2 Nephi 11-25

(If you haven't used it already, here is a link to a previous post on Isaiah.)

NEPHI’S INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH

“And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words.  For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he [Isaiah] verily [truly] saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him.  And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true.  Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word.  Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words.”  (2 Ne. 11:2-3)

Nephi taught the law of three witnesses to all of us, and particularly to Joseph Smith, although it wasn’t until Joseph got to Ether 5 that he prayed for three witnesses to the Book of Mormon.

We also see in this chapter of the Book of Mormon why the Nephites did not have such trouble accepting Christ when he came:  They had retained a clear understanding of the purpose of the Law of Moses and had not allowed it to become an end in itself, unrelated to Christ:

“Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.”  (2 Ne. 11:4)

Whereas we often look upon 2 Nephi as the place we get stuck when reading the Book of Mormon because of the dreaded “Isaiah chapters,” Nephi offered us the option of rejoicing in them.

“And now I write some of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people shall see these words may lift up their hearts and rejoice for all men.  Now these are the words, and ye may liken them unto you and unto all men.”  (2 Ne. 11:8)

Probably none of us understand all of the Isaiah passages yet, but all of us understand some of them.  (Our reading assignment is so huge, probably the writers of the manual didn’t expect us to understand them all, either.)  Those of us who live to be 100 can perhaps eventually have a comprehensive understanding of these scriptures.   For now, though, rather than worrying about the details and interpretations of so many specific prophecies, we can simply search for and mark those which cause our hearts to “rejoice for all men.”  I’ll share some of my favorites here:

THE WORK OF THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS

The very first passage of Isaiah that Nephi included here is one of the most beautiful and encouraging.  Whereas we often hear reports of evil, of war, of crime, of abuse in the media input we receive every day, Nephi offers us a most heartening view of the latter-days which could cause even the most cynical heart to rejoice.

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths, for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”  (2 Ne. 12:2-3)

Well, that is definitely cause to rejoice:  the distinguishing feature of the latter-days will be the temple.  And not just a single temple in Salt Lake City, although the scripture uses the singular:  all nations will flow unto the temple, so it is a single type of building Isaiah refers to, located in all nations.  And many people, not just a select few, will invite each other to come to the temple and learn of God.  The law that will go forth from Zion includes both the spiritual laws of the Church of Jesus Christ and the temporal laws of free governments established by God.

And if that wasn’t great enough news, look what comes next:

“And he [the Lord] shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plow-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks—nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (2 Ne. 12:4)

Wow!  People who were formerly enemies will work together to nourish and strengthen each other!  But that has already happened in many instances.  And always, it is due to the actions of Christlike individuals.

The perfect example of the influence of one Latter-day Saint to “beat swords into plowshares” is found in the story of Gail “Hal” Halvorsen, a.k.a. “The Candy Bomber .” 

At the end of WWII, the U.S. Air Force pilot, a Latter-day Saint from northern Utah, flew unauthorized missions of mercy over blockaded Germany, dropping candy to the starving German children in little parachutes made of the many handkerchiefs he brought along when he shipped out from the U.S. because he had had a bad cold at the time.  He had been a perfectly obedient military man, so no one suspected him of disobeying orders. 

But by the time his superiors found out who was flying these unauthorized missions (a press photograph caught the number on his airplane tail), the benefit of the missions was being realized and he was not court-martialed as expected, but sent to a press conference instead (Andrei Cherny, The Candy Bombers, p. 352).  The U.S. military and many U.S. citizens joined in his efforts and dropped hundreds of pounds of candy and food to the starving Germans below.  “Halvorsen, the ordinary young pilot, would almost single-handedly transform how the citizens of defeated Germany’s capital saw the United States.” (ibid., p. 8)  (An excellent ABC news report about Halvorsen can be found at this link.  You may notice in the report that Brother Halvorsen credits the gratitude of the Germans as the factor that changed the countries’ relations, rather than his own heroism.  Additional video footage and the story narrated by Brother Halvorsen himself can be found on YouTube at this link .)

THE DEVASTATION OF THE WICKED

After reading the joyous actions of the Saints in the latter days, Isaiah wrote warnings against the wicked—they will desire to hide, all those material possessions they worshiped will be worth nothing to them, and “The Lord, the Lord of Hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem, and from Judah, the stay and the staff, the whole staff of bread, and the whole stay of water.”  (2 Ne. 13:1)  Because they have refused it, they will starve spiritually; they will give up the knowledge and comfort of Jesus Christ.  They will be easily overcome and humiliated.

But, back to more joyful prophecies about world-wide temples:

“When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion [through the ordinance of baptism and the application of the Atonement]…, the Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory of Zion shall be a defence.” (2 Ne. 14:4-5)

Back and forth go the prophecies, with warnings to the wicked, followed by wondrous miracles for the righteous.

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.  Thou hast multiplied the nation [the nation or House of Israel—the Church], and increased the joy—they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.  For thou hast broken the yoke of his [Israel’s], and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor…For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of government and peace there is no end.”  (2 Ne. 19:2-7).

This is a government we won’t mind seeing increased—a theocracy which will bring endless peace.

“And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall give thee rest, from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou waste made to serve.” (2 Ne. 24:3)

OUR CHOICE

In the end, after all these prophecies, we read,

“And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err…there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.” (2 Ne. 25:20)

“And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”  (2 Ne. 25:26).

Nephi and Isaiah have given us a choice:  Do we seek after worldly things, do we put our trust in men, do we struggle against the commandments, do we follow secret evil ambitions expecting them never to be uncovered?  If so, we are choosing a wild course, a foundation sure to crumble, an outcome that will not be as we expect.  We are choosing the “waters of the river, strong and many,” the glory of worldliness that will eventually “come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks.” (2 Ne. 18:7)  The mighty Euphrates River is the reference here, a wild river, often out of control, flooding its banks, ruining the vegetation, drowning the creatures.

Flooding Potomac River

Or do we choose to turn to Christ and let him heal us, free us, and nourish us (2 Ne. 25:20)?  Do we help to build the temples of Mount Zion, do we beat swords into plow-shares, do we stand against evil?  If so we are choosing the softly rolling, predictable, controlled, life-giving River Shiloah (2 Ne. 18:6).

If we make the choice each day to trust in God, and let Jehovah be our strength and salvation, “Therefore, with joy shall [we] draw water out of the wells of salvation.”  (2 Ne. 22:3)

1 Nephi 16-22

(If you have access to an old airline ticket and a copy machine, you may want to "white-out" the destination and arrival time on the ticket and then photocopy and cut out one for each class member.  Start class by passing out the tickets and offering them all to go on an amazing adventure with you.  Answer all questions about the destination or the itinerary or the travel route with "It's a surprise!")

SURPRISE JOURNEYS

Imagine being given an airline ticket with a departure date and a gate number, but no destination printed on it.  Let's suppose you have just retired and so you have no work obligations, and you can take your immediate family with you.  Would you take the flight?  What things might you be worried about?  Are there any conditions under which you would take the flight?  (If you knew and trusted the person who planned the trip.)

