In Nephi’s first book, he quotes Isaiah 48 and 49 (1 Nephi 20-21).
In his second book, he quotes a sermon by his brother Jacob which includes Isaiah 50 and 51 (2 Nephi 7-8). Immediately after, he quotes another 13 chapters in a row: Isaiah 2-14 (2 Nephi 12-24), and then paraphrases Isaiah 29 (2 Nephi 27).
Why does Nephi quote from Isaiah so much? He gives us at least 3 reasons:
- To persuade us to believe in Christ (1 Nephi 19:23)
- To give us hope (1 Nephi 19:24)
- So that we can rejoice for all men (2 Nephi 11:8)
Questions About Isaiah
- Why Is Isaiah Quoted So Much in the Book of Mormon?
- Which of Isaiah’s Writings Are Quoted in the Book of Mormon?
- Why Is Isaiah So Difficult to Understand?
- How Can Recognizing Parallelisms Help Me Understand Isaiah?
- What Is the Historical Context for the Book of Isaiah?
- How Does Isaiah Point Us Toward Christ?
Blog Posts About 2 Nephi 12-24 (Isaiah 2-14)
- Let Us Go Up – 2 Nephi 12:2-3
- They Cannot Hide It – 2 Nephi 13:9
- The Bravery of Their Tinkling Ornaments – 2 Nephi 13:18-23
- Upon Every Dwelling Place – 2 Nephi 14:5
- In a Very Fruitful Hill – 2 Nephi 15:1-4
- An Ensign to the Nations – 2 Nephi 15:26, 2 Nephi 21:12
- Here Am I; Send Me – 2 Nephi 16:8
- Be Converted and Be Healed – 2 Nephi 16:9-10
- These Smoking Firebrands – 2 Nephi 17:1-7
- Immanuel – 2 Nephi 17:14-16
- The Waters of Shiloah – 2 Nephi 18:6-8
- Say Ye Not, A Confederacy – 2 Nephi 18:12-13
- What Is the Significance of the Name “Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace?”
- What Is “Stoutness of Heart?”
- His Hand Is Stretched Out Still – 2 Nephi 19:12, 17, 21; 20:4
- Where Will Ye Leave Your Glory? – 2 Nephi 20:1-3
- The Earth Shall Be Full of the Knowledge of the Lord – 2 Nephi 21:6-9
- With Joy Shall Ye Draw Water Out of the Wells of Salvation – 2 Nephi 22:1-3
- Every Man’s Heart Shall Melt – 2 Nephi 23:6-8
- I Will Shake the Heavens – 2 Nephi 23:13-14
- Above the Stars of God – 2 Nephi 24:12-17
Blog Posts About 2 Nephi 25 (Nephi’s commentary)
- They Are Plain unto All Those Who Are Filled with the Spirit of Prophecy – 2 Nephi 25:4
- That Our Children May Know – 2 Nephi 25:23, 26
- Why Did the Nephites Keep the Law of Moses?
- What Does It Mean to Be Saved by Grace “After All We Can Do?”
- What Do We Need to Do to Be Saved by Grace?
Blog Posts: February 18-23
“Thine Anger Is Turned Away” – 2 Nephi 22:1
The following refrain appears five times in the book of Isaiah: For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. It appears in chapter 5, after the prophet pronounces six “woes” or warnings of evil practices which will bring painful consequences (2 Nephi 15:25, Isaiah 5:25). It appears…
How Can the Words of Isaiah Bring Us Joy?
Nephi explained why he quoted so much from Isaiah: “My soul delighteth in his words.” He introduced thirteen consecutive chapters of Isaiah by saying that he hoped the words would make us “lift up [our] hearts and rejoice for all men” (2 Nephi 11:2, 8). Immediately after, we begin to read, and we find phrases like…
Words of Comfort and Encouragement from Isaiah
This morning, as I studied 2 Nephi 16-20 (Isaiah 6-10), a number of phrases caught my attention. Here they are and why they are meaningful to me: “Here am I; send me” (2 Nephi 16:8). When Isaiah heard that help was needed, he volunteered immediately and enthusiastically. I would like to be that quick to…
Isaiah’s Six Woes – 2 Nephi 15:8-23
After sharing a discouraging parable about an unresponsive vineyard, Isaiah delivered six warnings to his readers, each beginning with the word “wo.” He must have observed these imprudent behaviors among his own people, but they are just as relevant in our day. Here are the six warnings: Don’t prioritize things over people (2 Nephi 15:8-10).…
Knowledge and Peace
A good friend of mine says that there are only two kinds of people in the world: the people you love, and the people you don’t know. If that is true on an individual level, it is also true, tragically, on a large scale. Why do many Christians fear Muslims? Why do many Republicans and…
Loftiness, Haughtiness (2 Nephi 12:11, 17, 2 Nephi 15:15-16)
lofty – proud, aloof, or self-important haughty – arrogantly superior and disdainful (Oxford English Dictionary) A recurrent theme in the writings of Isaiah is the impermanence of worldly power. Physical strength, wealth, and positions of authority are all transitory—any control or influence we derive from them will evaporate over time. Only God’s power is permanent.…
This was incredibly helpful. Thank you.
Thank you for the comment. I’m glad you found this post useful.