be added later.”2

Many years later, in 1879, by assignment from President John Taylor, Orson Pratt made much shorter chapters through out the book. This sometimes broke up the continuity of the author’s message, which is true of Chapter VI. That chapter began in our current 1 Ne 19:22 and ended with the last verse of Chapter 21. For that reason I suggest you read these three verses as an introduction to Isaiah 48 and don’t stop until you have finished with Isaiah 49 in 1 Ne 21.

1 Nephi 19
22 Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, did teach my brethren these things; and it came to pass that I did read many things to them, which were engraven upon the plates of brass, that they might know concerning the doings of the Lord in other lands, among people of old.
23 And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.
24 Wherefore I spake unto them, saying: Hear ye the words of the prophet, ye who are a remnant of the house of Israel, a branch who have been broken off; hear ye the words of the prophet, which were written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves, that ye may have hope as well as your brethren from whom ye have been broken off; for after this manner has the prophet written.		 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

With that as an introduction to 1 Nephi 20 and Isaiah 48 we begin our adventure with Isaiah in the Book of Momon

(This is the first full chapter of Isaiah quoted in the Book of Mormon and as you can see below, every verse in the Book of Mormon reads differently from the King James text [changes marked in RED]. Some of those differences are quite striking. Commentary and notes are in GREEN.)

The First Book of Nephi, Chapter 20

 King James, Isaiah Chapter 48 Notes and Commentary

The Lord reveals His purposes to Israel—Israel has been chosen in the furnace of affliction and is to go forth from Babylon—Compare Isaiah 48. About 588–570 B.C. (changes made by Joseph Smith in translation are in RED)

x

x

The Lord reveals His purposes to Israel—Israel has been chosen in the furnace of affliction and is to depart from Babylon—Compare 1 Nephi 20.

x

x

x

x

 A major difficulty in understanding the book of Isaiah is his extensive use of symbolism, as well as his prophetic foresight and literary style; these take many local themes (which begin in his own day) and extend them to a latter-day fulfillment or application. Consequently, some prophecies are probably fulfilled more than one time and/or have more than one application” (Bible Dictionary, “Isaiah”).
Jehovah’s servant calls on Jacob/Israel to forsake its idols and return in a new exodus out of Babylon.4

 Judah’s Apostasy (Isaiah 48:1–8)

Verses 1–2: Covenant Israel Has Apostatized 

1 a Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, or out of the waters of b baptism, who cswear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, yet they swear dnot in truth nor in righteousness.

x

x

 1 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the awaters of Judah, which bswear by the name of the Lord, and make cmention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.

x

x

x

  bDaniel Ludlow says the phrase “or out of the waters of baptism” did not appear in the first edition of the Book of Mormon. (A Companion To Your Study of the Book of Mormon, p120)
McConkie and Millet said that it first appeared in the 1840 and 1842 editions this way [in red]: “(or out of the waters of baptism)” and then again without parentheses in the 1920 editions and all editions thereafter. They state it is prophetic commentary by Joseph Smith to call “our attention to the fact that the ordinance of baptism was as common to the people of the Old Testament as it was” to those of the Book of Mormon—Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon 1:151–52

2 Nevertheless, they call themselves of the aholy city, but they do bnot stay themselves upon the God of Israel, who is the Lord of Hosts; yea, the Lord of Hosts is his name.x

x

x

x

x

x 

2 For they call themselves of the aholy city, and bstay themselves upon the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is his name.x

