Isaiah is most quoted in bible, Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants
Everything points to the Savior: Look for Christ, covenants and temple
1 Nephi 19:23
When general authorities teach, they're teaching on the other side of complexity. They boil it down to give us the most powerful information. It's not, well, we're right on the edge of our ability. We're on the other side and giving it to you plain and simple through the wisdom that's gained. There's a fun little tool here that some may want to use at some point, as you're teaching about Isaiah. There are these nursery rhymes that were put into different language, into academic language, and let me just do one of these with you just for fun. See if you can recognize what is being described here. A research team proceeded toward the apex of a natural geologic protuberance. The purpose of their expedition being the procurement of a sample of fluid, hydride of oxygen in a large vessel, the exact size of which was unspecified. Now, some of you have fallen asleep, some of you have figured out what this nursery rhyme is. Any takers, Hank or John?
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.
Jack and Jill are the research team, and they're going to the apex of a natural geologic protuberance. Or in other words, they're going up a hill to get a pail of water or a sample of fluid, hydride of oxygen, a large vessel, the exact size of which was unspecified. Let me just finish it off really quickly. One member of the team, we know that's Jack, precipitantly descended, sustaining severe fractional damage to the upper cranial portion of his anatomical structure, which is actually what happened. Subsequently, the second member of the team performed a self-rotational translation oriented in the direction taken by the first team member. Wow, that's sort of not exciting until you realize, "Wait, I know this story," and you can map them onto each other. And all of a sudden, the way that those words are being used doesn't confuse, or frustrate, or put you to sleep. Instead, it's exciting because it gives you new ways of thinking
Book of Mormon Reference Companion: Israel- Let God prevail. Ideally through earnest prayer and covenant righteousness.
A covenant people whose obedience empowers them to prevail together with God in righteousness. -In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Isaiah prophesied concerning the covenant blessings of Israel and stressed that they must live worthily to receive them. Book of Mormon reaffirms to Israel those covenants which are yet to be fulfilled.
Book of Mormon Reference Companion: Page 357 Latter-day applicability: Zion will be called to awaken, and they are to remove the bonds of captivity that have held them bound. Latter-day Saints, too, must awaken from spiritual slumbering, put on the garments of the priesthood, and take off the chains of sin. To be worthy to participate in Zion, they must leave Babylon and no longer have contact with that which is unclean. As the events of the last days unfold, the Lord assures his covenant people that if they are righteous, they need not fear the works of mortals. The Lord is greater than any human, and he will help his covenant people. He reminds them of his works of power in time past and indicates that by that same power he will bring Zion and fulfill all his promises to her. In the last days, the Lord will reach forth to bring again Zion among the righteous. His followers will lift up their voices with the good news of the gospel and go forth to all nations. Saints today can participate in that work by seeking to establish Zion in their own homes and by joining their voices to others who bear testimony of Christ and his gospel.
2 Nephi 11-19 The Bible Dictionary states: "....The reader today has no greater written commentary and guide to understanding Isaiah than the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. As one understands these works better he will understand Isaiah better, and as one understands Isaiah better, he more fully comprehends the mission of the Savior, and the meaning of the covenant that was placed upon Abraham and his seed by which all the families of the earth would be blessed.
For as the Savior said, ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah (3 Ne 23:1). It should be remembered that Isaiah is the only prophet whom the Lord singled out as a great prophet whose prophecies should be specifically studied.
2 Ne 11:2-3 he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him. And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him
Nephi recognized the similarities between himself, Jacob, and Isaiah. All three had been privileged to see the Savior, to witness portions of his mortal ministry, and to be given knowledge about how the house of Israel will be gathered home in the last days. Their combined witness declares that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, that the promises of the fathers given to the house of Israel will all be fulfilled, and that God lives, for they had all seen him. As Nephi declares, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word.
