Isaiah describes the vision in which he was called to be a prophet. Like Lehi, he saw God seated on His throne. He felt unclean but was cleansed by a heavenly being. He volunteered for service, only to discover that God had a difficult mission for him.
Chapter Outline
- Isaiah sees God on His throne (v. 1-4).
- His lips are purged by a winged seraph (v. 5-7).
- Isaiah volunteers for service, but then learns that his messages will generally not be well-received (v. 8-13).
My Takeaways
- In God’s presence, we will be ashamed of our sins, but He can help us overcome them.
- We should be willing to serve in any way God needs us.
- God can heal us, but we must be willing to be healed.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ Isaiah Sees God – 2 Nephi 16:1-4
Mine Eyes Have Seen the King – 2 Nephi 16:1, 5
1 In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple…. 5 Then said I: Wo is unto me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the midst of a…
Unclean Lips
When Isaiah saw God, he felt out of place because he was “a man of unclean lips” who lived among “people of unclean lips. We should strive to communicate in a way that invites the Spirit of the Lord to be with us. When we fall short, God can purify us.
❖ Isaiah Volunteers to Serve – 2 Nephi 16:8
“I Pray That He’ll Use Us”
In a video about the Church’s efforts to provide training for neonatal medical professionals in developing countries, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “Prayers are answered in great measure…by God using other people. Well, I pray that He’ll use us. I pray that we’ll be the answer to people’s prayers.” (See “Video: Saving Babies from Becoming…
Here Am I; Send Me – 2 Nephi 16:8
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said: Here am I; send me. (2 Nephi 16:8, Isaiah 6:8) Gratitude can motivate a willingness to serve. In this short chapter, Isaiah experiences a range of emotions. He is awe-struck at the…
❖ Isaiah’s Words Will Be Rejected – 2 Nephi 16:9-10
Be Converted and Be Healed – 2 Nephi 16:9-10
9 And he said: Go and tell this people—Hear ye indeed, but they understood not; and see ye indeed, but they perceived not. 10 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,…
Old Testament Foundations
“Put Off Thy Shoes”
When God appeared to Moses “in the midst of a bush” on Mount Horeb, He said, “put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). This action was a meaningful metaphor for the purity we seek as we approach God. By virtue of living in this world, we all pick…
Here Am I – 2 Nephi 16:8
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said: Here am I; send me. (2 Nephi 16:8, Isaiah 6:8) I admire Isaiah’s spontaneous willingness to volunteer for an unspecified assignment. The words he used, “Here am I,” were also the words…
New Testament Parallels
The Throne of God
Isaiah, Lehi, and John all saw God sitting on a throne, surrounded by heavenly beings who were praising Him. These visions can help us worship more reverently. We can be grateful for His supremacy and for His empowering influence in our lives.
“I Shall Be Healed”
As Jesus approached a paralyzed man lying near the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, He asked an unusual question: “Wilt thou be made whole?” (John 5:6). The answer seems obvious. People with physical ailments gathered at that pool specifically because they believed in its healing powers. But Jesus wanted to gauge the man’s willingness and…
All Posts Referencing 2 Nephi 16
- Contents of the Brass Plates (1/3/2026)
- Unspotted (6/7/2025)
- Unclean Lips (3/1/2024)
- The Throne of God (12/8/2023)
- “I Shall Be Healed” (10/15/2022)
- “I Pray That He’ll Use Us” (9/11/2022)
- “Put Off Thy Shoes” (3/23/2022)
- “Behold the Seer” (1/20/2022)
- How Can I Recognize the Voice of the Lord? (1/31/2021)
- Words of Comfort and Encouragement from Isaiah (2/20/2020)
- How Can I Be Healed? (8/20/2019)
- Which of Isaiah’s Writings Are Quoted in the Book of Mormon? (5/31/2019)
- Mine Eyes Have Seen the King – 2 Nephi 16:1, 5 (10/8/2018)
- Be Converted and Be Healed – 2 Nephi 16:9-10 (3/11/2018)
- Here Am I; Send Me – 2 Nephi 16:8 (9/15/2017)
- Here Am I – 2 Nephi 16:8 (2/28/2015)