A five-year-old would take that plane trip with his family, if a close relative he loved gave him the ticket.  He would not have to know where the plane was going, and he would have total confidence that everything about the trip would be great.  Five-year-olds are used to being dragged here and there without knowing the destination.  They get a kick out of the bugs and garbage trucks and dandelions that they see along the way.  Sometimes they complain, but they are actually much more accommodating than any of us adults would be.  "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 18:4).  Little children really have great faith in their parents, and we should have faith in our Parent and the trips He plans for us.

Most of us, at some point in our lives, experience a journey in which we thought we knew the destination, but when we got off the plane, we were in an entirely different place.  Do we spend our time indignantly asserting our rights and shaking our fist at the Lord, or do we leave the airport and enjoy the sights?  You'll see examples in your own life, but here are couple from mine:  Just as I filled out admittance forms to attend college since all my children would now be in school, I found out another baby was coming--major destination change!  It was eleven years before I got back to college.

A couple of years after that baby, my husband and I saved up to go on a romantic trip to Paris for our 20th wedding anniversary; instead we spent that time and money (plus a home equity loan) to travel to Russia to adopt our daughter Marisha. This was one of the most challenging "journeys" of our lives, and took two years to complete. We never made it to Paris, but the Lord's plans were better than ours, and those two children have greatly enriched our lives. I thank the Lord every day for these precious souls.

Today our lesson is all about journeys.  Lehi and his family were given "tickets" with a somewhat hazy destination and no arrival time posted at all.  Even the mode of transportation was not listed, and it changed enroute.  The journey went on for years.  They had marriages, births and deaths before it was over.  At times they thought they had arrived, only to find they had to move on again.

(Just for fun, if it's not Fast Sunday, you may offer small packages of peanuts and disposable cups of soda to the class like the airlines do.)

THE JOURNEY OF THE LEHITES

Here is some interesting research from the Neal A. Maxwell Institute regarding the journey from the Valley of Lemuel:

"After traveling for 'the space of four days' Lehi's group camped at a place they called 'Shazer,' [1 Ne. 16:13] which by normal traveling distance (about a hundred miles) would correspond to the prominent ancient oasis now called Wadi Al Azlan. Here they began to hunt wild game with bows and arrows and continued to do so after traveling for 'many days' in the 'same direction,' which would have taken them into the general area of modern Jiddah.

"This area, midway down the eastern shore of the Red Sea, is known for a combination of heat, humidity, sand, and salt that rusts car fenders in a few months and turns limber any dry wood brought from other areas. Here Nephi broke his steel bow [1 Ne. 16:18] and the wooden bows 'lost their spring,' but Nephi found wood for new bows [1 Ne. 16:23] and then found wild game nearby at the top of a mountain [1 Ne. 16:30]. Around Jiddah grows the pomegranate tree, excellent for bowmaking, and to the east, as there are farther north, are mountains with wild asses, gazelles, grouse, partridge, etc., which are still hunted with 'slings,' as Lehi's group hunted.

"After again traveling 'many days' in 'nearly the same course,' Lehi's group stopped 'for the space of a time' in a place 'which was called Nahom' [where they buried Ishmael; 1 Ne. 16:34], evidently a well-established oasis on the route, and then turned and traveled 'nearly eastward from that time' [1 Ne. 17:1]. The ancient Trail did indeed take exactly such a turn (because of the interruption of high mountains coming directly to the seacoast) at modern Al Kunfidah, then going up the wadi system to the ancient caravan city of Najran and branching there. The main route then went south to ancient San'a, which by 600 B.C. had developed into an alternate source of frankincense, and the other route continued east, through the southern edge of the desolate sand desert known to modern explorers as 'the Empty Quarter,' until it came out to the fertile Qara Mountains in Dhofar, the original ancient source of frankincense and the only such spot (about twenty miles long) on the entire fourteen-hundred-mile southern coast. Joseph Smith's account got the turn exactly right and also the area of increased desolation and 'much affliction,' including the interesting detail that the emigrants lived on raw meat [1 Ne. 17:2], not being allowed 'much fire,' in this the one area of the trail where we now know they would have been in greatest danger of Bedouin raiders.

"Most startling, the Book of Mormon provides exactly all the details (now proven, but which no one knew in the 1820s) of Salalah [which Lehi called "Bountiful;" 1 Ne. 17:6]: This small, unique spot is favored six months of the year by southwest monsoon winds that cloak the mountains in mist and produce the anciently precious frankincense which brought the caravan trail there—and also produce flowers, honeybees, fruit, and huge 'sycamore-figs' [which] can produce long timbers of strong hardwood, remarkably free from knots and resistant to sea water and used even today to make ocean-going [vessels]. There is also iron ore in the mountains [1 Ne. 17:16], a beach where Lehi's emigrants could 'pitch . . . tents by the seashore' but one which terminates abruptly on the west in cliffs that drop a hundred feet 'into the depths of the sea' [1 Ne. 17:48]. And the seasonal monsoon winds that produce the fertility of this unique area also provide a unique source of power that we now know opened up trade across the open sea to India in the first century A.D. and by which Nephi's ship would have been 'driven forth . . . towards the promised land' of America [1 Ne. 18:8]. In Joseph Smith's time, as we have seen, neither the shipbuilding skills and materials nor the favorable winds on this desert shore of Arabia were known about in the west."  (Eugene England, Through the Arabian Desert to a Bountiful Land: Could Joseph Smith Have Known the Way?, Maxwell Institute BYU Publication)

The beach at present-day Salalah

It's fascinating to know exactly where the journey took place, but it is more important to learn what the journey can teach us about our own lives.  Nephi gives us the point of the story:

"AND THUS WE SEE, that the commandments of God must be fulfilled.  And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth 1) nourish them, and 2) strengthen them, and 3) provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; WHEREFORE, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness" (1 Ne. 17:3).

But not everyone on the trip felt so positive about the journey, and no one felt so positive about it all the time.  Let's look at this story to see how we can be better travelers and find joy in our journeys.

HOW TO BE A HAPPY CAMPER DURING LIFE'S TRAVELS

1. Trust that the destination is a land of promise

Lehi and Nephi constantly affirmed their complete trust in the Lord that the end of the journey would be worth it.  If we can learn to do this, everything will go a little easier.