Words of more sure witness
2 Ne 11:8 Now these are the words (of Isaiah), and ye may liken them unto you and unto all men
"Gospel principles do not tarnish with time, nor do they apply with greater effect in one day than in another. The Lord has said, 'What I say unto one I say unto all' (D&C 93:49). The art of gospel teaching is to make timeless principles timely. Nephi did this by taking those prophecies that were made to the entire house of Israel and specifically applying them to his own family, who are part of the house of Israel." (McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 1, p. 149)
In the final analysis there is no way, absolutely none, to understand any scripture except to have the same spirit of prophecy that rested upon the one who uttered the truth in its original form. -Bruce R. McConkie
He was God’s mouthpiece in his time and season; the glories and wonders he promised for our day will surely come to pass and if we are true and faithful we will participate in the, whether in this life or in death. This is my witness. -Elder McConkie
2 Ne 12:2 the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains
"That there will be a place called Zion from which 'The law shall go forth,' distinct from Jerusalem, is evident from Isaiah, 'When the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem;'
"The Jaredite prophet, Ether, some 2500 years ago, foretold 'That a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land (America), unto the seed of Joseph;' Ether 13. 4, 6." (Franklin D. Richards and James A. Little)
F. Enzio Busche
"Since our first visit to the temple thirty years ago, we have always revered and cherished the temple as a sacred place-a place of learning and a place of service-but now, after having been permitted to concentrate our minds and hearts for two years solely upon the purposes and holiness of the house of the Lord, it seems as if our souls have come to a new awakening. Our first awakening came when the gospel of Jesus Christ was manifested to us through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, giving us an understanding of faith, repentance, and baptism. This time it is as if a veil has been removed from our spiritual minds and we see the same gospel, but in sharper focus, with clearer colors, and with added dimensions of understanding. "...It has become my conviction that the temple is the only 'university' for men to prepare spiritually for their graduation to eternal life." ("University for Eternal Life," Ensign, May 1989, 71)
Pattern our homes after the temple – what ways? Ideas? Space or place ex. Husband bringing heater into her study in the mornings while while she prepares her Institue lessons, service, love, tender instruction and care
2 Nephi 12:4 Weapons of destruction turned are turned into tools of production, symbolizing millennial peace.
Take what is used for evil and use it for good.
Our Heavenly Father is in the business of building people.
I thought you could feed people with those millions of dollars, but what if you could create a machine that creates people feeders for hundreds of years, then your investment into this building, this million dollar whatever investment into this building, becomes much, much more lasting than a one-time feeding.
If you build people who will then change the world to be a better place and will then take what they learn in the temple and go out to feed both spiritually, emotionally, but also physically literally, like the humanitarian work of the church, that is money well spent, if there's a space that changes the kind of human beings that we are.
Change our nature.
Elder Holland in MTC at temple dedication- It’s just nails, paint, wood (the finest we can find, but just wood) what makes it holy is what happens inside, what happens in our hearts.
Elder Bednar- Covenants and priesthood ordinances are central in the ongoing process of spiritual rebirth and transformation; they are the means whereby the Lord works with each of us from the inside out. Covenants that are honored steadfastly, remembered always, and written “with the Spirit of the living God … in fleshy tables of the heart”18 provide purpose and the assurance of blessings in mortality and for eternity. Ordinances that are received worthily and remembered continually open the heavenly channels through which the power of godliness can flow into our lives.
We do not come to the temple to hide from or escape the evils of the world. Rather, we come to the temple to conquer the world of evil. As we invite into our lives the “power of godliness”19 by receiving priesthood ordinances and making and keeping sacred covenants, we are blessed with strength beyond our own20 to overcome the temptations and challenges of mortality and to do and become good.
2 Nephi 12:11 “I began to read in 2 Nephi 12 and thought: ‘The Lord is speaking to me. What is it He wants to tell me directly?’ Then I came to a verse in the Isaiah passages that jumped out as if it were already underlined: ‘And it shall come to pass that the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day’ (2 Ne. 12:11).
“This is describing a day when the Savior will come, a day we all look for and want our students to prepare for. This scripture says that in that day, all of us who thought we were special and wonderful will seem smaller, and the Lord will be exalted. We will see better who He is, how much we love Him, and how humble we should be. …
Example of listening to him interviewed for his 90th birthday. He didn’t make himself better or worse. He simply was who he was.
