#24 FEBRUARY 17-23, 2 NEPHI 11-24

Sorry, this is a long one. There will be one more much shorter post for this week, hopefully tomorrow.

February 22, 2020

#24 FEBRUARY 17-23, 2 NEPHI 11-24

Chapter 11

Why does Nephi include the words of Isaiah?                  

            Jacob has finished his two-day sermon or, at least, that’s as much as Nephi is going to write on the Small Plates (v. 1). Nephi is now going to finish his own record. There is no more history for him to share. He will conclude his writings on the Small Plates by recording 13 chapters of Isaiah from the Plates of Brass and then add 9 chapters of his own. He is far from finished. But, at least for him, the end is in sight.

            Why does Nephi include chapters from Isaiah? Good question! As I’ve said before, many people, especially those new to the Book of Mormon, “hit the wall” when they get to the Isaiah chapters. Obviously, he didn’t put these in his plates to test us or to stop us from reading. And it’s not easy scribing on metal plates, so he must have good reasons.

First of all, here are some reasons given by Jacob in his sermon why he will read to his people the words of Isaiah:

1.     They teach concerning things which are, and which are to come;

2.     They are the words which Nephi desired him to speak;

3.     They may be likened unto you, for ye are of the house of Israel;

4.     They teach that the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children. (2 Nephi 6:2-3, 12)

Nephi has his additional reasons for reading/writing the words of Isaiah:

1.     My soul delighteth in his words;

2.     He verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him;

3.     That his people (and we) may lift up their hearts and rejoice for all men;

4.     That his people (and we) may liken them unto you (us) and unto all men. (2 Nephi 11:2, 8)

We’ll have more to say about this question in a while. Keep reading.

The Law of Witnesses is fulfilled

            The Lord has said, In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established (Matt 18:16). The beginning of the Book of Mormon rests on the personal testimony of four witnesses who each had a vision of the Messiah, who would come – Lehi, Nephi, Jacob and Isaiah.

            For he [Isaiah] verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him. 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 (vs. 2-3).

            Lehi also saw the pre-mortal Savior in vision. See 1 Nephi chapter 1.

Like the four cornerstones in the foundation of a building, the testimonies of these four prophets as contained in the first two books of the Book of Mormon buttress the entire Book. Each saw the pre-mortal Savior. Nephi records the testimony of each in his record on the Small Plates. He has already born his own testimony of the Savior and that of his father and Jacob. Now he will add the testimony of Isaiah.

“My soul delighteth!”

            Nephi is a great optimist! Despite the opposition and trials in his life, he knows in whom he has trusted (see 2 Nephi 4:19) and is optimistic about life and the future. In parallel statements (typical of Nephi and typical of Hebrew writing. Go figure! Where did Nephi learn to write anyhow?), Nephi describes elements of the gospel in which his soul delights. Each begins my soul delighteth:

·      in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ;

·      in the covenants of the Lord;

·      in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy;

·      in proving unto my people that save Christ should come all men must perish.

What does your soul delight in? If you made a list of the things in which your soul delights, what would be on the list? It would be an interesting exercise in your family or on your own to list some things in which your heart delights. We had a kind of tradition in our family when the kids were younger that, at the end of a vacation, we would make a list of the “top ten” and the “bottom five” things that happened on the trip. It was a fun exercise and often revealing.

If you made a list of the “top ten” things in your life, what would you put on the list? When life is difficult, we can focus on that list, instead of dwelling on the “bottom five” in our lives. Do we see the cup of our life as “half full” or “half empty”? Do we focus on what we have or what we lack? Do we delight in our blessings or wallow in our struggles? We can learn from Nephi and let our souls delight in the blessings in our lives, despite our challenges and struggles. It is good medicine! And it is pleasing to the Lord. In nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things (D&C 59:21). So let’s focus our souls on delighting in the goodness of the Lord in our lives!

All things are the typifying of Him

            Nephi says that one of the things in which his soul delights is in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; … all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him (v. 4).