x 

x

x

x

x

x

 aholy city: Jerusalem
bstay themselves upon: IE pretend to rely upon.
This is similar to the condemnation of Jerusalem made by Lehi and other Prophets (see 1 Nephi 1:13, 18–19). Knowing Why, p. 57, and could be a form of condemnation of Laman and Lemuel.
bnot TG Hypocrisy.
W. Cleon Skousen writes: “Notice that the absence of the word “not” in the King James translation almost makes the verse meaningless. The Book of Mormon corrects this error. (Isaiah Speaks to Modern Times, p. 603 )
Ludlow says: “In these two verses [1–2], Isaiah identifies various parties who should be honoring their vows with God.” (Unlocking Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, p. 38)
Reading just these two verses makes me want to ask why Nephi quoted this to his brothers and to his people? Was he warning them not to apostatize like the people back in Jerusalem? Is he speaking to us as Latter-day Saints to warn us of apostasy too?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx		 
Verses 3–8:The Lord Knowing All, Uses That Power to Show Us He is God 
3 Behold, I have declared the aformer things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them. I did show them suddenly,x 3 I have adeclared the bformer things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.
x		 He said, “I have declared … things from the beginning,” that is, He spoke of them before their occurrence, and then “shewed them … suddenly” by bringing them to pass  (Old Testament Student Manual, “The Gathering of Isreal and the Coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 48–54)
4 And I did it because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy aneck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; 4 Because I knew that athou art bobstinate, and thy cneck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass
x
x		 These opening comments, “though addressed to all Israel, seem to speak directly to the rebellious and stubborn members of Nephi’s family” and “fits Nephi’s older brothers Laman and Lemuel perfectly.” (Andrew Skinner, Isaiah in the Book of Mormon p 100)
x
5 And I have even from the beginning declared to thee; before it came to pass I ashowed them thee; and I showed them for fear lest thou shouldst say—Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image hath commanded them. 5 I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.
x
x		 This He had done, He said, lest
the apostates should say, “Mine idol hath done them” (v. 5) (Old Testament Student Manual, “The Gathering of Isreal and the Coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 48–54)
x
x
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
6 Thou hast seen and heard all this; and will ye anot declare them? And that I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

6 Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

x

 a1 Cor 9: 16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

x


x
7 They are created now, and not from the beginning, even before the day when thou heardest them not they were declared unto thee, lest thou shouldst say—Behold I knew them.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

7 They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.

x

x

 “Behold, I knew them” (v. 7), that is to say, “I already knew that.” The Lord then promised to defer His anger but utterly refused to give His glory to false gods or to suffer His name to be polluted (compare v. 11 with 1 Nephi 20:11). Thus the Lord’s purpose for revealing the future unto man is partly made clear: it is the solid proof that He is truly God, for no mute idol could possibly duplicate such a feat.   (Old Testament Student Manual, Kings–Malachi, “The Gathering of Isreal and the Coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 48–54)
8 Yea, and thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time thine ear was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldst deal very treacherously, and wast called a atransgressor from the womb.

8 Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the awomb.

x

 awomb: Ps 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
xx

We are just 8 verses into 1 Ne 20 and have seen how Israel was warned of God’s foreknowledge of their apostasy and how Nephi warns his people of the same potential, especially his older brothers. At the same time, he is inviting them to start anew as a covenant people.

Verses 9–11: Through Our Afflictions, the Lord Make Us His Chosen People
The Lord Loves Covenant Israel

9 Nevertheless, for my aname’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain from thee, that I cut thee not off.

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x

9 ¶ For my aname’s sake will I defer mine banger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.

xx

x

x

x

x

x

x

 Elder James E. Talmage quoted Smith’s Comprehensive Dictionary of the Bible, to explain: “Name in the scriptures not only [means] that by which a person is designated, but frequently [means] all that is known to belong to the person having this designation, and the person himself. Thus ‘the name of God’ or ‘of Jehovah,’ etc., indicates His authority (Deut. 18:20; Matt. 21:9, etc.), His dignity and glory (Isa. 48:9, etc.), His protection and favor (Prov. 18:10, etc.), His character (Exo. 34:5, 14, compare 6, 7, etc.), His divine attributes in general (Matt. 6:9, etc.), etc. The Lord is said to set or put His name where the revelation or manifestation of His perfections is made (Deut. 12:5, 14:24, etc.).

