Lessons from the Writings of Isaiah

During the month of September, I’ve studied the chapters in the Book of Mormon which are quoted from the Book of Isaiah. Here are some of the principles I’ve learned and tried to apply to my life:

Gratitude

• We are more productive when we are grateful.
• Gratitude also inspires us to serve willingly.
• When we notice God’s hand in our lives, we ought to share with others what He has done for us.

Faith

• We ought to take action, believing that God’s blessings will follow.
• When we walk in darkness, we need to remember that God’s light is available to us.
• We must not allow ourselves to be intimidated by other people, to be unsettled by their anxieties, or to overreact to negative news.
• Remember that God gives us adversity to bring us closer to Him. Move forward, hoping for better things to come.

Leadership

• We can follow the Savior’s example of righteous leadership by giving good advice, being dependable, and being kind and patient. We can also follow His example by serving those we lead, even when it is painful, and even when it is not appreciated.
• Correction doesn’t always have to be stern or painful. Sometimes, we can move people in the right direction by simply giving them a vision of what is possible.
• We can make our homes a place of refuge from the storm.

Pride

• If we think too highly of ourselves and of our own capabilities, we may miss out on the great blessings we can receive from God.
• We should strive to excel without comparing ourselves with other people.

Service

• God is the ally of the poor and the needy and the better we know God, the more we are inclined to serve others.
• We should prepare now for future opportunities which the Lord will give us to serve. We should also trust that He will help us fulfill the opportunities He has already given us–He knows us better than we know ourselves.
• The blessings of temple service more than compensate for the sacrifice we make to participate.

Decisions

• Every decision we make changes who we are. In the end, we can’t hide the aggregate effect of our decisions.
• Our first loyalty should be to God. We should not allow our fear of others or our desire to please them to distract us from our desire to please our Heavenly Father.
• We have to do something to experience the peace of the gospel. It is not a gift that we can receive passively and effortlessly.