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God – Love

Hearing Isaiah 54 with the Nephites and Lamanites

Isaiah 54 carries a message of reassurance and joy, delivered to people who have endured trauma. When Jesus quoted this chapter, it must have resonated with his audience, who had just survived terrible tempests and floods. But He indicated to them that its complete fulfillment would come in the last days.

Atonement of Jesus Christ

Reading Isaiah 53 with Abinadi and Alma

Abinadi and Alma both comment on the Song of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53. Abinadi teaches us that the servant is “God himself.” Alma teaches us that His suffering empowered Him to both erase our sins and to succor us in our infirmities.

Isaiah

Isaiah 52: A Book of Mormon-Guided Reading

Isaiah 52 is pervasive in the Book of Mormon. Verses from the chapter are quoted or interpreted by Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, Abinadi, the Savior, Mormon, and Moroni. The fact that Moroni embeds references to Isaiah 52 in his final exhortation indicates that it is central to the Book of Mormon’s invitation to come unto Christ.

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COME, FOLLOW ME

  • He Hath Borne Our Griefs, and Carried Our Sorrows

    “The Mocking of Christ” (detail) by Carl Heinrich Bloch

    Six of the chapters we will study this week, Isaiah 50-55, play a significant role throughout the Book of Mormon:

    • Jacob quotes chapters 50, 51, and the first two verses of 52 in his sermon about the gathering of Israel (2 Nephi 7, 8). He also paraphrases Isaiah 55:1-2 during that same sermon (2 Nephi 9:50-51).
    • The priests of King Noah challenge Abinadi to explain Isaiah 52:7-10, and during Abinadi’s detailed response, he quotes all of chapter 53 (Mosiah 12:21-24; 14; 15).
    • Jesus quotes and explains most of Isaiah 52 during His ministry among Lehi’s descendants and then quotes all of chapter 54 (3 Nephi 16:18-20; 20; 21; 22).
    • In the final verses of the Book of Mormon, Moroni again quotes Isaiah, merging phrases from Isaiah 52:1-2 and 54:2, placing both admonitions within the context of God’s covenants, just as Isaiah does in 54:10 (Moroni 10:31).

    And there are many smaller allusions to the content of these chapters, including Lehi admonishing his sons to “awake” and “shake off the chains” which bind them (2 Nephi 1:13, 23; see Isaiah 52:1-2), Alma warning the people of Zarahemla to separate themselves from the wicked and “touch not their unclean things” (Alma 5:57; see Isaiah 52:11), and Mormon praising the sons of Mosiah, “for they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth” (Mosiah 27:37; see Isaiah 52:7).

    By the time Moroni shares that final quote merging Isaiah 52 and 54, the reader has heard these chapters referenced numerous times. He seems to be telling the reader that these chapters contain the heart of the Book of Mormon message: Your chains have been removed by Christ. You are now empowered to arise, shake off the dust, and flourish. Accept the gift. Let God fulfill His covenant.

    This week, as we study Isaiah 50-57, let’s find that message in Isaiah’s words. Let’s seek to better understand the Savior’s atoning sacrifice and how we can joyfully receive the gift.

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.