Isaiah in the Book of Mormon

Quote of the Week:

"If Jesus said, "Great are the words of Isaiah,' then they're great.  It's our job to find out why."

--John Bytheway, Isaiah for Airheads, p. 183

"He who reads it most, loves it best."

--Joseph Smith

Further Reading:

Bible Dictionary:  "Isaiah," "Immanuel," "Babylon," "Assyria."
John Bytheway, Isaiah for Airheads
Isaiah 12-24, especially the footnotes
Bruce R. McConkie, "Ten Keys to Understanding Isaiah," Ensign, 10/73
K. Douglas Bassett, Commentaries on Isaiah in the Book of Mormon
Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant

Handouts:

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Why Is Isaiah in the Book of Mormon?

1. The Book of Mormon is correct.
2. The Book of Mormon contains commentary from Book of Mormon prophets to help us understand.
3. It's an easy way to share Isaiah with investigators, especially non-Christians.
4. Isaiah testifies of Christ--391 of 425 Isaiah verses in the Book of Mormon mention Him. (Monte S. Nyman, Great Are the Words of Isaiah, p. 7)
5. 3 Nephi 23:1--Christ tells us that the words of Isaiah are great. If He says it, it's our job to find out why. (John Bytheway, Isaiah for Airheads)
6. 3 Nephi 23:3--All things he spake have been and shall be.
7. It's in the Book of Mormon so we'll read it more often.

What to Remember When Reading Isaiah

Pray for understanding.
What is the overall message of the chapter? Read chapter synopsis.
SLOW DOWN--it's muddy in here.
What's the principle/message he's trying to teach?
Does this apply to Isaiah's time?

• To Christ's time?
• To our time?
• To a mixture of all three?

Is he addressing covenant Israel? Promises or punishments?
Read aloud and with others--share insights and understanding.
Appreciate the beautiful language and effective imagery he uses--even if you don't fully understand them.
Cross-reference Book of Mormon chapters with those in the Old Testament. Pay special attention to information in the footnotes.
Consult the Bible Dictionary to explain terms--Isaiah, Babylon, Assyria, Immanuel.
Reference the map section to keep locations straight.
Remember these dates:

• 721 BC--Assyrians take kingdom of Israel, not Judah
• 701 BC--Assyrians take kingdom of Judah, not Jerusalem
• 587 BC--Babylonians have overtaken the Assyrians, and they take all the Jews out of Palestine
• 537 BC--King Cyrus allows the Jews to return

It's not supposed to be easy--first the milk, then the meat.
Remember it may take a lifetime to understand even a tenth of his teachings. And that's okay.

1 Nephi 21:16--Graven Thee Upon the Palms of My Hands

Jeffrey R. Holland, “‘This Do in Remembrance of Me’,” Ensign, Nov 1995, 67
In a resurrected, otherwise perfected body, our Lord . . . has chosen to retain for the benefit of his disciples the wounds in his hands and his feet and his side—signs, if you will, that painful things happen even to the pure and perfect. Signs, if you will, that pain in this world is not evidence that God doesn’t love you. It is the wounded Christ who is the captain of our soul—he who yet bears the scars of sacrifice, the lesions of love and humility and forgiveness.
Those wounds are what he invites young and old, then and now, to step forward and see and feel (see 3 Ne. 11:15; 3 Ne. 18:25).

Dual Nature of the Prophecies of Isaiah

Dallin H. Oaks, “Scripture Reading and Revelation,” Ensign, Jan 1995, 7
The book of Isaiah contains numerous prophecies that seem to have multiple fulfillments. One seems to involve the people of Isaiah’s day or the circumstances of the next generation. Another meaning, often symbolic, seems to refer to events in the meridian of time, when Jerusalem was destroyed and her people scattered after the crucifixion of the Son of God. Still another meaning or fulfillment of the same prophecy seems to relate to the events attending the Second Coming of the Savior. The fact that many of these prophecies can have multiple meanings underscores the importance of our seeking revelation from the Holy Ghost to help us interpret them. As Nephi says, the words of Isaiah “are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy” (2 Ne. 25:4).

2 Nephi 23--Ancient and Modern Babylon, a Dual Prophecy

David R. Stone, “Zion in the Midst of Babylon,” Ensign, May 2006, 90–93
Seduced by our culture, we often hardly recognize our idolatry, as our strings are pulled by that which is popular in the Babylonian world. . . .
We do not need to adopt the standards, the mores, and the morals of Babylon. We can create Zion in the midst of Babylon. We can have our own standards for music and literature and dance and film and language. We can have our own standards for dress and deportment, for politeness and respect. We can live in accordance with the Lord’s moral laws. We can limit how much of Babylon we allow into our homes by the media of communication.
We can live as a Zion people, if we wish to. Will it be hard? Of course it will, for the waves of Babylonian culture crash incessantly against our shores. Will it take courage? Of course it will.