Isaiah prophesied that God would do "a marvellous work and a wonder" among His people. The NIV stays closer to the Hebrew, rendering it: "wonder upon wonder." One thing that makes God's work wonderful is that He allows ordinary people to carry it out.
A Marvellous Work and a Wonder
Isaiah pronounced a collection of "burdens," weighty prophecies of affliction, upon multiple nations. But among these burdens, he included messages of hope. Then he foretold a marvelous work which God would perform on behalf of all people. Nephi emphasized that work, seeing Isaiah's message as a hopeful assurance of God's blessings.
Nephi’s Isaiah Synthesis: 2 Nephi 29
Nephi's message in 2 Nephi 29 is that the words of his family will one day be united with the testimonies of the Jews, as evidence that God speaks to all nations. His extensive use of Isaiah's words in this chapter serves as an example if this unifying process.
“I Have Remembered My Covenant”
When the children of Israel prayed for relief as they suffered in slavery, God remembered His covenant with their ancestors. The Book of Mormon testifies that we never need feel isolated or rejected because God will remember His covenants.
Jacob on Economic Inequality
Jacob decried the burgeoning inequality among his people by reminding them that all people share a common origin, value, and purpose. This reasoning echoed Nephi’s earlier rejection of claims to preeminence and his insistence that because God created all humanity, He remembers and speaks to all nations.
Contents of the Brass Plates
Eight of the 39 books in the Old Testament were definitely in the brass plates, and another 16 may have been included. For Book of Mormon prophets, the brass plates were an essential part of their identity: connecting them to intergenerational covenants, testifying of the Savior, and bringing them closer to God.
Endless
Book of Mormon authors use the phrase "endless torment" to describe the suffering from which God has delivered us. The Lord encouraged Martin Harris to think of this suffering as enormous, not unending. With this context, "endless punishment" means God's punishment, or in other words, the punishment God willingly suffered on our behalf.
More Nations than One
Nephi prophesied that some people would reject the Book of Mormon because it is unfamiliar. He testified that God reveals truth to "all nations of the earth," and we ought to be receptive to truth regardless of its source.
Nephi’s Vision and Nephi’s Prophecy
Many themes from Nephi's vision (1 Nephi 11-14) also appear in Nephi's prophecy (2 Nephi 25-30): 1. Jesus Christ would be crucified. 2. Nephi's descendants would write scripture. 3. God will do a work which will bless the whole world.
The Remnant Shall Return
Isaiah's prophecy about the remnant of Israel returning to God assures that no matter how far they are from home, they are not out of God's sight. Book of Mormon authors echo this sentiment: God is mindful of you, wherever you are, and you can come home.