            Notice that it was only in the last chapter (chapter 10) that Nephi, in recording the sermon of Jacob, first gave the name of Christ, which was revealed to Jacob by an angel. Now Nephi uses this name comfortably and will continue to do so.

            In Moses 6, we find the words of Enoch to his people. In that sermon, Enoch quotes Adam who in turn quotes the Lord, who said:

All things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me.

This is an incredible statement by the Lord, Jesus Christ, the creator of this earth! If I correctly understand this scripture, it means that all things which are created and made by the Lord bear record of Him. What would be included in all? The earth itself; the mountains and hills; the great rivers and the small streams; the planets, sun, moon and stars; the seasons; the order of the plant and animal kingdom; the many miracles of our bodies; the seasons of life, birth, growth, death, and resurrection; beauty in nature; uplifting music and art; etc.

In a remarkable talk by Elder Maxwell (Thanks to good friends Steve and Sue Robinson for referring me to this talk!) referring to this scripture, Elder Maxwell said:

It is all so wondrously Christ-centered. Whether in the structure of the atom or of the galaxies, or in the truths about temples and families, for those who have eyes to see, all things “from the beginning of the world” (2 Ne. 11:4) “bear record of [God].” (Moses 6:63.) They are designed to point us to Christ, typifying Him, so that we might follow Him, have faith in Him, and keep His commandments.

“Called and Prepared from the Foundation of the World”, General Conference, April 1986

But knowing that the Light of Christ, the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things (D&C 88:13), radiates from Christ, I think it is appropriate that we should look for similitudes of Christ in all good things, some of which may not have so obviously created by Him. If they are good and teach of Him, then we may conclude that it was His Light that inspired them. In this regard, I have found similitudes of Christ in unexpected places – books, movies, songs, paintings and other forms of art. I suspect that the authors of those books, the directors of those movies, the composers of those songs, the artists of those paintings etc. may often not have been aware that they were testifying of the great Creator, of the Savior. But, to paraphrase something I said in an earlier blog, ‘the truth is the truth regardless of where you find it.”

Let me give just a couple of contemporary examples. Those who read the Chronicles of Narnia will have no trouble identifying Aslan as a Christ-figure created by Christian convert C.S. Lewis. But did you find Christ in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling? I read the books with our youngest daughter Jennie as the movies came out so I would know why she was so fascinated with them and so I’d be able to “speak her language.” At the conclusion of the last volume, Jennie and I made a list in her copy of the ways in which Harry Potter turned out to be a Christ figure. I don’t know if J.K Rowling had that in mind, but she spoke truths to millions about the Savior for those “who have eyes to see.”  True principles and patterns repeat themselves over and over in great literature.

What about movies? Some of you are old enough to remember a Paul Newman movie in the late 1960s Cool Hand Luke. Did you see Christ portrayed in the figure of Luke? For those of you not old enough to have seen that movie, did you find Christlike imagery in the first three Star Wars movies (Episodes 4, 5 and 6)? Or in the Superman movies? Or more recently, did you find Christ in the remarkable movie Interstellar? The story of that movie was a great example of the spirit of Elijah - turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers (See D&C 2), but did you see the tesseract as a model of Gethsemane? (I’d be happy to discuss that further with you personally, if you’d like.) Anyhow, it’s appropriate to look for similitudes of Christ in all things … temporal … and spiritual.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote: It is wholesome and proper to look for similitudes of Christ everywhere and to use them repeatedly in keeping him and his laws uppermost in our minds. (The Promised Messiah, p. 453)

I write some of the words of Isaiah (v.8)

            Nephi announces that he will now write some of the words of Isaiah. I’ve already given above some of the reasons why he chose to include 11 chapters of Isaiah before finishing his own words. Perhaps you will find this from the Millet and McConkie Commentary helpful:

Why write the words of Isaiah?