Reparations example- Nobody owes you. It’s you who owes. Somebody took stripes for you. Somebody died for you. Somebody stood up to fight for you. Knocked to the ground. They did it for you. If anybody owes, its you because you’ve been the benefactor of freedom.
Beautiful blue thick walls of Babylon – nothing now.
12:20 In panic and embarrassment the wicked will try to hide their sins of idols, or sins from the Lord.
Chaos and confusion- what is stable? Covenants – so many ideas. Frist baby- do or don’t do. Nurse – whatever you do, don’t use a pacifier. 5 minutes later- Dr. That pacifier is the only way my wife and I have survived these last few months.
2 Ne 13:9 The show of their countenance doth witness against them
David O. McKay
"Every man and every person who lives in this world wields an influence, whether for good or for evil. It is not what he says alone; it is not alone what he does. It is what he is. Every man, every person radiates what he or she really is...It is what we are and what we radiate that affects the people around us.
"As individuals, we must think nobler thoughts. We must not encourage vile thoughts or low aspirations. We shall radiate them if we do. If we think noble thoughts; if we encourage and cherish noble aspirations, there will be that radiation when we meet people, especially when we associate with them." (Man May Know for Himself, p. 108).
President David O. McKay (1873–1970) taught: “No man can disobey the word of God and not suffer for so doing. No sin, however secret, can escape retribution. True, you may lie and not be detected; you may violate virtue without it being known by any who would scandalize you; yet you cannot escape the judgment that follows such transgression. The lie is lodged in the recesses of your mind, an impairment of your character that will reflect sometime, somehow in your countenance or bearing” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1951, 8).
This is one reason why ever encouraging or promoting sin in any form is counterproductive. It never really leads to happiness.
Elder Anderson to missionaries at the MTC: “When you don’t know what to say, testify of Christ.” Application to myself and my own worries, up in the middle of my life rehashing solutions to my problems. “When you don’t know what to think about, think about Jesus Christ.”
2 Nephi 13:18-24 Daughters of Zion -Relationship with the world – image we present vs. our relationship with God that won’t fade with age or time. Always of value to Him. God said at creation -It is good. We are good.
Remember who you are: Child of God, Child of the Covenant, Disciple of Jesus Christ
Book of Mormon Reference Companion: From another perspective, this chapter could be viewed as a rebuke against the wicked men of Judah for their weak, selfish and sinful leadership, followed by a rebuke of the immoral women of Zion. This chapter warns latter-day covenant people that the Lord will not allow them to prosper in wickedness. It particularly warns that they must avoid pride, vanity, selfishness, worldliness and oppression of the needy. It should remind them that true joy is found in trusting in the Lord’s plan of happiness and in the Lord’s covenants, for the wordly, selfish avenues one might pursue will pass away, leaving only sorrow. Examples of this in my day- Only fans accounts, rejecting or demeaning motherhood.
2 Ne 14:1 seven women shall take hold of one man
So many men will be killed in the destructions and wars will which accompany the Second Coming that there will be an incredible difference in the number of living males and females. The culture of Isaiah, understandably, is reflected in his prophecies-as in the statement, 'only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach.' Anciently, a woman who could have no children was described with the unflattering adjective, "barren." This was because great emphasis was placed on marriage and a woman's ability to have children.
"...'seven women' (meaning simply a lot of women) will request a man's hand in marriage. Economic problems will be such that these women will be willing to provide their own food and clothing, contrary to the usual marriage customs. According to the Hebrew scriptures (Exodus 21:10), a man was required to provide a wife with food and clothing; but in this case Isaiah observes that the women are willing to waive that right. Having a good knowledge of the importance of marriage, they request a man to take away their reproach. In Isaiah's day and, indeed, in many parts of the Near East today, it was and is a disgrace to remain unmarried." (Book of Mormon compendium, by Sidney Sperry, chapter 11, 2 Nephi14)
Wilford Woodruff
"I had been reading the revelations...[when] a strange stupor came over me and I recognized that I was in the Tabernacle at Ogden. I arose to speak and said...I will answer you right here what is coming to pass shortly....I then looked in all directions...and I found the same mourning in every place throughout the Land. It seemed as though I was above the earth, looking down to it as I passed along on my way east and I saw the roads full of people principally women with just what they could carry in bundles on their backs...It was remarkable to me that there were so few men among them...Wherever I went I saw...scenes of horror and desolation rapine and death...death and destruction everywhere. I cannot paint in words the horror that seemed to encompass me around. It was beyond description or thought of man to conceive. I supposed that this was the End but I was here given to understand, that the same horrors were being enacted all over the country...Then a voice said 'Now shall come to pass that which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet That seven women shall take hold of one man...'" (Journal of Wilford Woodruff, June 15, 1878 as taken from Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet, by Victor L. Ludlow, p. 109)
Book of Mormon Reference Companion: This may be a scarcity of men due to war or a lack of willing, able men to be fathers.
