Isaiah 52 is pervasive in the Book of Mormon. It is never quoted in full, but every verse except two appears at least once, and some verses are quoted multiple times. Isaiah 52:8-10, for example, is quoted by one of King Noah’s priests (Mosiah 12:22-24), by Abinadi (Mosiah 15:29-31), and twice by Jesus (3 Nephi 16:18-20; 20:32-35). Verses from the chapter are quoted or interpreted by Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, Abinadi, the Savior, Mormon, and Moroni.
Some of these Book of Mormon interpreters describe the fulfillment of these prophecies in broad, covenantal terms. Others emphasize a more personal fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecies. At the end of the book, Moroni combines these two types of interpretation in his final testimony.
The following table illustrates how these Book of Mormon authors interpreted each group of verses in this chapter:
| Isaiah 52 | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| 1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. 2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. | Lehi paraphrases this passage when he admonishes his sons to “awake; awake from a deep sleep, … and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound. … Awake! and arise from the dust” (2 Nephi 1:13-14). Jacob reads these verses as the joyful ending to chapters 50 and 51 (2 Nephi 8:24-25). Jesus speaks of this as a future event which will happen when the fulness of His gospel is preached to His people (3 Nephi 20:36-37). |
| 3 For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money. | Nephi reads the selling for naught as destruction caused by pride and foolishness ( Jesus quotes this verse together with verse 6, making it clear that He is the source of the redemption (3 Nephi 20:38-39). |
| 4 For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. 5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. | [Not quoted in the Book of Mormon] |
| 6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. | Jesus opens this verse with “Verily, verily, I say unto you,” making it clear that He is talking about His own name (3 Nephi 20:39). |
| 7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! | The angel in Nephi’s vision uses this verse to describe those who will seek to bring forth Zion in the last days (1 Nephi 13:37). Abinadi answers the priests’ question about this verse by teaching about the Savior, including quoting Isaiah 53. He then applies this description to prophets, past, present, and future, but most of all to the Savior Himself (Mosiah 15:13-18). Mormon describes the importance of the waters of Mormon by saying, “how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer” (Mosiah 18:30). Mormon again echoes this verse when describing the converted sons of King Mosiah (Mosiah 27:37). Jesus describes this verse as something people will say when they see Him and recognize who He is (3 Nephi 20:40). |
| 8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. 9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. | Nephi says that the Lord making bare His arm means “bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel” in fulfillment of His promises to Abraham (1 Nephi 22:9-12). Jesus quotes these verses twice, associating them with the establishment of God’s people in their land and with the renewal of their faith (3 Nephi 16:18-20; 20:32-34). |
| 11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. 12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rearward. | Jesus refers to this as a global gathering, with the Father gathering His people from among all nations (3 Nephi 21:27-29). |
| 13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. 14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: 15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. | Jesus specifically connects this prophecy with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. He says that the servant will be marred by other people, “yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil” (3 Nephi 21:8-10). |
At the end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni again references this chapter. He urges readers of the Book of Mormon to “come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing” (see v. 11), and then adds, “awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion” (see v. 1) (Moroni 10:30-31). The fact that he embeds these references from Isaiah 52 in his final exhortation indicates that he sees this chapter as central to the Book of Mormon’s invitation for all people to come unto Christ.
Today I will heed the admonitions in Isaiah 52. I will stand up and let go of my bonds. I will receive the beautiful message of the Savior and recognize the majesty of God’s global work of gathering.
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