10 For, behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of aaffliction.x

x

x

 10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the afurnace of baffliction.
xxxxx		 Most of us experience some measure of what the scriptures call “the furnace of affliction”  …Through the justice and mercy of a loving Father in Heaven, the refinement and sanctification possible through such experiences can help us achieve what God desires us to become. Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, Nov.  2000
“…if we were to close the doors upon sorrow and distress, we might be excluding our greatest friends and benefactors. Suffering can make saints of people as they learn patience, long-suffering, and self-mastery. …I love the verse of ‘How Firm a Foundation’

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’er flow
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle. p 98
(Also see: “The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design, thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine” Hymns, no. 85)
Note how Isaiah’s metaphor introduced back in verse 4 still applies—those whose necks are iron and whose brows are brass need to be melted down and made pliable in the furnace of affliction—Bytheway, Isaiah for Airheads, Kindle Edition
The Savior’s “mission is to cleanse, purify, and refine the human soul so that it can return to his Father’s kingdom in purity, free from dross. (3 Ne. 27:19–21.) His cleansing power ‘is like a refiner’s fire, … And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver’ in that great day when he comes to judge the world. (Mal. 3:2–3; 3 Ne. 24:2–3; D.&C. 128:24)” Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 624

11  For mine own sake, yea, for mine own sake will I do this, for I will not suffer my aname to be polluted, and I will bnot give my glory unto another.

x

x

x

11 For mine own asake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my bname be polluted? and I will not cgive my glory unto another.

x

x

x

The Luther Bible translates this mean: “lest my name be slandered for not keeping my promise.” David J. Ridges, Isaiah in the Book of Mormon Made Easier, p 130

The names of God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, are sacred. The prophet Isaiah taught that the Lord will not suffer these names to be dishonored—“polluted” as the scriptures say. (See 1 Ne. 20:11; Isa. 48:11.) Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, May 1986, p 49

 
Verses 12–21: The Lord Is All-Powerful (He Is Omnipotent)

12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel my called, for I am he; I am the first, and I am also the last.

 

x

 12 ¶ Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.

 

x

  “I am He” The Lord reaffirms His identity. The Lord told Moses that his name was “I AM” (Exodus 3:14), and the phrase “I am” appears three times in verse 12. The Lord is the creator of the earth and the heavens. All the elements in the universe listen to and obey the Lord.—Bytheway, Isaiah for Airheads, Kindle Edition

13 Mine hand hath also laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens. :  when I call unto them and they stand up together.

 

x

13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the aearth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.

 

x

 In the previous verse “The Lord declares He is the First and the Last” then in this verse, ” He is the God of the Old Testament—Jehovah—as well as the Savior of the New Testament—Jesus Christ! By His right, or covenant, hand He has created all things. He reminds His chosen (called) people that His creations obey Him.” —Hoyt W. Brewster, Isaiah Plain & Simple, p 181

14  All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; who among them hath declared these things unto them? The Lord hath loved him; yea, and he will fulfil his word which he hath declared by them; and he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall come upon the Chaldeans.

x

14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The Lord hath loved him: he will do his apleasure on bBabylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.

 

 

x

The most important point in this verse  is that the Lord will fulfill his word which his servants and prophets have declared, and “will do his pleasure on Babylon.” In D&C 133:14, the Lord’s people are told to “go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon.”—Bytheway, Isaiah for Airheads, Kindle Edition

The LDS Bible footnote aGod will use the Persian King Cyrus will do his desire, or wish.

15  Also, saith the Lord; I the Lord, yea, I have spoken; yea, I have called him to declare, I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.

 

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15 I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.

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x

 In addition to “him” being Cyrus, Monte Nyman believes “him” could be Israel. Great are the Words of Isaiah p 171. 
Victor Ludlow believes the description best fits the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Isaiah, Prophet, Seer and Poet, 405
David J. Ridges, suggests it “could also mean that Heavenly Father called Christ to prophesy; also that Christ called Isaiah prophesy.—Isaiah in the Book of Mormon Made Easier, p 131

16 Come ye near unto me; hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret; from the beginning, from the time that it was declared have I spoken; and the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me.

x

16 ¶ Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in asecret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath bsent me.

x

 The intent in the Book of Mormon is that the Lord has spoken openly and not in secret, and that his spoken openly from the time that the prophecies were first declared. The intent is again that Israel shall have no excuse for not knowing that the Lord was the source of the prophecies. H. Clay Gorton, The Legacy of the Brass Plates of Laban, p 102