2. See the blessings in every part of the journey

"...And we did travel and WADE THROUGH MUCH AFFLICTION in the wilderness; and our women did bear children in the wilderness."  (Don't you expect the next sentence is going to be a complaint about that?  Nope, it's Nephi, remember?)  "And SO GREAT WERE THE BLESSINGS of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children and were strong..." (1 Ne. 17:1-2)

3. Be patient in delays, side-tracks, or extentions to the journey

"And it came to pass that we did pitch our tents by the seashore; and notwithstanding we had suffered many afflictions and much difficulty, yea, even so much that we cannot write them all, we were exceedingly rejoiced when we came to the seashore; and we called the place Bountiful, because of its much fruit." (1 Ne. 17:6)

When they stopped at the shore of the Red Sea, they called the place Bountiful.  When they got to America, they called that land Bountiful, too.  There is never any indication that Lehi knew that the promised land would be across the sea until Nephi was told to build a ship; they were already living in a wonderful location.  It seems very likely that the travelers thought that the Bountiful by the Red Sea was their final destination, their promised land.  Was it possibly a little disheartening to find out that they had only just begun their journey at that point, eight years after leaving Jerusalem, and the most treacherous part lay ahead? [1 Ne. 17:4]  When we find that a difficult life journey has yet another twist to it, can we calmly load up our bags and keep going?

4. Have faith even while having questions

When the Lord commanded them to leave this beautiful and fruitful land Bountiful by crossing a treacherous sea in a homemade ship, everyone had questions.  But Nephi's questions were useful.  "Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship?"  Do the questions we ask when we are in challenging positions reflect our faith?  Instead of asking "Why me?" as Laman and Lemuel did, can we ask "What do you want me to do?" as Nephi did?

5. Don't waste effort looking back or thinking what might have been

Laman and Lemuel chose to whine and complain.  "It would have been better" to have died in Jerusalem, they said.  However, they didn't really think they would have died in Jerusalem, because the next thing they said was that instead of suffering in the wilderness, "we might have enjoyed our posessions," "we might have been happy." (1 Ne. 17:20-22)  But the destruction of Jerusalem really did happen and their "afflictions in the wilderness" were mighty blessings compared to the real "might-have-beens." 

Do we complain about our blessings?

6. Recognize the Lord's hand in the journey

As the Lord said to Nephi, "I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led." (1 Ne. 17:13)

Look for "the light in the wilderness."  Keep track of it in your journal.  Give thanks for it in your evening prayers.

7. Use the scriptures as a map

Nephi wanted his brothers to see that they were being guided by the Lord, and that they would reach their destination, so he likened their journey unto another journey they were familiar with from their scriptures, the Brass Plates:

"Do ye believe that our fathers, who were the children of Israel, would have been led away out of the hands of the Egyptians if they had not hearkened unto the words of the Lord?" (1 Ne. 17:23) 

He reminded them of what they knew about this trip ("ye know"), and that the hand of the Lord did it all ("by his words").

• YE KNOW  that the children of Israel were in bondage
• YE KNOW  that they were laden with [grievous] tasks.
• YE KNOW  that it must needs be a good thing [for them to be freed].
• YE KNOW  that Moses was commanded of the Lord to do that great work.
• YE KNOW  that   BY HIS WORD  the waters of the Red Sea were divided...and they passed through on dry ground.
• YE KNOW  that the Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea.
• YE KNOW  that they were fed with manna in the wilderness.
• YE KNOW  that Moses  BY HIS WORD  smote the rock...to quench their thirst...[despite being led by the Lord] they hardened their hearts and blinded their minds and reviled against Moses and against...God.
• ACCORDING TO HIS WORD   he did destroy them.
• ACCORDING TO HIS WORD   he did lead them.
• ACCORDING TO HIS WORD   he did do all things for them.
• And there was not any thing done save it were   BY HIS WORD.
• YE KNOW  that they were led forth BY HIS MATCHLESS POWER in the land of promise.
• YE KNOW  that  BY THE POWER OF HIS ALMIGHTY WORD he can cause the earth that it shall pass away.
• YE KNOW  that  BY HIS WORD  he can cause the rough places to be made smooth, and smooth places shall be broken up. (1 Ne. 17:25-31, 42, 46)

Similarly, as we study the scriptures, there are many things we can learn about the Lord's dealings with his people over centuries of time that will help us see and understand that by His word, everything will work out in the end for us as well.

8. Know the Lord can be trusted because he 1) loves, 2) covenants, 3) remembers

This is the most important thing to keep in mind, and will make all the other things easier to do.  After re-telling the story of the exodus from Egypt, Nephi reminded his brothers of the character of God--that He is the Creator of the earth and of each of them, that He raises up the righteous and destroys the wicked, that He leads the righteous into promised lands, that He rules high in the heavens...

"And he loveth those who will have him to be their God.  BEHOLD, he 1) loved our fathers, and he 2) covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he 3) remembered the covenants which he had made;  WHEREFORE,  he did bring them out of the land of Egypt.

FINDING HOPE IN ISAIAH

After Nephi taught his brothers from the scriptures about the exodus, he read to them from another scripture.  (Ask your students to identify it from 1 Ne. 19:23--Isaiah.)  There were two reasons that Nephi gave for reading from Isaiah in verses 23 and 24.  Each of them is begun with the word THAT.

1. "THAT  I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer."
2. "THAT  ye may have hope."

Isaiah is a great place to find hope for the journey expressed in beautiful ways.  If you are a "beginner" at Isaiah, don't worry about understanding every detail--just listen to the beauty of the words and phrases, and try to get a feeling about what is being said.

"All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; who among them hath declared these things unto them?  [That would be the prophets, specifically Isaiah.]  The Lord hath loved him; yea, and he will fulfil his word which he hath declared by them...

"...I have sent him--the Lord thy God who teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee by the way thou shouldst go, hath done it." (1 Ne. 20:14, 17)

We can trust that the words of the prophets will be fulfilled for our journey because the Host of our tour, the Lord Himself, has sent them.

No matter how things are right now, everything will come right, because...

"Thus saith the Lord: In an acceptable time have I heard thee, O isles of the sea, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee my servant for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;

"That thou mayest say to the prisoners; Go forth; to them that sit in darkness: Show yourselves.  They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.

"They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

"And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted." (1 Ne.21:8-11)

No matter where we live (even the remotest places, the isles of the sea), we will have a prophet to deliver the Lord's promises to us.  If we are in a prison of sin or circumstance, we will be allowed to escape.  If we are in darkness, we will be led into the light.  We will be led to a high place (mountains, which generally mean temples in the scriptures) where we will be nurtured by the Lord.  There we will be sheltered from the vicissitudes of life (heat and sun).  All the mountains will become a way.  (Temples the world over lead us to God.)

Even when times come that we think the Lord has forgotten us, we can be sure He hasn't and His promises will eventually be realized,

"For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? [Even if she is a neglectful mother, a nursing mother will be reminded by her body that she has a baby to feed--it is impossible for her to forget!]  Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.

"BEHOLD, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."  (1 Ne. 21:15-16)  What is on the palms of Christ's hands?  The scars of His crucifixion, His atonement for us.  Even though He was resurrected to glory and to a perfect body, those scars remained as eternal symbols of His love and sacrifice for us!

But it is not just the House of Israel whom the Lord remembers:

"Thus saith the Lord God:  BEHOLD, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard [a banner, rallying troops or groups of people together] to the people; and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

"And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens their nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their face towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me."  (1 Ne. 21:22-23)

It is the spread of the true gospel restored in the United States (1 Ne. 22:7-9) to all those who do not have it, anywhere in the world and in any way, that is described by Isaiah.  It is the fulfillment of the covenant to Abraham that in his seed all the kindreds or families of the earth should be blessed.  Their thanksgiving will be great, and those who labored for the Lord will be gratified and not sorry for their service.  Who are these people?