2 Ne 14:3-4 they that are left in Zion and remain in Jerusalem shall be called holy
The past several verses have been speaking of the dawn of the Millenial day, when evil is destroyed and the glory of the Lord redeems Zion and Jerusalem. In order for that glorious day to come, the wicked must first be destroyed. Those that are left must be holy enough to dwell on the newly cleansed earth, 'when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Jerusalem.' During the Millenium, the earth will exist in a terrestrial state. Only those worthy of a terrestrial (or higher) glory will be allowed to live at that time. DC 88:98 speaks of the celestial inhabitants of the earth during the Millenium; DC 88:99 speaks of the terrestrial inhabitants. The next two verses describe those of a telestial glory and those of Perdition which will not be allowed on the earth during the Millenium, 'they live not again until the thousand years are ended, neither again, until the end of the earth.'
Joseph Fielding Smith
"At the close of the sixth thousand years and at the opening of the seventh, since the fall, the earth and all that remain upon its face will be changed from the telestial condition of wickedness to the terrestrial condition of peace and order. This is the day when the earth 'will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory,' as declared in the tenth Article of Faith...
"For one thousand years this terrestrial condition will prevail. All things upon the earth that have subscribed to the telestial law will have been removed, and creatures of the terrestrial order will remain." (Church History & Modern Revelation, vol. 2, pp. 64-5)
2 Ne 14:6 a place of refuge
Zion will be a place of physical and spiritual refuge to the pure in heart.
'For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations;
And that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.' (DC 115:4-6)
'And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;
And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.' (DC 45:66-7)
Joseph Smith
"...The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes.
"I saw men hunting the lives of their own sons, and brother murdering brother, women killing their own daughters, and daughters seeking the lives of their mothers. I saw armies arrayed against armies. I saw blood, desolation, fires. The Son of man has said that the mother shall be against the daughters, and the daughter against the mother. These things are at our doors. They will follow the Saints of God from city to city. Satan will rage, and the spirit of the devil is now enraged. I know not how soon these things will take place." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 161 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 134)
Latter-day Applicability Book of Mormon Reference Companion:
The Lord promises in this chapter that he will cleanse the repentant and will favor them with his presence and protection. Ultimately, the glory of Zion will be realized when a purified covenant people is redeemed and cleansed during the Mellennium and when the Saints will, like Israel in the wilderness enjoy the presence and protection of the Lord, day and night, as symbolized by a cloud and flaming fire.
2 Ne 15:7 he looked for judgment, and behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry
"What is that special form of sin which Isaiah sees? It is human selfishness-the unbrotherhood of man to man....the cry which rises into his ears is the cry of stricken humanity-the cry of the poor and needy, the cry of the sad and weary...He hears God call him to lash the sins of the nation; but to him all the sins of the nation are forms of a single sin-selfishness....The burden of Isaiah is the burden of human compassion. It is the desire to right the wrongs which man has done to his brother." (George Matheson, The Old Testament and the Fine Arts, 561-562 as taken from Commentaries on Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, ed. by K. Douglas Bassett, [American Fork, UT: Covenant Publishing Co., 2003], 100)
Picking up Dad from nursery. Let’s leave here so we don’t need to talk to people. “My business, my business, mankind was my business.”
2 Ne 15:8 Wo unto them that join house to house
Isaiah is speaking of greedy landowners who would displace the poor from their homes by purchasing their land. As Micah prophesied, 'they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage' (Micah 2:2).
