pgs. 90 and 91...shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith?

15 The ^aancient, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

16 For the ^aleaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are ^bled of them are destroyed.

17 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have ^amercy on their fatherless and ^bwidows; for ^cevery one of them is a hypocrite and an ^devildoer, and every mouth speaketh ^efolly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his ^fhand is stretched out still.

18 For ^awickedness burneth as the fire; it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forests, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.

19 Through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is the ^aland darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire; ^bno man shall spare his brother.

20 And he ^ashall snatch on the right hand and be hungry; and he shall ^beat on the left hand and they shall not be satisfied; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm—

21 Manasseh, ^aEphraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; they together shall be against ^bJudah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

CHAPTER 20

Destruction of Assyria is a type of destruction of wicked at the Second Coming—Few people shall be left after the Lord comes again—Remnant of Jacob shall return in that day—Compare Isaiah 10. Between 559 and 545 B.C.

1 ^aWo unto them that decree ^bunrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;

2 To turn away the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the ^apoor of my people, that ^bwidows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!

3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is ^atheir indignation.

6 I will send him ^aagainst a hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but in his heart it is to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

8 For he saith: Are not my ^aprinces altogether kings?

9 Is not ^aCalno as ^bCarchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? Is not Samaria as ^cDamascus?

10 As ^amy hand hath founded the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her ^aidols, so do to Jerusalem and to her idols?

12 Wherefore it shall come to pass that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and upon Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of ^aAssyria, and the glory of his high looks.

13 For ^ahe saith: By the strength of ^bmy hand and by my wisdom I have done these things; for I am prudent; and I have moved the borders of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man;

14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people; and as one gathereth eggs that are left have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

15 Shall the ^aax boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? As if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself as if it were no wood!

16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, send among his fat ones, leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.

17 And the light of Israel shall be for a ^afire, and his Holy One for a flame, and shall burn and shall devour his thorns and his briers in one day;

18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body; and they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth.

19 And the ^arest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the ^ahouse of Jacob, shall no more again ^bstay upon him that smote them, but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21 The ^aremnant shall return, yea, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

22 For though thy people ^aIsrael be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall ^breturn; the ^cconsumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

23 For the Lord God of Hosts shall make a ^aconsumption, even determined in all the land.

24 Therefore, thus saith the Lord God of Hosts: O my people that dwellest in Zion, ^abe not afraid of the Assyrian; he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the ^bmanner of Egypt.

25 For yet a very little while, and the ^aindignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.

26 And the Lord of Hosts shall ^astir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of ^bMidian at the rock of Oreb; and as his rod was upon the sea so shall he lift it up after the manner of ^cEgypt.


The writing on these pages continue Isaiah's record of the ancient history of Israel. They describe the war between Israel and Assyria and how Assyria will prevail but should not be proud because they are only fulfilling the Lord's purposes (see verse 15.) It is another testimony to me that the Lord's plan WILL be carried out and it should never be questioned.

pgs. 88 and 89...For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder.

CHAPTER 18

Christ shall be as a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense—Seek the Lord, not peeping wizards—Turn to the law and to the testimony for guidance—Compare Isaiah 8. Between 559 and 545 B.C.
1 Moreover, the word of the Lord said unto me: Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen, concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz.
2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.
3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived and bare a son. Then said the Lord to me: Call his name, Maher-shalal-hash-baz.
4 For behold, the child shall not have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, before the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
5 The Lord spake also unto me again, saying:
6 Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;
7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria and all his glory; and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks.
8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.
9 Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear all ye of far countries; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand; for God is with us.
11 For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying:
12 Say ye not, A confederacy, to all to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
13 Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling, and for a crock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many among them shall stumble and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
17 And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
18 Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of Hosts, which dwelleth in Mount Zion.
19 And when they shall say unto you: Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and mutter—should not a people seek unto their God for the living to hear from the dead?
20 To the law and to the testimony; and if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
21 And they shall pass through it hardly bestead and hungry; and it shall come to pass that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
22 And they shall look unto the earth and behold trouble, and darkness, dimness of anguish, and shall be driven to darkness.

