This morning, as I studied 2 Nephi 16-20 (Isaiah 6-10), a number of phrases caught my attention. Here they are and why they are meaningful to me: "Here am I; send me" (2 Nephi 16:8). When Isaiah heard that help was needed, he volunteered immediately and enthusiastically. I would like to be that quick to... Continue Reading →
Which of Isaiah’s Writings Are Quoted in the Book of Mormon?
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 →
What Is the Historical Context for the Book of Isaiah?
Nephi taught that the words of Isaiah "are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy" (2 Nephi 25:4). But he also acknowledged that he had an advantage over his descendants, because he had lived in Jerusalem and had "beheld the things of the Jews" (2 Nephi 25:5). Unlike the Book... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Fear?
Fear is an unpleasant feeling caused by the anticipation of a negative event (Oxford English Dictionary). We feel sadness when something bad has already happened; we feel fear when we think something bad is going to happen . Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi and his brothers find themselves in a treacherous... Continue Reading →
What Is the Significance of the Name “Immanuel?”
Immediately after describing how the Lord called him to be a prophet, Isaiah tells the story of an assignment he received from the Lord. He was to deliver a message to Ahaz, the king of Judah. The Lord told him where to meet Ahaz (at the upper pool, just outside of Jerusalem) and who to... Continue Reading →
Immanuel – 2 Nephi 17:14-16
14 Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign—Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil and to choose the good. 16 For before the child shall know to refuse the... Continue Reading →
These Smoking Firebrands – 2 Nephi 17:1-7
1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. 2 And it was told... Continue Reading →
Fear Not, Neither Be Faint-Hearted – 2 Nephi 17:2-4
2 And it was told the house of David, saying: Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.3 Then said the Lord unto Isaiah: Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou and Shearjashub thy son, at... Continue Reading →