• Those who have the gospel are as "kings and queens," and if they spread the gospel through missionary service, they are "nursing fathers and nursing mothers" to those whom they bring to Christ, whether those people are next-door or in their Sunday School class or in a remote village in Africa. 
• Those who live in circumstances equivalent to kings (with both spiritual and material blessings fit for royalty) become "nursing fathers and nursing mothers" by mentoring, fostering, or adopting children from situations which lack the light of the gospel, into an environment where they can learn of Christ. 
• Those who, through their military or civilian service to less-privileged peoples, nurture and protect them and elevate their circumstances are "nursing fathers and nursing mothers".
• Can you think of others?  There are many specific examples of "nursing fathers and nursing mothers" in the world around us.

As people's basic needs are met and they are then able to accept the gospel, they are brought out of captivity, they are brought into light, and they will KNOW that the Lord is their Savior.  What greater cause can we unite in?

Once we are underway on our own journey with the Lord as our Guide, it is our responsibility to bring others to find their way and follow the Light as well, until we reach the happy ending of all our travels when,

"He gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture.  And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth...

"But behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will repent."  (1 Ne. 22:25-26, 28)

Old Testament Lesson #38 "Beside Me There is No Savior"

Isaiah 40-49

(If you have access to a recording of the Messiah, by Handel, play "Comfort Ye" as a prelude to the lesson.  It is about 3 minutes long.  You can buy individual mp3 tracks from the Messiah at Amazon for 99 cents each.  If you want to do the suggested conclusion activity, pass out hymnbooks to class members, or print up copies of the words to verses 3 through 5 of "How Firm a Foundation.")

ISAIAH IN THE MESSIAH

Several of the beautiful verses from our lesson this week have been put to music.  The first three verses are the first recitative in Handel's Messiah, which we just listened to.  It is followed by another beautiful number written to the words of verses 4 and 5, "The Voice of Him That Crieth in the Wilderness."  Later in the oratorio, verse 11 can be heard, "He Shall Feed His Flock."  The most wonderful way to study this lesson might be to just sit down and listen to the Messiah together, but instead we will study a bit about the composer of this magnificent music of worship, because it is a perfect complement to the lesson topic.

HANDEL AND THE CREATION OF THE MESSIAH

George Frederick Handel was born in Germany in 1685, and was a contemporary of the other great religious composer, Johann Sebastian Bach.  They lived very near each other, but never managed to meet.  Handel was a brilliant composer, but he struggled financially.  He was perhaps too generous with his money, and not quite thrifty enough.  He was a modest man, and did not think himself a great talent.  A friend commented to Handel on how rotten the music was at a concert he had recently heard, not knowing it was Handel's music, and Handel, unoffended, replied, "You are right, sir; it is pretty poor stuff.  I thought so myself when I wrote it" (Kavanaugh, p. 31). 

Handel was not a perfect man, but he was a good man.  He "was reputed to swear in several languages when moved to wrath (usually by singers).  At the same time, he was equally quick to admit his own fault and apologize."  His morals were above reproach.  One friend, Sir John Hawkins wrote that Handel "throughout his life manifested a deep sense of religion.  In conversation he would frequently declare the pleasure he felt in setting the Scriptures to music, and how contemplating the many sublime passages in the Psalms had contributed to his edification" (p. 31-32).

Handel liked to compose music that had a religious text, for performance in secular theaters.  Possibly, being a German Lutheran living in Church of England territory (he spent most of his life in London), he liked the idea of non-denominational musical performances.  He wrote a drama called Esther and another called Israel in Egypt, which were both performed in the theater rather than the cathedral.  This really rubbed a lot of church leaders the wrong way.  The Church of England openly criticized him for this.  Even after the Messiah was well-known, John Newton, the composer of "Amazing Grace," preached every Sunday for over a year against its being performed publicly, rather than solely in church (p. 33).  Had it been performed only in church, however, its influence would not have been as great, as we will soon see.

Handel donated freely to charities, even when he himself was facing financial ruin.  He was a relentless optimist, and a scriptorian.  (Perhaps those two traits often go together.)  He was a bachelor with no family to support, yet he struggled to make enough money to support himself.  At one point in his life, the spring of 1741, at the age of 56, he was "swimming in debt [and] it seemed certain he would land in debtor's prison" (p. 29).

Then two providential things happened concurrently that changed the course of religious music forever, as well as the lives of many individuals throughout the centuries since.  The first thing was that Handel's friend, Charles Jennens, gave him a libretto he had put together. (A libretto is the term for the lyrics of a large musical work.)  It was based on the life of Christ and taken entirely from the Bible.  The second thing was that Handel received a commission from a Dublin charity to compose a work for a benefit performance.  Handel put the two opportunities together and on August 22, 1741, he set to work composing another religious piece that would be performed in a secular venue.  He became so absorbed in the work that he rarely left his room, and never left his house.  "In six days part one was complete.  In nine days more he had finished part two, and in another six, part three.  The orchestration was completed in another two days.  In all, 260 pages of manuscript were filled in the remarkably short time of 24 days."  He borrowed bits of musical themes here and there from works he had written or heard previously, as did most composers in that day, and combined them with new melodies and beautiful instrumentation.  He edited and rearranged a little as years went by, but not to any great degree.  The Messiah we have today is very close to the original 24-day masterpiece.  One biographer, Sir Newman Flower, said, "Considering the immensity of the work, and the short time involved, it will remain, perhaps forever, the greatest feat in the whole history of music composition" (p. 30).

The composing of the Messiah was an intensely spiritual experience for Handel.  At one point while he was working, a servant entering the room to bring food found him with tears streaming down his face.  Handel cried out to him, "I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself" (p. 27).  He had just finished the piece now known as the "Hallelujah Chorus."  Another friend who stopped to visit found him sobbing with intense emotion.  Later Handel tried to explain himself and said, "Whether I was in the body or out of my body when I wrote it, I know not" (p. 30).

The Messiah premiered on April 13, 1742 in Dublin.  It was a benefit concert, as planned.  The Messiah, which was written to praise the Savior who freed us all from our fallen state, raised that day 400 pounds which freed 142 men from debtor's prison.  Handel conducted over thirty more performances of the Messiah in his life.  Many of these were also benefit concerts, with the money going to the Foundling Hospital, of which Handel was a major contributor.  Because the performances were in theaters for pay, rather than in churches, they could bring in money to relieve suffering.  "One biographer wrote: 'Messiah has fed the hungry, clothed the naked, fostered the orphan...more than any other single musical production in this or any country.'  Another wrote, 'Perhaps the works of no other composer have so largely contributed to the relief of human suffering'" (p. 31).

