Nephi tells us several times that he was extremely careful about the content that he chose to include in his record. (See 1 Nephi 6, 1 Nephi 9, 1 Nephi 19:1-6, 2 Nephi 4:14-15, 2 Nephi 5:29-34.) He had another set of plates where he had written the history of his people, but on this set of plates, he focused on “the ministry and the prophecies” (1 Nephi 19:3), the things which would bring his readers closer to God so they could be saved. (See 1 Nephi 6:4.)
So it’s striking how prominent Isaiah is in Nephi’s writings. At the end of his first book, after relating his family’s journey from Jerusalem to the promised land, he shares two chapters from Isaiah which he quoted to his brothers, together with his commentary on them. In his second book, more than half of the chapters are either direct quotations from Isaiah or (in one case) a close paraphrase, and most of the other chapters contain either his or his brother Jacob’s elaboration on what they have quoted. When it comes to doctrine, Isaiah is generally the starting point for Nephi.
| Nephi | Isaiah |
|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 20-21 | Isaiah 48-49 |
| 1 Nephi 22 | Nephi elaborates on Isaiah 48-49 |
| 2 Nephi 6 | Jacob comments on the last 5 verses of Isaiah 49 |
| 2 Nephi 7-8 | Isaiah 50-51 and the first two verses of Isaiah 52 |
| 2 Nephi 9-10 | Jacob elaborates on Isaiah 50-51 |
| 2 Nephi 12-24 | Isaiah 2-14 |
| 2 Nephi 25-26 | Nephi comments on the chapters he has just quoted |
| 2 Nephi 27 | Paraphrase of Isaiah 29 |
| 2 Nephi 29-30 | Nephi continues his commentary on the Isaiah chapters he has quoted |
Why Isaiah? Nephi tells us that he thinks Isaiah’s words are particularly helpful in bringing us closer to Christ:
I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; 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
Nephi later adds, “My soul delighteth in [Isaiah’s] words…for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him” (2 Nephi 11:2).
Why is Isaiah so difficult to understand? It’s partly because of the cultural chasm between us and him. He writes in a style that would have been familiar to his contemporaries but which is foreign to us. He talks about places and people that we are likely unfamiliar with. Nephi had that problem with his own people, many of whom had been born after the family left Jerusalem:
Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand, for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews.
2 Nephi 25:1
But cultural differences do not fully explain why Isaiah is difficult to read. He tells us himself that he was called to be cryptic. Here is what God told him when he volunteered to serve:
Go and tell this people—Hear ye indeed, but they understood not; and see ye indeed, but they perceived not.
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes—lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed.
2 Nephi 16:9-10, Isaiah 6:9-10
Jesus quoted this passage when he explained to his disciples why he taught in parables. “Because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand…. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear” (Matthew 13:13-16).
In other words, some effort is required on the part of the listener/reader. If you are willing to make the effort, you will be rewarded.
Perhaps this explains the following apparently contradictory declarations from Nephi:
- “My soul delighteth in plainness unto my people, that they may learn” (2 Nephi 25:4).
- “Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah” (2 Nephi 25:5).
He wanted his people to have a clear understanding of the gospel, and he wanted them to learn to love Isaiah as he did. These goals are not in conflict if your study of Isaiah helps you open your heart to receive revelation. “The words of Isaiah…are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy,” Nephi declares (2 Nephi 25:4).
Today, I will study Isaiah with an intent to draw closer to God. I will recognize that some effort will be required on my part, but that if I am attentive and humble, that effort will be rewarded.
Here are some other blog posts that you may find useful in your study of Isaiah:
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