1. Isaiah was a relatively recent prophet

2. One of Isaiah’s central themes was the destiny of the house of Israel, of which the Nephites were an important branch

3. Isaiah spoke frequently of the status of the house of Israel in the last days

4. Isaiah spoke repeatedly of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah

In the Lord’s recorded instructions to the Nephites he twice endorsed the writings of Isaiah (3 Nephi 20:11; 23:1). In the second instance, after having quoted Isaiah 54, Jesus declared: “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.” If the Lord’s example of quoting Isaiah was not sufficient motivation for the Nephites and for us to read, ponder, and pray over his prophetic words—indeed, it is one thing to quote the Lord, and quite another to have the Lord quote you!—then his commandment to do so is surely sufficient. (Emphasis added)

If the Lord quotes Isaiah, then maybe we ought to know something about what he (Isaiah) wrote. So here goes. Don’t “hit the wall.”

Who was Isaiah?

            In the Bible Dictionary we read about Isaiah (The Lord is Salvation):

            Son of Amoz, a prophet in Jerusalem during 40 years, 740–701 B.C. He had great religious and political influence during the reign of Hezekiah, whose chief advisor he was. Tradition states that he was “sawn asunder” during the reign of Manasseh; for that reason he is often represented in art holding a saw.

Isaiah is the most quoted of all the prophets, being more frequently quoted by Jesus, Paul, Peter, and John (in his Revelation) than any other Old Testament prophet. Likewise the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants quote from Isaiah more than from any other prophet. The Lord told the Nephites that “great are the words of Isaiah,” and that all things Isaiah spoke of the house of Israel and of the Gentiles would be fulfilled (3 Ne. 23:1–3).

The writings of Isaiah deal with events of his day as well as events beyond his time, some of which have already come to pass and others are yet to be. The bulk of Isaiah’s prophecies deal with the coming of the Redeemer, both in His first appearance (“For unto us a child is born,” 9:6) and as the Great King at the last day, as the God of Israel. A major theme is that God requires righteousness of His people, and until they obey Him they will be smitten and scattered by their enemies. But in the end, Israel will be restored; the barren land will be made fruitful and able to support a large population; and the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, will dwell in the midst of His people, who will be called Zion.

So, how do you pronounce his name? Well, it depends on where you live. If you are in the US, you pronounce it I-SAY-AH. But if you are in the UK, you pronounce it EYE-ZY-UH. If you are speaking Hebrew, you pronounce it YESHAYAHU. Good luck with that!

How to approach Isaiah so you don’t “hit the wall”

            The next 11 chapters can be tough to read and difficult to understand. I don’t recommend trying to read them in family study class, especially not with younger children or sleepy teenagers. There are several different ways to approach these chapters. Let me give you three options, depending on your gospel maturity, understanding of the scriptures and motivation (or that of your audience):

1.     For those who are young or relatively new to the Church, gospel and scriptures, my suggestion is to read the chapter headings for each of the chapters 2 Nephi 11-24. Then go on to chapter 25 where Nephi will summarize many of Isaiah’s most important teachings. If you want a little more, see #2 below. There are some good supplementary materials in the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual and in the February Ensign to help you and your family with the Isaiah chapters. You may also want to listen to a chapter to two using the audio feature in the Gospel Library app, if you haven’t already tried that.

2.     For those who have some familiarity with scripture language and want to get more out of the Isaiah chapters, I suggest that you read each chapter heading. After that, skim the chapter to find a familiar verse or two, then read that passage, ponder and discuss it, (if possible) with someone else. It’s amazing how Isaiah will be writing about the “cedars of Lebanon” or the “ships of Tarshish” – imagery which I really don’t understand – and then, almost out of the blue write something like “For unto us a child is born …” or “A virgin shall conceive …” As you read through each chapter, don’t get bogged down in what you don’t understand. You’re not Hebrew and you don’t live 700 years before Christ, so give yourself a break. There are scholars who do understand his obscure imagery, but I’m definitely not one of them and I doubt you are. But as you read, you’ll come across gems which are familiar or the Spirit will open your mind and you’ll understand something that has always been obscure in the past. This is pretty much the stage where I am with Isaiah. I’ll give you below a favorite verse or two from each (or most) of the Isaiah chapters with a comment or two on each of those verses. These are verses that I can somewhat understand and which I go back to for meaning each time I read these chapters.