17  And thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I have sent him, the Lord thy God who teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee by the way thou shouldst go, hath done it.xx

 

 

xx

17 Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which aleadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.x

x

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 In these verses, the Lord is speaking of His prophets who have “declared” what the Lord has revealed to them. He loves them and will “fulfil” all his words which they have spoken. Thomas R. Valletta, The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families, p 62
The Lord’s counsel and commandments are always for the blessing (profit) of the obedient,  while they who reject his words sow the seeds of sorrow and disappointment. (See Hymns 239, Choose the Right)—Hoyt W. Brewster, Isaiah Plain & Simple, p 183

18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments—then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.

x

18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy apeace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

x

 In verses 18 and 19, Isaiah, speaking for the Lord, laments the wonderful blessings that the wicked Israelites are throwing away. He compares the peace of righteousness that the Israelites could obtain to an endlessly flowing river and to infinitely rolling waves of the sea. Ludlow, Unlocking Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, p 46
19 Thy seed also had been as the sand; and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me. 19 Thy aseed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
x		 We will be heirs to the Abrahamic promises: we will have descendants as numerous as the sands of the seashore, and an everlasting name before God—Parry, Donald W., Understanding Isaiah, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition.

20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye: The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

x

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x

20 ¶ Go ye forth of aBabylon, flee ye from the bChaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

x

x

x

 [Verse 19] is unmistakable Abrahamic language, language we’re all quite familiar with. …cast somewhat negatively here, since Israel hasn’t kept the Lord’s commandments to them, and so they haven’t yet seen anything of the fulfillment of these promises. But Israel has another chance. Always another chance. They’re given a new commandment: “Go ye forth of Babylon! Flee ye from the Chaldeans!”—Spencer, Joseph M., The Vision of All, Greg Kofford Books. Kindle Edition.

21 And they thirsted not; when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he clave the rock also and the waters gushed out.x

x

 21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the awaters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
xx		 Perhaps Isaiah is reminding covenant Israel what Jehovah did for them when Moses led them out of bondage—another example of his power (see Exodus 17:1–6; Numbers 20:11). Water from a rock could be a symbol of the Living Water that comes from Christ, who is also the “rock of our salvation” (Psalm 95:1).—Bytheway, Isaiah for Airheads, Kindle Edition 
Verses 22: The Lord Warns Covenant Israel

22 And notwithstanding he hath done all this, and greater also, there is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.xxx

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22 There is no apeace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.

x

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 Despite seeing great miracles of deliverance, some in Israel continue in wickedness. Miracles do not bring peace of soul to those who continue in sin (57:21; 1 Ne. 20:22; Alma 41:10).—Parry, Donald W., Understanding Isaiah, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition.

Click here to begin Isaiah 49 →

All that comparison and commentary may leave you wondering what we just read. Let’s try this summary by Joseph Spencer:

“Isaiah …[explains] the Lord’s patience, which is a product of his own larger purposes (verses 9–11) and a statement of the Lord’s sovereignty (verses 12–13). And then we finally get the first clear indication of what all this is about, the Lord’s ancient word that he’d bring Babylon’s towering empire crashing to the ground (verse 14).

“From that point on, we watch the old exodus story play itself out in a new situation—in three sequences: a prophetic servant is raised up to lead Israel (verses 15–17), the Abrahamic context of the exodus is clarified (verses 18–19), and the actual trek through the wilderness is described (verses 20–21). … the final verse in our discussion …is an ominous conclusion: ‘And notwithstanding he hath done all this—and greater also!—there is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked’ (1 Ne. 20:22). It’s a fitting conclusion.”3

1 Bytheway, John, Isaiah For Airheads, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition.
2 Royal Skousen, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 7/1 (1998)
3 Spencer, Joseph M., The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi’s Record, Greg Kofford Books