"This judgment falls upon wealthy landowners who buy up all the property they can until their lands border one another. This results in a monopoly of property that should be divided among others, especially the poor. This practice violates the spirit of the Law of Jubilee, the property law of ancient Israel, which states that 'the land shall not be sold forever.' (LEV. 25:33) Instead, land was to remain within families and clans as a perpetual inheritance...The hoarding of land described in verse 8 was in violation of this law, for when all property was purchased by a few wealthy individuals, there was no place for the original families to dwell. Having no homeland, they were forced to move to the cities or live on the property of the owner as indentured servants or slaves." (Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet, by Victor L. Ludlow, p. 117)
"Property acquired for selfish purposes is not a blessing. Greed is never satisfied. Ownership of property is not condemned. The only question is, how did the owner get it, and to what use does he put it?" (Reynolds and Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 1, p. 334)
James E. Faust
"It is frequently astounding to see the dereliction of people in keeping the standards of ordinary fairness and justice....It is sometimes evident in commercial transactions, as well as in private contacts....This unfairness and injustice results principally from one person seeking an advantage or an edge over another. Those who follow such a practice demean themselves greatly. How can those of us who do not practice ordinary fairness and justice have serious claim on the blessings of a just and a fair God? Do some of us seek to justify our taking of shortcuts and advantage of others by indulging in the twin sophistries, 'There isn't any justice' and 'Everybody does it'?" (Ensign, Nov. 1986, p. 10 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 136)
Spencer W. Kimball
"Woe unto them who will rationalize, who will explain away their errors in these matters, who justify their oppressions. Farm hands, domestic help, and unprotected people are often oppressed, when economic circumstances place them in the position where they must accept what is offered or remain unemployed. And we sometimes justify ourselves in underpaying and even boast about it." (Conference Report, Oct. 1, 1953, p. 53)
2 Ne 15:10 ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath
This verse uses three unfamiliar measures, "bath," "homer," and "ephah." In the Bible Dictionary, under "weights and measures," we learn that a bath is a volume of liquid-approximately 8 ¼ gallons. An ephah is the dry equivalent to a bath, and a homer is ten times the amount of an ephah.
The significance in these verses is that the crops and land will be cursed so that they will produce much less than would be expected.
"In verse ten the seriousness of the desolation in the fields is demonstrated by the terms used. Ordinarily, a farmer would hope to get a thirty-, sixty-, or even a hundred-fold increase from the seed he planted. But instead he would only get one tenth back, because one homer of seed (equal to ten ephahs) would yield only one ephah of harvest. This is a unique type of "reverse tithing." (Victor L. Ludlow, Unlocking the Old Testament, 149 as taken from Commentaries on Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, ed. by K. Douglas Bassett, [American Fork, UT: Covenant Publishing Co., 2003], 103)
Am I generous in what I give to God?
2 Ne 15:14 hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth
Apparently, hell has a large mouth which is hungry to consume the souls of men. To Joseph Smith, the Lord said, 'if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for they good' (DC 121:7).
2 Nephi 15:18, 20–21. Warnings against Sin
In 2 Nephi 15:18 the effects of sin are compared to “a cart rope.” People guilty of sin are like those who “are tied to their sins like beasts to their burdens [or oxen to their carts]” (Isaiah 5:18, footnote c).
President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) described how sin is like a burden: “If I were to ask you what is the heaviest burden one may have to bear in this life, what would you answer? The heaviest burden that one has to bear in this life is the burden of sin” (“Stand Ye in Holy Places,” Ensign, July 1973, 122).
2 Ne 15:20 Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil
Example –If it sounds harsh, son running into street where cars often speed. You warn to keep them safe. Day to day happiness or long term happiness
Video –Elder Ballard, fly fisherman making snares, Satan’s temptations. Addictions – start with prayer. You can be free in mind, body and soul.
Durrel A. Woolsey
"Satan offers a strange mixture of just enough good to disguise the evil along his downward path to destruction...He forges a Rembrandt-quality representation by calling evil good and good evil. He has confused many people, even nations and leaders, to the point of an immoral approach to moral issues...