3.     If you want to dig more deeply and have the time to do so, there are several good commentaries to help you with Isaiah. I often use the Millet and McConkie Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon. It is readable and helpful. Book of Mormon Central has some good material, especially in the notes for this week by John Welch. Here is the link: https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/2-nephi-11-25. I found it especially useful in the notes by Bro. Welch to read his construct for how these chapters from Isaiah parallel Nephi’s vision as recorded in 1 Nephi 11-14. He organizes Nephi’s vision into four stages and then shows how these Isaiah chapters roughly follow the same order as the sequence in Nephi’s vision. Here are the four stages from Bro. Welch’s notes:

Stage 1: Christ’s coming (1 Nephi 11)

Stage 2: His rejection and the scattering of the Jews (1 Nephi 12)

Stage 3: The day of the gentiles (1 Nephi 13)

Stage 4: The restoration of Israel and the ultimate victory of good over evil (1 Nephi 14)

Remember that Nephi was stopped from sharing with us on the plates all that he had seen in his great vision (1 Nephi 11-14) especially about the latter days. One of the reasons he includes the chapters from Isaiah is that Isaiah saw in vision many of the same things which Nephi had seen but Isaiah was allowed to write about the last days going beyond the point where Nephi was stopped. Maybe the Lord allowed Isaiah, like John the Revelator, to continue to write more about the last days and the Second Coming was because their writings were sufficiently figurative and symbolic to obscure the meanings from all but the most spiritually in tune. Nephi writes very plainly. Maybe the Lord didn’t want the events of the last days described in Nephi-style plainness. Regardless, Nephi finds in Isaiah a vehicle to allow him to continue to tell what he knows about the last days.

If you want a whole text on understanding Isaiah, there are lots of options. Just go to DeseretBook.com and you’ll see several possibilities. One that looks especially good is Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, ed. Donald W. Parry and John W. Welch (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1998). Good luck! You’re in over my head!

Let’s now look at the “Isaiah chapters” individually. Here goes . . .

Chapter 12 (Isaiah 2)

2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.

3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Emphasis added)

I’ve written in an earlier blog post about the experience years ago of asking Truman Madsen the question, “Where do you feel closest to the Lord?” His answer was “temples and mountain tops.” Mountains have always been scripturally associated with the temple and, when no temple is available, have served as temples where the Lord could appear to a prophet (think about Enoch, the Brother of Jared, Moses, Nephi, et al).

We always go up to the temple! Most of the temples I have visited are built on a mountain, hill or prominence so that we literally “go up” to the temple. (One of my favorite activities is an annual “Temple Century” bike ride when I ride my road bike to 5 different temples in one day. (You can only do that on the Wasatch Front in Utah.) It is about 100 miles (a biker’s century). I may be old, but I’m slow, so it takes me almost all day! I usually do this ride on a Monday when the temples are closed so I can pedal almost to the front door to feel as close to the temple as possible and not be inappropriately dressed in my biking gear. I can attest that most temples are on hills and that we go up to them.

An obvious exception is the Salt Lake Temple which is built on the floor of the Salt Lake Valley. (I don’t think the pioneers wanted to haul those granite blocks to the top of Capitol Hill or Ensign Peak to put the temple on one of those hills.) But the Salt Lake Temple is built in the Rocky Mountains and in a real sense all nations flow unto it. Just try to get tickets to the upcoming General Conference if you don’t believe that all nations will flow to the temple (which is now closed for extensive refurbishing) and the adjacent Conference Center, across the street from the temple. It was wonderful to see people from all over North America and other nations flow to the Salt Lake Temple in the weeks before it closed at the end of 2019. It was a remarkable flood of righteous Saints who wanted to see and participate in ordinances in that majestic temple before it closed for at least four years!

Regardless of whether the temple is on a hill or in the floor of the valley, we always “go up to the temple.” We prepare for it; we plan for it; we dress for it; and we are lifted up by going there. The temple is one of the high places in our lives. The temple is like the “port key” of Harry Potter, a connection between this world and the world beyond the veil.

