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God Is My Salvation
The Prophet Isaiah Foretells Christ’s Birth (detail), by Harry Anderson The Book of Mormon teaches us to study the book of Isaiah. Nephi quoted 17 chapters of Isaiah in his record and paraphrased another one. Abinadi’s sermon to the priests of King Noah was in response to a passage from Isaiah (Mosiah 12:21-24; Isaiah 52:7-10). Jesus quoted that passage twice during his post-resurrection ministry among the Nephites and Lamanites (3 Nephi 16:18–20; 20:32–35). He quoted an additional chapter (3 Nephi 22; Isaiah 54), saying, “A commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah” (3 Nephi 23:1). In all, about a third of the book of Isaiah—21 out of 66 chapters—is quoted or paraphrased in the Book of Mormon. And Moroni, the final author, urges readers to study the rest of the book. “Search the prophecies of Isaiah,” he says. “Behold, I cannot write them” (Mormon 8:23).
Why do Book of Mormon authors prioritize Isaiah? Nephi says that it’s because of Isaiah’s testimony of Christ. “I did read many things unto [my brothers] which were written in the books of Moses,” he wrote, “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” (1 Nephi 19:23). Later, he introduces thirteen straight chapters of Isaiah by writing, “my soul delighteth in his words. … For he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him” (2 Nephi 11:2).
It’s tempting to attribute this focus to a few specific verses that have been traditionally applied to Jesus, such as:
- “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (2 Nephi 17:14; Isaiah 7:14).
- “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.” (2 Nephi 19:6; Isaiah 9:6).
But as important as those passages are, as direct prophecies of Jesus Christ, they alone can’t explain why Nephi chose to quote so many complete chapters from Isaiah. He must have seen the mission of Jesus in the broad sweep of Isaiah’s words, not just hints of specific events in a few disconnected details.
This week, as we study Isaiah 1-12, let’s look for the Savior everywhere in Isaiah’s messages.
A few years ago, a friend asked me to write a series of brief blog posts with introductory material to help in her study of Isaiah. Here are those posts. I hope they help you in your study of this important book:
- Why Is Isaiah Quoted So Much 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?
- Which of Isaiah’s Writings Are Quoted in the Book of Mormon?
- How Does Isaiah Point Us Toward Christ?
- What Is the Role of Isaiah’s “Servant Songs” in the Book of Mormon?
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A Hundredth Part: Mormon’s Editorial Decisions
Book of Mormon authors made it clear how much they were leaving out as they wrote this “abridgment” of their history. Here’s a diagram showing how many words are dedicated to each of the 103 decades in the book.
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Jesus Christ’s Sermon at the Temple in Bountiful – 3 Nephi 12-16, 20-22
Following His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ visited a group of people in the Americas. He taught them principles to help them deepen their discipleship, and He expanded their perspective by teaching them about God’s global, multigenerational work.
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Names and Titles of Jesus Christ
In March, 2019, I studied 20 different names or titles of Jesus Christ which appear in the Book of Mormon. I was particularly interested in the way each name was used, both in the Book of Mormon and in the Bible.