David E. Sorensen
"In the summertime one of our responsibilities was to haul hay from the fields into the barn for winter storage....One day, in one of the loose bundles pitched onto the wagon was a rattlesnake? When I looked at it, I was concerned excited, and afraid. The snake was laying in the nice, cool hay. The sun was glistening on its diamond back. After a few moments the snake stopped rattling, became still, and I became very curious. I started to get closer and leaned over for a better look, when suddenly I heard a call from my father: 'David, my boy, you can't pet a rattlesnake?'...
"I would like to talk to you about the dangers of petting poisonous snakes...today's popular entertainment often makes what is evil and wrong look enjoyable and right. Let us remember the Lord's counsel: 'Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil' (Isa. 5:20).
"Pornography, though billed by Satan as entertainment, is a deeply poisonous, deceptive snake that lies coiled up in magazines, the Internet, and the television. Pornography destroys self-esteem and weakens self-discipline. It is far more deadly to the spirit than the rattlesnake my father warned me not to pet." (Ensign, May 2001, 41 as taken from Commentaries on Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, ed. by K. Douglas Bassett, [American Fork, UT: Covenant Publishing Co., 2003], 108)
Examples with photos- dogs, skunks
Spencer W. Kimball
"Jesus Christ our Lord is under no obligation to save this world. The people have ignored him, disbelieved him, failed to follow him. They stand at his mercy which will be extended only if they repent. But to what extent have we repented? Another prophet said, 'We call evil good, and good evil.' Men have rationalized themselves into thinking that they are 'not so bad.' Are they fully ripe? Has the rot of age and flabbiness set in? Can they change? They see evil in their enemies, but none in themselves. Even in the true Church numerous of its people fail to attend their meetings, to tithe their incomes, to have their regular prayers, to keep all the commandments. We can transform, but will we? It seems that we would rather tax ourselves into slavery than to pay our tithes; rather build protections and walls than drop to our knees with our families in solemn prayers night and morning." (Conference Report, Oct. 1, 1961, p.31)
2 Ne 15:21 Wo unto the wise in their own eyes
N. Eldon Tanner
"[when people] become learned in the worldly things such as science and philosophy, [they] become self-sufficient and are prepared to lean unto their own understanding, even to the point where they think they are independent of God; and because of their worldly learning they feel that if they cannot prove physically, mathematically, or scientifically that God lives, they can and should feel free to question and even to deny God and Jesus Christ. Then many of our professors begin to teach perverse things, to lead away disciples after them; and our youth whom we send to them for learning accept them as authority, and many are caused to lose their faith in God...
"How much wiser and better it is for man to accept the simple truths of the gospel and to accept as authority God, the Creator of the world, and his Son Jesus Christ, and to accept by faith those things which he cannot disprove and for which he cannot give a better explanation. He must be prepared to acknowledge that there are certain things-many, many things-that he cannot understand." (Conference Report, Oct. 1968, pp.48-9 as taken from the 1981 Old Testament Institute Manual)
I the Lord am more intelligent than they all. Abraham 3:19
Story of J. Reben Clark – One of the most beloved counselors in the 1st Presidency.
“When as now, a call comes from my superior officers, charged with the responsibility of presiding over the Church and acting under the inspiration of the Lord, then I, responsive to my training and my faith, must answer to the call, not only as a clear duty but as a great privilege.
2 Ne 15:23 Who justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness
Dr. Kerry Mulstein-
Israel has been so taken by the sophistry of the world that they have come to see what which was evil as something good, that which brought sorrow as that which promoted happiness, that which shrouds our souls in darkness as a thing of light. In our day, some forms of this include declaring tolerance as a virtue to the point where we condemn those who condemn sin. We are so often taken by what the world says is right that we sometimes feel we are doing God’s service if we try to show church members that what the prophets are saying is wrong to the extent that we accuse people of being hateful rather than loving if they plainly call sin a sin. There are myriad of ways we fulfill the description given in these verses. One of the ways we distance ourselves from God is when we take our own way of thinking, or the way the world thinks and has taught us to think, and set it above God’s way. We say that the way we see things is more significant than the way sustained leaders see them. Most of the emotional or mental conflicts we have with teaching or practices of the church are the results of our setting our own wisdom above God’s wisdom, especially when it comes to current social issues.”