Chapter 13 (Isaiah 3)

            Sorry, I don’t have a favorite verse in this chapter. I’ve wondered who “the daughters of Zion” represent in this chapter. Is it the sisters in the Church? Well, maybe. But it is more likely each of us, brothers and sisters, and a warning not to be proud and caught up in the things of the world. One of the images of Isaiah is that of the unfaithful bride. This chapter hints at that. Christ is the groom and we, the church and its members are His bride. In the time of Isaiah, the bride was unfaithful; the church was in apostasy. Are we as modern day church members faithful brides to the Groom, whose church this is?

Chapter 14 (Isaiah 4)

1 And in that day, seven women shall take hold of one man, saying: We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach. (Emphasis added)

            I’m fascinated by the “Isaiah ratio” of 7:1 women to men reflected in this verse. (By the way, we have that same ratio in our family – seven daughters and one son. We describe our family as “seven brides and one brother” after the Hollywood musical.)

            When I see the numbers of lovely, faithful young women in our Church moving past the typical age for marriage who have not yet had the opportunity to marry and the relative paucity of faithful young men of the same age who are keeping their priesthood and temple covenants and their lives clean from the plague of pornography, I wonder if Isaiah may have been seeing our day. The prophetic promises to those faithful young sisters are clear and certain – if they remain faithful to their covenants, none of the blessings our loving Father intends for each of His precious daughters will be withheld, whether fulfilled in this life or the next. And the promise to those young brethren is that they too can be clean and enjoy all the blessings their Father intends for them to receive through the process of daily repentance and by faithfully keeping their priesthood and temple covenants.

5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory of Zion shall be a defence.

6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and a covert from storm and from rain. (Emphasis added)

            These verses were obscure to me until I listened to the CDs of four excellent talks on the temple in the series House of Glory by S. Michael Wilcox. He pointed out (I believe it is the second CD) that these verses describe the three places in our lives where we can find refuge from the storms of life – (1) our dwelling places (our homes); (2) our assemblies (our wards and stakes); and (3) the tabernacle (the temple). He suggested that these are the places the Lord has given to us where we can be safe and protected from the wickedness of the world around us. Hopefully, for each of us these are places where we can return often to be safe and feel of His love for us and that of others close to us. These are the holy places where we can stand and not be moved. (D&C 45:32).

Chapter 15 (Isaiah 5)

26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth; and behold, they shall come with speed swiftly; none shall be weary nor stumble among them.

27 None shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken;

28 Whose arrows shall be sharp, and all their bows bent, and their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind, their roaring like a lion.

29 They shall roar like young lions; yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry away safe, and none shall deliver.

30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea; and if they look unto the land, behold, darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

            I remember a number of times hearing my grandfather, Elder LeGrand Richards, quote these verses in his General Conference talks speaking of the gathering of Israel and the return of the Ten Tribes. He would point out that this is Isaiah’s best description of modern trains and planes which he had seen in vision but had no language to describe. How else could they travel great distances without loosening the girdle of their loins or the latched of their shoes? It’s possible now to travel literally half way around the world in one non-stop airplane flight. Isaiah saw our day and did the best he could using words and imagery available to him in his day to describe what he saw in the literal gathering of Israel. (See A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, chapter 16.) Maybe Isaiah also saw missionaries, thousands of them, young and some not-so-young, traveling to and from their missions in far away places leaving their homes for a season to gather the dispersed of Israel.

Chapter 16 (Isaiah 6)

1 In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

5 Then said I: Wo is unto me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said: Here am I; send me.

            Isaiah here describes his call as a prophet and a vision of seeing God in His holy home. The following comments by Millet and McConkie are good:

            Isaiah, writing in imagery difficult to the modern mind, describes his call to the prophetic office. Caught up in vision to the heavenly council, Isaiah is purged of his sins and granted his mission and commission as the Lord’s anointed, with an accompanying admonition that a wayward people would be more than slow to hearken to his words. The chapter is consistent with what we know about prophetic calls generally, the pattern having been established with the Savior and others in the Grand Council of Heaven (Abraham 3:27; Teachings, p. 365). Thus every prophet has been ordained in a heavenly council, and his authority and message traces itself directly to the throne of God. For Joseph Smith, of course, whose profession to authority and doctrine comply perfectly with the pattern of Isaiah’s, this is preeminently so.