"After the first London performance of the Messiah, Lord Kinnoul congratulated Handel on the "excellent entertainment."  Handel replied, 'My Lord, I should be sorry if I only entertain them.  I wish to make them better.'"  Handel's Messiah has indeed made people better.  In one writer's opinion, the Messiah "has probably done more to convince thousands of mankind that there is a God about us than all the theological works ever written" (p. 31).

Handel died 18 years after composing the Messiah.  It was a Saturday, April 14, 1759, the day before Easter, coincidentally the time of year that Messiah was performed most in those days.  Handel had conducted his final performance of the work eight days earlier.  His close friend, James Smith, wrote, "He died as he lived--a good Christian, with a true sense of his duty to God and to man, and a perfect charity with all the world."  Over 3,000 people attended the funeral.  A statue was erected in Westminster Abbey where he was buried.  It depicts Handel holding the manuscript of the Messiah, open to part three, "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth."  It was an appropriate tribute to a great man of faith, whose knowledge of his Savior was built through study of scripture, teaching truth to others through the medium of music, and living the gospel through his charitable works.

BUILDING OUR SPIRITUAL FOOD SUPPLY

We all know that we will have trials, and at those times, it may be hard to remember that God is there for us, as Handel and Jennens taught in their Messiah.  Isaiah is a great reservoir of emergency spiritual nourishment.  (Teachers may want to encourage class members to get our their red pencils and underline as you read together, so that their "spiritual food storage" is easy to find later when their spirits are low.  Ask class members to share their favorites from Isaiah, and add your own.  Remember that the Spirit is manifest more when class members share their testimonies, even in one-sentence bits, than when they sit passively and listen to a lecture.  Write the verses on the board as they are shared.  Some ideas follow, to get the ball rolling.)

ONE PRINCIPLE FROM ISAIAH

Isaiah 40:31--"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
How does this principle work?  Does it seem sometimes like trying to obey the commandments and fulfill your church callings and do family night and family prayer and compassionate service and eat right and live within your budget and strengthen your marriage and all that stuff can be pretty draining, pretty stressful?  The key to the principle of the renewal of strength lies in the phrase, "they that wait upon the Lord."  "Waiting upon the Lord" refers to exercising faith and hope in Christ and His guidance and timetable.  When our actions are not just grudgingly obeying commandments, but doing so "in faith," while "waiting upon the Lord," everything shifts.  While despair and discouragement drain energy and cast out the Spirit, hope and faith in Christ build energy and bring the Spirit.  They allow us to "mount up with wings as eagles," and to "run and not be weary."

Here are some ideas for shifting from "stressed-out in the service of the Lord," to "renewing your strength," in other words, changing from a state of anxiety to one of  joy and peace.

1) Stop and pray for help with your feelings.  Thank the Lord for the blessing of being entrusted with the role that is giving you stress (mother, bishop, visiting teacher, compassionate service director, etc.)

2) Look ahead at what needs to be done, pick the most important task (or the one with the most immediate deadline) and focus only on that project for a set amount of time.

3) Think about the people you are doing the work for and how it will bless them, rather than how bad you will look or how anxious you will feel if it isn't completed well and on time.

4) Trust in the Lord, that if the task is truly important, He will help you get it done, and help you do it well.

(Some other beautiful verses to examine, if the class doesn't come up with their own, include: 40:11 [shepherd], 40:29 [power], 41:17 [water], 42:16 [blindfold], 44:3-4 [water], 44:21-22 [Atonement], 46:4 [support through life], 49:15 [loved as a newborn], and 49:16 [Christ's hands].  A note on 49:15-16:  A nursing mother's body will not allow her to forget to feed her baby, no matter how careless she may be--ask any new mother who has left her baby with a sitter for several hours!  She'll be in misery by the time she returns.  Christ's body, also, will remind him, as he repeatedly sees the scars on his hands, that he is our Father, that his role is to nurture us.  It will be impossible for him to forget his children.)

CONCLUSION

"[George Frederick] Handel refused to be deterred by setbacks, [critics], illnesses, or even severe financial woes.  It is a tribute to the faith and optimism Handel possessed, relying on God as he worked to overcome significant obstacles and to create music that is universally cherished today" (p. 33).  It was undoubtedly his intimate working knowledge of the scriptures that allowed him to persevere and succeed in unfolding God's mission for his life.  It would be well with each of us if we could live and die as Handel did, becoming acquainted with the words of our God, and then using our personal talents, our resources, the guidance of the Spirit, and the opportunities that arise around us, to emulate Christ and bring his gospel of love into the lives of others, particularly those who are not found within the walls of the church-house.

(As a class, sing together Isaiah's words from 41:10, and 43:2 or have a class member who is a vocalist sing them.  These are found in our hymn, "How Firm a Foundation," verses 3-5.  As a postlude, play a recording of "He Shall Feed His Flock.")

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Source:  Patrick Kavanaugh, Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers, p. 27-33

For a wonderful fictionalized account of Handel's life and his great work, the Messiah, I strongly recommend the book Hallelujah, by Scott Featherstone.  (Yes, his father's name is Vaughan J.)

Supplement to OT Lesson #37

Isaiah 22; 24-26; 28-30

Note:  The previous blog entry has a complete lesson based entirely on Isaiah 25.  This entry offers additional insights into the other chapters included in the reading assignment.

ISAIAH 22

v.11 refers to the fortifications and preparations for seige made by Hezekiah.  (See a previous entry for more information on this story.)  Although these were entirely effective protection under Hezekiah's righteous rule, if the people do not look unto their Maker, it will not matter how ingenius their fortifications are. 

v.12-13 The Lord called for repentance.  He expected sorrow, weeping, self-abasement in sackcloth and ashes, but instead, the people continued to indulge recklessly in their worldly pursuits, "eating and drinking."  They are unconcerned. (Ludlow, p. 233; Parry, p. 198)

v. 15  Shebna was an actual person, singled out as an example.  He was leader of the king's court, equal to a present-day secretary of state.  (Ludlow, p. 234, Parry, p. 199)

v. 19  This prophecy was fulfilled; Shebna was demoted.  (Isa. 36:3)

v. 20  Eliakim was another real person with a position in the kingdom.  He held the keys to the king's storerooms (v. 22).  His family depended upon his position as their security (v. 24).  He was unsuccessful, however (v. 25).  But his story can also be interpreted as being a type of Christ.  Eliakim means "God shall cause to arise" (see footnote).  He will be priest, king and father (v. 21).  He will hold the keys of the priesthood (v. 22) that will "open, and none shall shut; and...shut, and none shall open."  He will be fastened "as a nail in a sure place" on the cross (v. 23).  As he hung on the cross, so "the glory of his father's house" will hang upon him, and all the children of God, "offspring and issue," will rely upon his merits and position (v. 24).  "In that day" (usually meaning the final days or the end of the world) "the nail that is fastened in the sure place" will be removed, the sorrow and pain that was afflicted upon Christ and those who take up His cross, will be "cut down, and fall; and the burden...shall be cut off" (v. 25).  (Ludlow, p. 235; Parry, p. 199)

CHAPTER 24

v. 1 See D&C 5:19.

v. 2 Twelve groups of people are listed, in six opposing sets, representing all castes and levels of society.  The wrath of the Lord upon the earth will be no respecter of persons.  (Parry, p. 215)

v. 5  Three reasons are given for the devastation:  1) the people have transgressed the laws, 2) changed the ordinance, and 3) broken the everlasting covenant.  This verse was quoted in the introduction to the D&C, D&C 1:15-17.