Other Chapter Links to Isaiah (those in blue are posted others are pending)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33
34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44
45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55
56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 
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 
Other Isaiah passages quoted in the Book of Mormon
1 Nephi 22:15–17
2 Ne 6:6–7
2 Ne 6:16-18
2 Ne 8:24-25
2 Ne 9:50-51
2 Ne 30:9
2 Ne 30:11-15
Mosiah 12:21-24
Mosiah 15:29-31
3 Ne 16:18-20		 (does not exist in the King James Version)
Isa 49:23
Isa 49:24-26
Isa 52:1-2
Isa 55:1-2
Isa 11:4
Isa 11:5-9
Isa 52:7-10
Isa 52:8-10
Isa 52:8-10

 

The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi’s Record, by Joseph M Spencer

By
Search Isaiah
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Recently I visited with Travis Patten, proprietor of Pioneer Book for advice on good reads to help me understand Isaiah. He knew that I had already purchased Ludlow’s Unlocking Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, but I was ready for more. He suggested The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi’s Record, by Joseph Spencer.

Published in 2016, The Vision of All was written as if Spencer is giving classroom lectures on Nephi’s treatment of Isaiah. For me, this was very appealing, especially because it felt at my level and seemed very personal.

There is a fun twist at each chapter’s conclusion, he gives readers the impression he is out of time and class is over, but of course, all you have to do is turn the page to move on. Still, it generates a kind of urgency that pushed me quickly through the book, which is something other commentaries don’t do—come to think of it, this is probably not a traditional commentary in the sense it does Isaiah down to each verse. Instead, his approach is quite fresh; different from other scholars, as he moves out from verses to whole chapters and sometimes sets of chapters. It is unique in its approach.

Another thing I came to enjoy, was that this felt scholarly without the clutter of footnotes. The few references he uses show up in his bibliography making this a set of free-flowing thoughts about how Nephi might be using Isaiah in the Book of Mormon.

The book is published by Greg Kofford Books, a publisher seems to be catering to a more academic culture that most LDS publishers. They describe the book this way:

“Make no mistake: this book is remarkable. We’ve never seen anything quite like it in the history of Mormonism. And once you’ve seen it, you’ll wonder what on earth we have been doing for the past 200 years.” — Adam S. Miller, is a professor of philosophy at Collin College in McKinney, Texas.

 

“In The Vision of All, Joseph Spencer draws on the best of biblical and Latter-day Saint scholarship to make sense of the so-called “Isaiah chapters” in the first two books of the Book of Mormon. Arguing that Isaiah lies at the very heart of Nephi’s project, Spencer insists on demystifying the writings of Isaiah while nonetheless refusing to pretend that Isaiah is in any way easy to grasp. Presented as a series of down-to-earth lectures, The Vision of All outlines a comprehensive answer to the question of why Nephi was interested in Isaiah in the first place. Along the way, the book presents both a general approach to reading Isaiah in the Book of Mormon and a set of specific tactics for making sense of Isaiah’s writings. For anyone interested in understanding what Isaiah is doing in the Book of Mormon, this is the place to start.

When I started, I wasn’t sure The Vision of All was what I wanted, so I tried a Kindle version of the first half of the book. I wasn’t ten pages in, and I knew that I wanted the book on paper. The publisher, Greg Kofford Books, listed it for Black Friday and I got it for less than the two Kindle books from Amazon and what a treasure it is—with my highlighter handy the book already looks well read and I am glad for it!

Buy Now!

Hitting the Wall in First Nephi 20

By
Darryl Alder
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Runner's wall

Years ago I  loved running long distances most days of the week, but the marathon always seemed too much to take on. Finally, I tried one, but had an awful experience 20 miles into the run; I had hit the “wall.” I never felt worse in my life—some police officers noticed me, put me in their squad car and hauled me to the finish line; I was convulsing along the way. It was most disheartening for someone who had run hundreds of miles in preparation

The “wall” in long distance running is part physiological and psychological. Surprisingly you can train yourself out of it. Needless to say, I did not let that ever happen again. I trained longer and harder and never hit the “wall” again during a race.