Chapter 17 (Isaiah 7)

14. Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign—Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

            This verse found in the middle of an otherwise fairly obscure (at least for me) chapter is a treasure! One of the signs of the birth of the Son of God is that a virgin shall conceive. We wrote about this in some detail when we discussed 1 Nephi 11, so I won’t say much more. But I found this information by Bro. Welch in Book of Mormon Central interesting:

            Some scholars have disagreed on the meaning of this prophecy in Isaiah—specifically how to interpret the condition of the woman who would conceive the Messiah. The original word in Greek describing the woman is parthenon. This is normally interpreted as “a virgin” but can also mean “a young girl.” In the ancient world, women married at a young age and would be young when they conceived. Christians, of course, view this as a prophecy about the virgin birth of Christ. In the Greek world, the word parthenon clearly indicated virginity. However, that was not necessarily the interpretation in Hebrew. It is important to understand that Isaiah was prophesying that there was going to be something really unusual about this birth. If it were just a girl getting pregnant, that would not be very extraordinary—there would not be much to this prophecy. However, Isaiah’s prophecy indicated that this was going to be a special birth in some way. It was similar to other prophecies of unusual births in ancient scripture—like saying that an octogenarian woman was going to conceive (like Sarah, wife of Abraham or Elizabeth, wife of Zacharias). Isaiah was stating that there would be a very unusual birth and this child would become the Mighty Counselor and the Prince of Peace.

Chapter 18 (Isaiah 8)

13 Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

            Elder Holland used this passage in an interesting way in a powerful talk on the Book of Mormon, “Safety for the Soul” in General Conference, October 2009.

            I testify that one cannot come to full faith in this latter-day work—and thereby find the fullest measure of peace and comfort in these, our times—until he or she embraces the divinity of the Book of Mormon and the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom it testifies. If anyone is foolish enough or misled enough to reject 531 pages of a heretofore unknown text teeming with literary and Semitic complexity without honestly attempting to account for the origin of those pages—especially without accounting for their powerful witness of Jesus Christ and the profound spiritual impact that witness has had on what is now tens of millions of readers—if that is the case, then such a person, elect or otherwise, has been deceived; and if he or she leaves this Church, it must be done by crawling over or under or around the Book of Mormon to make that exit. In that sense the book is what Christ Himself was said to be: “a stone of stumbling, … a rock of offence,” a barrier in the path of one who wishes not to believe in this work.

Chapter 19 (Isaiah 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, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of government and peace there is no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth, even forever.

            Similar to chapter 17, in an otherwise fairly obscure chapter, we find this treasure. Can’t you just hear these prophetic words, For unto us … set to powerful music by G.F. Handel in his great oratorio Messiah? Both the words and the music are inspired and inspiring!

Chapter 20 (Isaiah 10)

20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them, but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21 The remnant shall return, yea, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return; the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

            As the chapter heading says: The destruction of Assyria is a type of the destruction of the wicked at the Second Coming. Nephi and Isaiah have both seen in vision the destruction that will occur before the Lord returns the Last Days. Nephi was forbidden to write about it but Isaiah was allowed to. So these words are for us as well as for the Israelites who were the contemporaries of Isaiah.

Chapter 21 (Isaiah 11)

1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;

3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.

4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

            This is a powerful Messianic prophecy! Jesse is the father of David. Christ, the stem of Jesse is a descendant of David and therefore a rightful heir to the throne of Israel.