CHAPTER 19

Isaiah speaks Messianically—The people in darkness to see a great Light—Unto us a child is born—He shall be the Prince of Peace and shall reign on David’s throne—Compare Isaiah 9. Between 559 and 545 B.C.
1 Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, and afterwards did more grievously afflict by the way of the Red Sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of the nations.
2 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.
3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and increased the joy—they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor.
5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
6 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.
7 Of the increase of government and peace bthere is no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.
8 The Lord sent his word unto Jacob and it hath lighted upon Israel.
9 And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart:
10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.
11 Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together;
12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
13 For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts.
14 Therefore will the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush in one day.

Did you recognize the words from Handel's Messiah in Chapter 19 verse 6?  The words are so beautiful and poetic, it is no surprise that Handel chose to use them in his classic, well-loved work.  Here is a little summary from the Book of Mormon Institute Manual about this verse:

"The titles given to the Messiah in verse 6 signify his service to mankind. He is the wonder of the ages and a counselor in the ways of eternal life (see Jacob 4:10). He who was born in a lowly manger is Jehovah, the “Mighty God” (2 Nephi 19:6) of Israel come to earth. Those who have faith in Christ and covenant with the Lord in the waters of baptism become his children and he becomes their “Everlasting Father” (v. 6, see also Mosiah 5:7). When the Messiah was born, the angels sang “peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14) because the “Prince of Peace” (2 Nephi 19:6), even “the founder of peace” (Mosiah 15:18), had come to earth. His government and peace will last forever."

pgs. 86 and 87...Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.

CHAPTER 16

Isaiah sees the Lord—Isaiah’s sins are forgiven—He is called to prophesy—He prophesies of the rejection by the Jews of Christ’s teachings—A remnant shall return—Compare Isaiah 6. Between 559 and 545 B.C.
1 In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the seraphim; each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I: Wo is unto me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar;
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said: Lo, this has touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said: Here am I; send me.
9 And he said: Go and tell this people—Hear ye indeed, but they understood not; and see ye indeed, but they perceived not.
10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes—lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed.
11 Then said I: Lord, how long? And he said: Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate;
12 And the Lord have removed men far away, for there shall be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
13 But yet there shall be a tenth, and they shall return, and shall be eaten, as a teil-tree, and as an oak whose substance is in them when they cast their leaves; so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

CHAPTER 17

Ephraim and Syria wage war against Judah—Christ shall be born of a virgin—Compare Isaiah 7. Between 559 and 545 B.C.
1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.
2 And it was told the house of David, saying: Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
3 Then said the Lord unto Isaiah: Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field;
4 And say unto him: Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be faint-hearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying:
6 Let us go up against Judah and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, yea, the son of Tabeal.
7 Thus saith the Lord God: It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus, Rezin; and within three score and five years shall Ephraim be broken that it be not a people.
9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe surely ye shall not be established.
10 Moreover, the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying:
11 Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depths, or in the heights above.
12 But Ahaz said: I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.
13 And he said: Hear ye now, O house of David; is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
14 Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign—Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil and to choose the good.
16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
17 The Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house, days that have not come from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah, the king of Assyria.
18 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.
20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, a man shall nourish a young cow and two sheep;
22 And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk they shall give he shall eat butter; for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.
23 And it shall come to pass in that day, every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, which shall be for briers and thorns.
24 With arrows and with bows shall men come thither, because all the land shall become briers and thorns.
25 And all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and the treading of lesser cattle.

I learned a few things in my "Writings of Isaiah" class at BYU that explained some of the expressions in these pages.  Maybe you already know them but just in case you don't I'll describe them.  The first is that when a word is written three times it is the same as us saying good, better, and best.  So when Isaiah writes holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts in verse 3 of chapter 16 he is emphasizing that the Savior is not just holy or holier but holiest!

The second is that a reference to butter and honey is symbolic of comfortable living and prosperity.  In the days of Isaiah if you were able to eat butter and honey it meant that you had access to a healthy cow who produced milk and to bees that had access to the pollen of blooming flowers.  For this to be possible the land must not have been suffering from drought or severe weather.