But, of course, the righteous will be saved:

v.13 They will be few, as the last olives clinging to the tree which must be shaken down, and as the grapes that are left when the harvest is over.

CHAPTER 25

See previous blog entry.

CHAPTER 26

This is a song of praise for the Lord.  The basic theme is:

v. 13-14  Israel admits having previous gods, but now has turned to Jehovah.

v. 15  The promise of the Abrahamic Covenant is being fulfilled; the Lord "hast increased the nation."

v. 19 The dead will be resurrected.

CHAPTER 28

This chapter is replete with interesting imagery about the ways of wickedness, alternating with imagery about Christ and what he offers to those who would accept it.

v. 1-4 Woes to the wicked church members ("drunkards of Ephraim")

v. 5-6 Praise for the Lord who, in the last days, will be glorious and helpful to the righteous.

v. 7-8 Description of the disgusting condition of the wicked

v. 9-13 The Lord reveals his word to those who are spiritually mature ("weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts") or, an alternative interpretation, using the footnotes, he reveals his word to those who have been taught from infancy.  Either way, revelation will be received bit by bit over time.  It is a process.  Those who really desire it must hang on patiently, and learn as they go.  Those who are not willing to do so, will "fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."

v.14-15  Sinners foolishly make covenants with "death and hell," thinking that, just because they desire it, or just because Satan lies to them about it, or because it is fashionable, they can change the consequences of their actions and avoid punishment and devastation.

v.16-17  The Lord will lay out a sure foundation, however: one that will not fail, one that will function as promised.  This would undoubtedly be the Savior and his Atonement.  (Jacob 4:16-17; Helaman 5:12)

v. 18-20  A return to the previous concept, that false covenants will not stand, no matter how much the people believe in them.  They will be "trodden down" by an "overflowing scourge."  It will be so severe, that it will be troubling just to hear about ("a vexation only to understand the report"), let alone to be involved in it.  Agreements with evil are like beds that are "shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it" and like a blanket "narrower than that he can wrap himself in it."  They will never be successful solutions, comforts, or resting places like the "sure foundation."

v. 21-22  The Lord will do "his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act."  He has determined a trial ("consumption") for everyone "upon the whole earth."  He has a plan that man cannot comprehend, in which to best aid each of these foolish children. 

v. 23  Listen!  This is important!  ("Give ye ear, and hear my voice.")

v. 24-29 And here is the important thing:  The Lord personalizes trying circumstances to exactly match the need of each wandering individual.  God tailors the chastisement to the person, to best prepare him to repent and receive the gospel seed.  He does exactly the right amount of chastening--never too much, never not enough.  "Fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument."  Fitches are little black poppyseeds and would be crushed if threshed.  "Neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin."  If it was, the delicate cumin would be destroyed.  Instead, "the fitches are beaten out [by hand] with a staff, and the cummin with a rod."  Corn (or wheat), however, must be threshed, or there will be no harvest.  "Bread corn is bruised." "When it is necessary to separate the sinful parts of our nature from the divine, he will shake us, but with as little severity as possible to achieve the desired outcome" (Mark Edmond, p. 200).  This shows that the Lord is "wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working."

CHAPTER 29

This is a prophecy of the Book of Mormon, "the marvelous work and a wonder."

v. 1-2 "Ariel" refers to Jerusalem.  (Parry, p. 261)

v. 11 was quoted by Moroni to Joseph Smith in September of 1823.  (Ensign, Aug. 1990, p. 13-16)

v. 11-12 Much more detail on these verses is given in the Book of Mormon version, 2 Nephi 27:6-24.

v.15-17 Those who have been calling good evil and evil good, who have expected positive consequences from wicked works, who have denied the existence of their Creator, are going to see an upset. Things they have turned "upside-down" will shift:  Lebanon, known for its mighty forests, will become a farmer's field.  The fruitful field, in turn, will become a forest.

v.18-24 The chapter closes with a beautiful long about the latter days.  The meek and poor in spirit who come unto Christ (see the Beatitudes in 3 Nephi 12:3-10) will have increased "joy in the Lord."  All of the evil will be overturned and overruled.  Those who have followed Christ ("the house of Jacob") will neither be laid low ("ashamed") nor given cause to fear ("face now wax pale").  When they see Christ this time, they will "sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and [respect and reverence] the God of Israel."  Those that "erred in spirit shall come to understanding," and even those that "murmured" (think: Laman and Lemuel) shall learn the gospel!!!

CHAPTER 30

This chapter continues the theme:  men are grossly wicked, yet the Lord remains ever attendant to bring them back to the truth.

v. 1-11  The people are terriby wicked, and the sources they seek for strength are not the Lord.

v. 12-14 Trusting in sinful ways is extremely dangerous and will always fail.  For a while, it seems fine, like a "high wall" as that around Jerusalem, or as a retaining wall or a dam.  But always, there will come a "breach" which will "swell out" gradually, and then "breaking cometh suddenly at an instant."  Imagine a city wall collapsing and allowing the enemy soldiers to pour into the city, or a dam breaking and flooding over homes and farmlands.  Destruction will always follow wickedness, eventually.  (Parry, p. 279)

v. 15-17 True strength, which is always offered to Israel, is "in returning and rest...in quietness and in confidence."  Returning can also be translated as repenting.  (New International Version; Parry, p. 280). But Israel refuses the sure way, the easy way, the way of faith in the Lord, and instead "flees upon horses," but is always overtaken.

v. 18-20  But God is amazingly patient and ever loving!  He will "wait, that he may be gracious unto you...that he may have mercy upon you."  He will give "the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction," but note that bread and water are sustenance, nourishment!  They are "teachers" and eventually the children of Israel shall see them as such.

v. 21-24  Finally the House of Israel will notice the "word behind [them], saying, This is the way, walk ye in it!"  They will be in tune with the Holy Ghost, and follow its promptings!  (Parry, p. 282)  They will throw out their idols, and they will realize how truly abominable and disgusting their past behaviors were, the vilest of garbage to be thrown away ("a menstruous cloth").  The Lord will then bless them, "give rain to their seed" and "bread of the increase of the earth," replacing the bread of adversity and the water of affliction.

v.25-33 "Upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill" (in other words, in the multitudes of temples around the world) there will be "rivers and streams of waters," the living water of Jesus Christ, flowing abundantly.  This will happen in the day when the wicked are overthrown ("the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall").  We often repeat the prophecy that the sun and moon will be darkened, but seldom this one: that after the slaughter, the light of the moon and the sun will increase exponentially!  In fact, to the degree of a holy perfection:  "sevenfold, as the light of seven days."  The wicked will be violently destroyed, but the righteous, those who "come into the mountain of the Lord" (the templegoers), will be gloriously blessed.

