Insights from my daily study of the scriptures
Nephi was extremely careful about the content he included in his record. A large amount of that content comes from the book of Isaiah. Isaiah's writings are difficult but with some effort can be extremely rewarding. Here are some ideas to help.
Nearly a third of the book of Isaiah is quoted in the Book of Mormon, and the book encourages us to search the words of Isaiah diligently. Here are some blog posts to assist you in your study of Isaiah's words.
Nephi explained why he quoted so much from Isaiah: "My soul delighteth in his words." He introduced thirteen consecutive chapters of Isaiah by saying that he hoped the words would make us "lift up [our] hearts and rejoice for all men" (2 Nephi 11:2, 8). Immediately after, we begin to read, and we find phrases like... Continue Reading →
Four passages in the Book of Isaiah are known as the "servant songs." They are written in a poetic style, and they collectively describe a servant of God who would save God's children by suffering for them ("The Servant Songs in Isaiah," American Bible Society Resources website, "Isaiah's 'Other' Servant Songs," Religious Studies Center, Brigham... Continue Reading →
Nephi tells us that he read to his brothers from 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). Just before quoting thirteen chapters in a row by Isaiah,... Continue Reading →
About a third of the book of Isaiah (21 out of 66 chapters) is quoted in the Book of Mormon. Here is a list of those chapters with a brief description of each: Isaiah 2 (2 Nephi 12) - There will be a great division in the last days: Many people will ascend to God's... Continue Reading →
The principles taught by Isaiah have universal applicability, but many of them are expressed in terms of the cultural environment in which he lived. An understanding of that environment can make it easier to understand the core principles and to apply them to the situations we face in our lives.
After quoting thirteen chapters in a row from the Book of Isaiah, Nephi concedes that the words of Isaiah were "hard for many of my people to understand." Why was that? Because "they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews" (2 Nephi 25:1). What is this manner of prophesying, and how can... Continue Reading →
After Lehi's family left Jerusalem and began to travel toward the promised land, the Lord commanded him to send his four sons back to Jerusalem to retrieve a set of sacred writings engraved on brass plates. Lehi's son Nephi tells us that these plates contained the five books of Moses, additional historical records, and the... Continue Reading →