A third insight was about Seraphim which are mentioned in verses 1 and 2 of chapter 16.  I like this quote that sums up what I remember:

“Seraphs are angels who reside in the presence of God, giving continual glory, honor, and adoration to him. . . .The fact that these holy beings were shown to him [Isaiah] as having wings was simply to symbolize their ‘power, to move, to act, etc.’ as was the case also in visions others had received. (D. & C. 77:4.)” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 702–3).

I know there are still a lot of  mysteries in these verses that I didn't even touch on but at least these are a few small insights.  

P.S. There's a trivial Hollywood connection to this chapter! Do you know which celebrity A-list couple just named their daughter Seraphina after these angels in Isaiah? 

If so leave it in a comment! : ) 

pgs. 84 and 85...Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil...

CHAPTER 14
Zion and her daughters shall be redeemed and cleansed in the millennial day—Compare Isaiah 4. Between 559 and 545 B.C.

1 And in that day, seven women shall take hold of one man, saying: We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach.

2 In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious; the fruit of the earth excellent and comely to them that are escaped of Israel.

3 And it shall come to pass, they that are left in Zion and remain in Jerusalem shall be called holy, every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem—

4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning.

5 And 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.

6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and a covert from storm and from rain

CHAPTER 15
The Lord’s vineyard (Israel) shall become desolate and his people shall be scattered—Woes shall come upon them in their apostate and scattered state—The Lord shall lift an ensign and gather Israel—Compare Isaiah 5. Between 559 and 545 B.C.

1 And then will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved, touching his vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill.

2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a wine-press therein; and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

4 What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes it brought forth wild grapes.

5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard—I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down;

6 And I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

7 For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant; and he looked for judgment, and behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry.

8 Wo unto them that join house to house, till there can be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

9 In mine ears, said the Lord of Hosts, of a truth many houses shall be desolate, and great and fair cities without inhabitant.

10 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of a homer shall yield an ephah.

11 Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink, that continue until night, and wine inflame them!

12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine are in their feasts; but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.

13 Therefore, my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

14 Therefore, hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure; and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.

16 But the Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

18 Wo unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope;

19 That say: Let him make speed, hasten his work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it.

20 Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Wo unto the wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight!

22 Wo unto the mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink;

23 Who justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

24 Therefore, as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, their root shall be rottenness, and their blossoms shall go up as dust; because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

25 Therefore, is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them; and the hills did tremble, and their carcasses were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth; and behold, they shall come with speed swiftly; none shall be weary nor stumble among them.

27 None shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken;

28 Whose arrows shall be sharp, and all their bows bent, and their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind, their roaring like a lion.

29 They shall roar like young lions; yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry away safe, and none shall deliver.

30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea; and if they look unto the land, behold, darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

One of my favorite expressions in the scriptures is found in verse 25 when Isaiah tells us that "his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still."

To me this means that even when He is angry with His children he is still willing to stretch out his hand. This reminds me of an experience I had yesterday skiing with my daughter. She likes to go on the little "cat trails" through the trees that are on the borders of the groomed runs. I told her that would be ok but not until our second day back skiing since yesterday was our first day of the season and we were getting back up to speed. She didn't listen and ended up going through a few of them. On our last run she ended up losing speed and couldn't quite get around one of the trees in the trail and so she ran into the tree face on. One ski was on one side of the tree and one on the other and she was "hugging" the tree, hurt and crying. Luckily she wasn't going very fast so she wasn't hurt very badly. Even though I was upset with her for disobeying me of course my first concern was for her safety. After I skied over to her and helped her get untangled I tried to explain to her that this is why I didn't want her to go on the trails in the first place.

I think this might be what the Lord feels sometimes with us. When we disobey him and choose not to keep the commandments although he may be angry with us for our disobedience it doesn't stop him from reaching out to help us. He will pick us up when we fall and then remind us that the commandments are there to help us from getting hurt in the first place.

pgs. 82 and 83...And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted...