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Sources:

Victor Ludlow, Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet
Parry, Parry and Peterson, Understanding Isaiah
Mark Edmond, "Images of Mercy in the Writings of Isaiah," Covenants, Hymns and Prophecies of the Old Testament

Old Testament Lesson #36 "The Glory of Zion Will Be a Defense"

Isaiah 1-6

APPRECIATING ISAIAH

Sergei Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto is commonly considered one of the most challenging piano pieces ever written.  It is not often performed because it is so difficult to play (although it is often used in international competitions for the very same reason), and it requires skill on the part of the listener to understand it and enjoy it. 

You can hear the great Russian pianist, Vladimir Horowitz, play this piece with the New York Philharmonic if you click here. (By the way, Rachmaninoff, when he heard Horowitz perform it, said he would never play it himself again.)

1) Listen to the first 24 seconds of music, and notice the beautiful melody that is played on the piano. This is the main theme of the piece, the part you will find yourself singing the rest of the day, if you listen to the entire movement. This phrase is an antecedant, or a question.  You can hear how it is open-ended; it goes upwards; it sounds incomplete.  Later on, of course, there is a similar phrase that "answers" it, and provides a feeling of closure.

2) Listen to those 24 seconds again, and this time, notice that it is not a single note that is being played, but two notes in different registers.  The pianist's skill deceives us into thinking it is one note at a time, but having the two sets of strings ringing at once gives a richer, more beautiful ringing sound.

3) Listen to it again and hear how the bassoon brings in its voice in the background to provide a complementary melody.  It adds a melancholy feel.

4) Listen again, and notice the first thing you actually hear, before the piano or the bassoon, is the bass violin providing a backbeat, lending a sense of urgency.  (The Beatles were not the first to use a backbeat.)  Although you don't really notice it, it draws you in, and carries you away throughout the piece.  It keeps you from relaxing.  It provides an anxious heartbeat.

5) If you continue to listen beyond the first 24 seconds, you hear this main theme repeated in the string section, with the pianist accompanying.  You hear it come up again and again, with different feelings, sometimes with great dissonance and chords that crash together with great pathos.  (Unfortunately, YouTube only allows 10-minute segments, so you don't get to hear the entire movement played by Horowitz.  You can find it in other places on the internet, however, played by other pianists.)

I love this piece more every time I listen to it, because I pick up something new each time.  I also love it because I was able to hear it for the first time at the International Tchaikovsky Competition at the Moscow Conservatory during the one evening my husband and I had available on my first reluctant trip to Russia--an amazing coincidence.  I had never heard the complete concerto live, and, being a pianist and a piano teacher myself, I had long wanted to, so this blessing was tailored to my desire.  So, in addition to enjoying the depth and meaning of the piece itself, there is a depth and feeling of love that accompanies it for me, as I remember my Heavenly Father's gift to me that day.  Hearing this performance was a high point of my "musical life."  I don't think I will ever tire of listening to Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto, and having learned something about the composer since, I have a great desire to meet him myself in the next life.

There are all kinds of music to enjoy.  Some of it is just fun, and very easy to understand, like, "She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.  She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah."  The message is: She loves him.  A three-year-old could figure it out.  But this concerto isn't lightweight, wallpaper-type music that you can listen to in the background while you are doing something else.  It requires rapt attention.  You have to sit down in front of the speakers.  You have to close your eyes.  You have to be uninterrupted.

Isaiah is to gospel literature as Rachmaninoff's Third Concerto is to music. Isaiah requires commitment.  You don't just breathe it in; you have to sit down at the table with your knife and fork.  But, like the concerto, you can also enjoy it and gain something from it in your very first reading, and each time you come back to it, you can pick up a little more.  As significant events happen in your spiritual life, the Lord may speak to you through the scriptures, and then you add the depth of feeling that accompanied that experience.  You are moved as you hear Isaiah performed musically, such as in Handel's Messiah (40:1-5, 11; 53:3-6), in the hymn, "How Firm a Foundation" (41:10; 43:2), and in other sacred songs (40:31; 52:7).  You gain a desire to one day meet the Author of those passages, Jesus Christ.  Additional feelings may be evoked when you see Isaiah in unexpected places, such as in front of the United Nations Building in New York City, below (2:4). 

Each time you read it, you love it more, and you understand it better. There are so many levels, you will never reach the bottom of Isaiah. In fact, Isaiah was commanded to make his writings hard to understand (6:9-10) that those who were not sincere would not be quickly converted, fall away, and then be held responsible for knowing better than they were willing to behave. You have to pay a price to understand Isaiah, therefore you receive more joy with each bit of understanding you gain. Christ commanded the Nephites to "search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah" (3 Ne. 23:1) "Note the word diligently. Casually doesn't work; we've already tried that" (Gary Poll).

STUDYING ISAIAH

You can study Isaiah so many ways:

1) You can simply read it, enjoying the rhythm and beauty of the words.

2) You can pick it apart into tiny pieces, word by word, noting minute details, and researching them in depth.  (See ideas for storing your information in a previous entry.)

3) You can watch for repetitions of the main themes.  (See ideas in the next section.)

4) You can follow different aspects, like the different voices of the orchestra, such as the geography, the poetic style of the day (see a previous blog entry for help with that), the symbolism, references to mountains and temples, the historical time periods, etc.

5) You can take advantage of the many references and commentaries available in the LDS scriptures, starting with the footnotes about alternate translations and the Joseph Smith Translation, and the commentary provided in the Book of Mormon.  The best references for interpreting scriptures are always other scriptures.  Elder Bruce R. McConkie said you cannot really understand Isaiah without the Book of Mormon.  It is "the world's greatest commentary on Isaiah."  Not only does the Book of Mormon quote 446 verses of Isaiah, and comment on many of them, it also brings the Spirit of the Holy Ghost, which will heighten understanding.  So read the Book of Mormon as you read the Old Testament.

6) Each time the Old Testament comes around in Sunday School study, you could purchase another book of commentary by an LDS gospel scholar. Unlike the Ethiopian in Acts 8:27-31, we have no need to ask, "How can I understand except some man should guide me?" when so many books are available to us.

7) You can create an "emergency spiritual food storage" for times of trial to come, by highlighting in a different color all the verses you find about the mercy and love of the Lord.   

