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Repentance

Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord

Isaiah described a messenger who would admonish Israel, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” Like Matthew, Lehi identified this messenger as John the Baptist. Subsequent Book of Mormon prophets explained that we prepare the way of the Lord by repenting and walking in His paths, so that our reunion with Him will be joyful.

Baptism

The Waters of Judah

Isaiah 48 is addressed to people who “are come forth out of the waters of Judah.” The Book of Mormon adds the clarifying phrase “or out of the waters of baptism.” That added phrase places the rest of the chapter, which condemns hypocrisy, within the context of a chosen covenant.

God – Love

O Isles of the Sea

Nephi and Jacob took comfort from God’s words to “the isles of the sea.” They saw those scriptures as directed to them, reminding them that God was aware of them and also that they were not alone, that their people were all over the world.

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COME, FOLLOW ME

  • Comfort Ye My People

    Christ in the Land Bountiful, by Simon Dewey

    This week’s reading includes the first two chapters that Nephi quotes from the book of Isaiah. Nephi introduces Isaiah 48 and 49 as chapters that he used to “more fully persuade” his brothers “to believe in the Lord their Redeemer” (1 Nephi 19:23).

    These two chapters, in fact, repeatedly refer to God as our Lord and our Redeemer. Similar references appear throughout the chapters we will study this week. For example:

    • “Fear not, … I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 41:14).
    • “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine” (Isaiah 43:1).
    • “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee” (Isaiah 44:22).
    • “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” (Isaiah 48:20; compare 1 Nephi 20:20).
    • “All flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob” (Isaiah 49:26; compare 1 Nephi 21:26).

    The chapters collectively convey a message of hope: God is powerful, and He will rescue us from oppression, including the self-oppression caused by our own sins.

    This week, as we study Isaiah 40-49, let’s look for Isaiah’s assurances that the Lord is our Redeemer, that we can rely on Him to deliver us from everything that holds us captive.

FEATURED POSTS

  • A Hundredth Part: Mormon’s Editorial Decisions

    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.

  • Jesus Christ’s Sermon at the Temple in Bountiful – 3 Nephi 12-16, 20-22

    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.

  • Names and Titles of Jesus Christ

    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.