13 Yea, and the day of the Lord shall come upon all the cedars of Lebanon, for they are high and lifted up; and upon all the oaks of Bashan;
14 And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills, and upon all the nations which are lifted up, and upon every people;
15 And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall;
16 And upon all the ships of the sea, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.
17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish.
19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for the fear of the Lord shall come upon them and the glory of his majesty shall smite them, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which he hath made for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for the fear of the Lord shall come upon them and the majesty of his glory shall smite them, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of?

CHAPTER 13
Judah and Jerusalem shall be punished for their disobedience—The Lord pleads for and judges his people—The daughters of Zion are cursed and tormented for their worldliness—Compare Isaiah 3. Between 559 and 545 B.C.
1 For behold, 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 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient;
3 The captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counselor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
4 And I will give children unto them to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor; the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honorable.
6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, and shall say: Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let not this ruin come under thy hand—
7 In that day shall he swear, saying: I will not be a healer; for in my house there is neither bread nor clothing; make me not a ruler of the people.
8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen, because their tongues and their doings have been against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
9 The show of their countenance doth witness against them, and doth declare their sin to be even as Sodom, and they cannot hide it. Wo unto their souls, for they have rewarded evil unto themselves!
10 Say unto the righteous that it is well with them; for they shall beat the fruit of their doings.
11 Wo unto the wicked, for they shall perish; for the reward of their hands shall be upon them!
12 And my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they who lead thee cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy paths.
13 The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.
14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people and the princes thereof; for ye have eaten up the vineyard and the spoil of the poor in your houses.
15 What mean ye? Ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor, saith the Lord God of Hosts.
16 Moreover, the Lord saith: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet—
17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.
18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments, and cauls, and round tires like the moon;
19 The chains and the bracelets, and the mufflers;
20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the ear-rings;
21 The rings, and nose jewels;
22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping-pins;
23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and hoods, and the veils.
24 And it shall come to pass, instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle, a rent; and instead of well set hair, baldness; and instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth; burning instead of beauty.
25 Thy men shall fall by the sword and thy mighty in the war.
26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate, and shall sit upon the ground.

I have to admit these verses seem like a lot of doom and gloom to me.  My husband and I were trying to decide if this is referring to the destruction that happened when Jerusalem fell to Babylon after Lehi's people escaped or if it still in the future.  I have to say that I hope it already occurred but my husband pointed out that Isaiah is known for "parallel teaching" which can refer to more than one time period.  So even if it did happen already that doesn't mean it won't happen again.  Which means all of us just need to stay close to the Spirit so we will be able to be safe if the wrath of the Lord finds it's way to the earth.

P.S.  Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!!

P.P.S.  I am blogging from my husbands laptop while on vacation for the next few days.  If things look different than usual or are posted later that's why.  Thanks for your patience!

pgs. 80 and 81...Now these are the words, and ye may liken them unto you and unto all men.

CHAPTER 11

Jacob saw his Redeemer—The law of Moses typifies Christ and proves he shall come. Between 559 and 545 B.C.

1 And now, ^aJacob spake many more things to my people at that time; nevertheless only these things have I caused to be ^bwritten, for the things which I have written sufficeth me.

2 And now I, Nephi, write ^amore of the words of ^bIsaiah, 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 verily ^csaw my ^dRedeemer, even as I have seen him.

3 And my brother, Jacob, also has ^aseen 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 ^bthree, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more ^cwitnesses, and he proveth all his words.

4 Behold, my soul delighteth in ^aproving unto my people the truth of the ^bcoming of Christ; for, for this end hath the ^claw of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the ^dtypifying of him.

5 And also my soul delighteth in the ^acovenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his ^bgrace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of ^cdeliverance from death.

6 And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people that ^asave Christ should come all men must perish.

7 For if there be ^ano Christ there be no God; and if there be no God we are not, for there could have been no ^bcreation. But there is a God, and ^che is Christ, and he cometh in the fulness of his own time.

8 And now I write ^asome 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.

CHAPTER 12

Isaiah sees the latter-day temple, gathering of Israel, and millennial judgment and peace—The proud and wicked shall be brought low at the Second Coming—Compare Isaiah 2. Between 559 and 545 B.C.