SOME MAIN THEMES FOUND IN ISAIAH

The Lord is Ever Merciful

"A correct knowledge of God's character traits and attributes, his personality and disposition, is of vital import in mankind's quest for exaltation...We must know a Being who asks our all before we can place trust, faith, and ultimately, our complete submission on the altar. Isaiah addresses this theme at the very onset of his writing and weaves it as a cord throughout." (Mark Eastmond)

Pattern of the Old Testament:
1)Statement of the problem; 2)Consequences, 3)Statement of the Cure, 4)Reason for Hope

1) The Problem:  The children of Israel don't know they belong to God. (1:2-4)
2) The Consequences:  Wounds, bruises, sickness, desolation. (1:5-7)
3) The Cure: Wash you, put away evil, relieve the oppressed, seek justice for the fatherless. (1:16-17)
4) The Hope: Sins as scarlet will be white as snow, the good of land will be a reward. (1:18-19) (Michael Wilcox)

God's Plan to Fulfill His Covenant

"Isaiah blends the imagery of the tabernacle from his day, the mortal and postmortal mission of Christ, and the restoration of the gospel and construction of temples in the latter-days to reveal the Lord's plan for restoring the children of Israel to the covenant.  Isaiah blends these ideas over and over, going back and forth in both time and event, leaving readers to engage themselves more in the finished tapestry than to look for each individual thread."

1) Many of the house of Israel will die before receiving the covenant.

2) Christ must come and open the way for all people to be taught the gospel and enter into the presence of God.

3) "Mountains" (temples) will provide a way whereby all, including the dead, may receive the covenant.

4) The Gentiles of the latter days will be instrumental in helping ancient Israel receive the covenant.  (Michael King)

Isaiah is written in "3-D," or is multi-dimensional.  There is more than one meaning, more than one angle to take.  We can look at it from the front and see one thing, and walk around it to the back side and see another.  Rather than reading it literally, we need to put on our "3-D glasses" to see the meaning of the symbols.  In addition, Isaiah is full of dualism in that most of the prophecies were to be fulfilled in two different time periods. 

Keeping these things in mind, here are some ideas on chapters one and six.

CHAPTER ONE: THE INTRODUCTION

1:1 is the title.

1:2 states the main problem.
1:3 People are dumber than animals.  At least animals are aware of where their food comes from.  People turn away from the Source.  Wickedness does not promote rational thought ("doth not consider").
1:5 "Head" denotes the leaders of the people; "heart" denotes the core of the people.
1:6 "Putrifying sores" tells how spiritually diseased they are.  They have not even used simple first aid to clean the wound.
1:7  The Assyrians, Babylonians, and Romans all conquered the children of Israel.  This also has connotations in the 20th-21st Centuries.
1:8  A "lodge" is a little shade hut for a gardener; not a secure place.  About the shoddiest construction the Jews would have known.
1:9  If God hadn't intervened, there would have been nothing left.  Although it is assumed to be at the bottom of the Dead Sea, there is no remnant of Sodom and Gommorah that has ever been found by archeologists.  It has completely vanished from the earth without a trace.
1:10 "Rulers of Sodom"--a slap in the face to the Israelites.  An equivalent insult in our day might be to compare someone to Hitler.
1:11  Why pretend to worship?  Like people who are schemers and cheaters or viewers of pornography during the week, but are still taking the sacrament every Sunday in their suits and ties.
1:13  For "new moons," see Bible Dictionary, p. 738.  The people are simply "following the dots," but the worship is empty.
1:16  "Wash you" means to be baptized or, if already baptized, to renew the covenant.  "Cease to do evil--learn to do well" are linked: When you leave behind your sins, you need to fill that void with good works.
1:18  Scarlet and crimson were some of the very few colorfast dyes of ancient days.  Wool takes a lot of work to be made nice and white: the shearing, washing with fuller's soap, scrubbing, carding.
1:21  A harlot takes something sacred and holy and sells it for money: it's not just wicked, it's profane.
1:22  Dross is the waste from the metal processing.  (David J. Ridges)

 CHAPTER SIX: ISAIAH'S CALL

6:1  "Train" refers to the hem of his garment, signifying his great power, the great robe of his righteousness, filling the temple of Heaven.

6:2  The word seraphim comes from the Hebrew root sarap, which means "to burn."  Therefore, in this context it means "the burning ones," or "the bright, shining ones," which describes the glorious condition of the angels who are in the Celestial Kingdom near God's throne.  (See D&C 109:79)  That they have two wings covering their eyes may refer to being veiled, as in temple clothing, from the glory of God.  The two wings covering their feet may also denote temple clothing and the holiness of the ground upon which they walk.  The wings with which to fly symbolize the ability to act quickly and unimpeded.
6:3  Repeating something three times, such as "Holy, holy, holy," signifies the ultimate, the maximum.  This is the Hebrew superlative.  This particular cry points to the Godhead.  "Lord of hosts" refers to the Captain of the Heavenly army.  "Lord of Hosts" is used 62 times in Isaiah.
6:4  "Posts of the door moved."  The passageway trembles when the Lord speaks.  The presence of smoke indicates the presence of the Lord (Rev. 15:8).
6:5  "I am undone" means "I am destroyed," or "I am lost," for (or because) he has found himself unworthy in the presence of the Lord.  Isaiah realizes his nothingness and unworthiness next to God, much as did Moses (Moses 1:9-11).
6:6-7  But one of the seraphims flies to him with a live coal (remember, the "burning" is because of holiness, as in verse 2), which he has taken from the altar that symbolizes Christ's Atonement.  When he touches Isaiah's lips (the entrance to the inward parts of the body), Isaiah is cleansed and purified. It is similar to our sacrament, in which taking a token into our mouths allows us to be forgiven through the Atonement, and purifies us once again with the Holy Ghost.
6:8  "Here I am" in Hebrew signifies more than mere presence, but readiness to do what is asked.  In fact, it shows a willingness to give one's life for the person asking.  This is the same phrase Christ used.  Isaiah is a type of Christ.
6:9  Check all the footnotes at the bottom of the page for Christ's references to this commandment given to Isaiah to make the scriptures hard for the casual reader to understand.  Also see John 12:37-41.
6:10  "Heart" in ancient Hebrew refers to the center of thought and motivation, therefore the New Revised Standard Version reads, "Make the mind of this people dull."
6:11-12  "How long" will men choose spiritual blindness?  The answer: Until they are desolate--to the end.
6:13  A small remnant of the people will be preserved, and as a tree that is dormant or felled, that stump will regenerate because its substance is the holy seed:  Christ and his gospel.  (Parry, Parry and Peterson, plus my own interpretation)

Sources: 

Gary Poll, "Keys to Understanding Isaiah," BYU Education Week Lecture, August 2002.

Mark Eastmond, "Images of Mercy in the Writings of Isaiah," Covenants, Prophecies, and Hymns of the Old Testament: The 30th Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, p. 196-197.

Michael Wilcox, "Finding Themes and Patterns in the Scriptures," BYU Education Week Lecture, August 2008.

Michael L. King, "Isaiah's Vision of God's Plan to Fulfill His Covenant," Covenants, Prophecies, and Hymns of the Old Testament: The 30th Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, p. 162-179

David J. Ridges, "Isaiah Made Easier," BYU Education Week Lecture, August 2002

Donald W. Parry, Jay A. Parry, Tina M. Peterson, Understanding Isaiah, p. 62-67.