2 Nephi 15:26. “Lift Up an Ensign to the Nations”
In the latter days the Lord will raise an ensign to gather and protect righteous Israel as the desolation of the wicked begins. The gathering of Israel will be a necessary precursor to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, accompanied by the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ among all nations of the earth.
President Joseph Fielding Smith defined the meaning of the ensign spoken of by Isaiah: “Over 125 years ago, in the little town of Fayette, Seneca County, New York, the Lord set up an ensign to the nations. It was in fulfillment of the prediction made by the Prophet Isaiah, which I have read [Isaiah 11:11–12]. That ensign was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was established for the last time, never again to be destroyed or given to other people [see Daniel 2:44]. It was the greatest event the world has seen since the day that the Redeemer was lifted upon the cross and worked out the infinite and eternal atonement. It meant more to mankind than anything else that has occurred since that day” (Doctrines of Salvation, 3:254–55).
2 Ne 16:5 Wo is unto me...I am a man of unclean lips
Feelings of sinfulness and inadequacy are natural emotions when faced with the perfection of God's throne. Isaiah also may have felt insecure about his role as a prophet to the nations. That the Lord has power to cleanse his sins and 'make weak things become strong' (Ether 12:27) is evident in the ensuing verses.
Robert S. Wood
"President Spencer W. Kimball warned of vulgarity of speech and expression and particularly counseled against speaking of sex glibly, which he associated with immodesty. 'Lewd talk and jokes,' he said, 'constitute another danger which lurks seeking as its prey any who will entertain it as the first step to dirtying the mind and thus the soul' (The Miracle of Forgiveness, [1969], 228)...
"I've been struck by the fact that when Isaiah received his charge from the Lord, he bemoaned that he was 'a man of unclean lips' (Isa. 6:5). This sin too had to be purged from Isaiah if he was to bear the word of the Lord....
"We need to eliminate from our conversations the immodest and the lewd, the violent and the threatening, the demeaning and the false." (Ensign, Nov. 1999, 83 as taken from Commentaries on Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, ed. by K. Douglas Bassett, [American Fork, UT: Covenant Publishing Co., 2003], 122)
2 Ne 16:10 shut their eyes-lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears
This verse can be confusing because it sounds like the Lord's intentions are to make the people spiritually blind and spiritually deaf. It sounds like the Lord doesn't really want the people to 'be converted and be healed.' Yet, we know that the Lord wants everyone to repent. Therefore, we must understand that Isaiah's eloquent language takes some poetic license. The language used describes not the intent of Isaiah's teachings but their effect upon the people.
What is the effect of prophetic teachings upon the righteous? They are enlightened, seeing spiritual truths never before seen, understanding concepts never before appreciated. What is the natural effect of prophetic teachings upon the wicked? They are outraged; they rebel against the word of the Lord, thereby extinguishing any flicker of light that existed in the deepest recesses of their spirits. Isaiah's teachings would have just such an extinguishing effect upon the people, effectively shutting their eyes, closing their ears, and hardening their hearts.
Joy and strength in our anchor Jesus Christ. We find safety in Him. We find him in scripture and prayer. He knows us deeply, not just our names, he knows our fears, heartaches, childhood dreams that were never fulfilled, our deepest hurts, our need and loves us perfectly.
2 Nephi 19:6–7. “The Government Shall Be upon His Shoulder”
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland wrote of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in 2 Nephi 19:6–7 being related to both the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the time of the Millennium: “The fact that the government would eventually be upon his shoulders affirms what all the world will one day acknowledge—that he is Lord of lords and King of kings and will one day rule over the earth and his Church in person, with all the majesty and sacred vestments belonging to a holy sovereign and a high priest. All can take comfort from the fact that because the government—and the burdens thereof—will be upon his shoulders, they will be lifted in great measure from our own. This is yet another reference in Isaiah to the Atonement, the bearing away of our sins (or at very least in this reference, our temporal burdens) on the shoulders of Christ” (Christ and the New Covenant, 80).