12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

            When the tribes of Israel were moving, an ensign or flag preceded each group and the members followed. Therefore, an ensign is a flag that leads the House of Israel. Two days after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young and some other brethren climbed to the top of a prominence north of where they were camped on the banks of City Creek and planted an flag. That point is know today as “Ensign Peak.” Since two of our ancestors (Heber C. Kimball, Lori’s great, great grandfather, and Willard Richards, my great, great grandfather) were part of that experience, I’ll tell you more about it. Pres. Packer spoke of this event in a General Conference talk “A Defense and a Refuge” in October 2006. He said:

            On July 26, 1847, their third day in the valley (the second having been the Sabbath), Brigham Young, with members of the Twelve and some others, climbed a peak about one and a half miles from where I now stand. They thought it a good place to raise an ensign to the nations. Heber C. Kimball wore a yellow bandana. They tied it to Willard Richards’s walking stick and waved it aloft, an ensign to the nations. Brigham Young named it Ensign Peak.

            In fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, the God of Israel has established an ensign in the tops of the mountain of the west to which the faithful of Israel have been gathering for more than 170 years. However, Israel no longer needs to come to the western United States to be “gathered” with the Saints. They can “gather” to their own stakes of Zion wherever they live and build the Kingdom of God there.

Chapter 22 (Isaiah 12)

4 Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.

5 Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things; this is known in all the earth.

6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

           

            When the Savior returns and ushers in the great millennial season of peace and joy, those who survived the destruction prior to His coming will praise His name and shout hosannas to the Lord. References such as this to shout undoubtedly refer to the jubilant shout that marks the dedication of a temple and other major spiritual experiences. This form of praise and worship dates back to the Council in Heaven.

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?... When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4, 7)

Chapter 23 (Isaiah 13)

6 Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

22 , , , I will be merciful unto my people, but the wicked shall perish.

            As in Chapter 20, the destruction of Babylon will also be a type of the destruction that will occur at the time of the Second Coming. Nephi was not allowed to write about this, but Isaiah was.

Chapter 24 (Isaiah 14)

1 For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land; and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

2 And the people shall take them and bring them to their place; yea, from far unto the ends of the earth; and they shall return to their lands of promise. And the house of Israel shall possess them, and the land of the Lord shall be for servants and handmaids; and they shall take them captives unto whom they were captives; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

3 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall give thee rest, from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve.

            The Lord will have mercy on His people. Israel will be gathered to their lands of promise and will be given rest and refuge from sorrow, fear and bondage.

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

13 For thou hast said in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north;

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.

            In writing about the last days, Isaiah also writes about the fall of Satan and the forces of evil. Isaiah goes back to the pre-earthly existence when Satan was known as Lucifer, son of the morning. The root in Lucifer is luc, which means “light.” Satan was a powerful son of God in the pre-earthly existence. These verses give insight into why he was cast out of heaven. It is often taught that it was because he had a different plan. I don’t think so. I believe that it is clear from these verses that he wanted the throne for himself and wanted God off of the throne. It was his pride that led to his downfall. The same may be true for us if we are not careful.

You made it!

            Good for you! You made it through all but one of the Isaiah chapters of Second Nephi. See, it wasn’t so bad. Every time you go back over them, you’ll understand a little more. There is a lot in these chapters for those who are willing to dig, be patient and come back again and again.

            This is not the end of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon. Two more very important chapters of Isaiah will still be quoted in the Book – Isaiah 29 (A marvelous work and a wonder) in 2 Nephi 27 and Isaiah 53 (the suffering of the Savior) in Mosiah 14, the words of Abinadi.

            I will write separately about 2 Nephi 25. Even though it is part of this week’s assignment, it is so important that I’ll write about it separately and (hopefully) publish that tomorrow.

            The Book of Mormon is true! It is absolutely true! The critics nitpick little things they find here and there in the Book, but if they would just open their hearts and minds, read it all and let the truths and the spirit of the book wash over them, they too could come to know that it is true and have their lives blessed by the Restoration of the Gospel.

            Lord bless you for reading. I know that it is pleasing to Him for you to give time to reading the Book of Mormon, learning more about it, teaching it to others and endeavoring to live by its precepts. May He continue to bless and enlighten you as you do so.

Thanks for reading!

Richard