Reading scripture can be a daily run of sorts, but when it comes to 1 Nephi 20 it is like hitting a readers “wall.”  You race through the first 19 chapters just fine,  then stumble into Chapter 20 and hit Isaiah. It doesn’t get much better if you plow through the next chapter, Chapter 21, but remember it “is part physiological and psychological.”

Regarding this, President Boyd K. Packer warned readers that while they “readily understand the narrative of the Book of Mormon. … the prophecies of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah … loom as a barrier. … You, too, may be tempted to stop there, but do not do it! …The Lord had a purpose in preserving the prophecies of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon.” ( The Things of My Soul, Ensign, May 1986)

So here we stand at our reader’s “wall” and it is time to move forward with Chapter 20 (Isaiah 48) and I think this overview from Joseph Spencer will be helpful before we start reading. He says 1 Nephi 20 “opens (verses 1–2) with the Lord making clear that Israel has been unfaithful, but this is immediately followed with an outline of the Lord’s double strategy for keeping Israel faithful: first by providing them with prophecies long in advance of fulfillment (verses 3–6a), and second by providing them with brand new prophetic things to think about (verses 6b–8).”—Spencer, Joseph M., The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi’s Record, Greg Kofford Books.

Click here to begin reading Chapter 20 (Isaiah 48)→

Why was Isaiah so important?

By
Jacob Krogue
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Why was Isaiah so important?

Isaiah was a prophet in the Southern Kingdom of Judah. He began his ministry about 740 B.C., several years before the people in the Northern Kingdom of Israel were carried away captive by the Assyrians. He died about 701 B.C., approximately 100 years before Lehi left Jerusalem.

Through Isaiah, the Lord spoke of the apostate condition of the inhabitants of Judah and invited the people to repent and become clean. Isaiah prophesied that the house of the Lord would be established in the last days in the tops of the mountains and that the proud would be humbled at the Savior’s Second Coming.

Isaiah also prophesied of consequences that those in Judah and Jerusalem would suffer for their corruption. He taught that Jerusalem would be restored after it was purged, and he prophesied of events in the last days.

Taken from the Old Testament Study Guide for Home-Study Seminary Students (2014)

Four Guides to the Book of Mormon Isaiah Chapters

By
Darryl Alder
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In a recent post, I explained how in the past I have outlined, compared and contrasted translations, looked up footnotes, read commentaries and yet, I still feel like I don’t quite grasp  Isaiah. So I am going trying something new this year. I am going to take just the parts of the Book of Mormon that quote Isaiah and combine them what I learn in this blog.

I hope that you’ll comment and share your ideas along with my thoughts too.

To begin, I just purchased Isaiah for AirHeads, (a Kindle version just to get me started). The author, John Bytheway, says, “there are four ‘guides’ or personalities who quote Isaiah in the Book of Mormon.

I like that bit of structure because the Isaiah chapters seemed shoved into the Book of Mormon. This lets me stop and consider the four authors and why they might have included Isaiah in their teachings.

The Guides are:

Byetheway calls “them ‘guides’ because not only do they quote Isaiah, but thankfully, they comment on what they’ve quoted.”1

In his overview above, Byetheway shows that each prophet and the Savior himself used the Book of Isaiah to teach and promise the descendants of Abraham future blessings. The focus, however according to Monte Nyman, is this, 391 of the 425 verses of Isaiah that are quoted in the Book of Mormon “deal with the ministry and attributes of Jesus.”2  This, of course, points to the main reason any prophet quotes Isaiah,  that they “might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer” (1 Nephi 19:23).

But in addition, in 2 Ne. 11:2–3, & 8, Nephi wrote:

2  And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words.  For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him.
3  And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true.  Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word.  Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words.

8  And now I write some of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people shall see these words may lift up their hearts and rejoice for all men.

If Nephi says that he delights in the words of Isaiah, maybe I need to try to lift up my heart and rejoice in his words too. To do that, I am going to have to slow it down and try to understand this book the Savior commands us to read:

 …I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. — 3 Nephi 23

1 Bytheway, John. Isaiah for AirHeads, Kindle Locations 88-93. Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition.
2 Nyman, Monte. Great Are the Words of Isaiah, p 7. Deseret Book Company

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