1 ^aThe word that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, ^awhen the ^bmountain of the Lord’s ^chouse shall be established in the top of the ^dmountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.

3 And many ^apeople shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the ^bmountain of the Lord, to the ^chouse of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will ^dwalk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

4 And he shall ^ajudge 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.

5 O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord; yea, come, for ye have all ^agone astray, every one to his ^bwicked ways.

6 Therefore, O Lord, thou hast forsaken thy people, the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and hearken unto ^asoothsayers like the ^bPhilistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.

7 Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their ^atreasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots.

8 Their land is also full of ^aidols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.

9 And the mean man ^aboweth ^bnot down, and the great man humbleth himself not, therefore, forgive him not.

10 O ye wicked ones, enter into the rock, and ^ahide thee in the dust, for the fear of the Lord and the glory of his majesty shall smite thee.

11 And it shall come to pass that the ^alofty 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.

12 For the ^aday of the Lord of Hosts soon cometh upon all nations, yea, upon every one; yea, upon the ^bproud and lofty, and upon every one who is lifted up, and he shall be brought low.


Did you know that Isaiah's name means "Jehovah is salvation?" After studying these pages and the previous Isaiah quotes it is no surprise, right? Isaiah lived about 100 years before Nephi and his people so I was thinking, quoting him then might be something like us quoting Joseph Smith now.

pgs. 78 and 79...it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.

CHAPTER 10

Jews shall crucify their God—They shall be scattered until they begin to believe in him—America shall be a land of liberty where no king shall rule—Be reconciled to God and gain salvation through his grace. Between 559 and 545 B.C.

1 And now I, Jacob, speak unto you again, my beloved brethren, concerning this righteous ^abranch of which I have spoken.

2 For behold, the ^apromises which we have obtained are promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it has been shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh because of ^bunbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be ^crestored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer.

3 Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ—for in the last night the ^aangel spake unto me that this should be his name—should ^bcome among the ^cJews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall ^dcrucify him—for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would ^ecrucify their ^fGod.

4 For should the mighty ^amiracles be wrought among other nations they would repent, and know that he be their God.

5 But because of ^apriestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will ^bstiffen their necks against him, that he be ^ccrucified.

6 Wherefore, because of their iniquities, destructions, famines, ^apestilences, and bloodshed shall come upon them; and they who shall not be destroyed shall be ^bscattered among all nations.

7 But behold, thus saith the ^aLord God: ^bWhen the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be ^crestored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the ^dlands of their inheritance.

8 And it shall come to pass that they shall be ^agathered in from their long dispersion, from the ^bisles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in ^ccarrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance.

9 ^aYea, the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers unto them, and their queens shall become nursing mothers; wherefore, the ^bpromises of the Lord are great unto the Gentiles, for he hath spoken it, and who can dispute?

10 But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance, and the ^aGentiles shall be blessed upon the land.

11 And this land shall be a land of ^aliberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no ^bkings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.

12 And I will fortify this land ^aagainst all other nations.

13 And he that ^afighteth against Zion shall ^bperish, saith God.

14 For he that raiseth up a ^aking against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the ^bking of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a ^clight unto them forever, that hear my words.

15 Wherefore, for this cause, that my ^acovenants may be fulfilled which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the ^bsecret works of ^cdarkness, and of murders, and of abominations.

16 Wherefore, he that ^afighteth against ^bZion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, ^cshall perish; for ^dthey are they who are the ^ewhore of all the earth; for ^fthey who are ^gnot for me are ^hagainst me, saith our God.

17 For I will ^afulfil my ^bpromises which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh—

18 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, thus saith our God: I will afflict thy seed by the hand of the Gentiles; nevertheless, I will ^asoften the hearts of the ^bGentiles, that they shall be like unto a father to them; wherefore, the Gentiles shall be ^cblessed and ^dnumbered among the house of Israel.

19 Wherefore, I will ^aconsecrate this land unto thy seed, and them who shall be numbered among thy seed, forever, for the land of their inheritance; for it is a choice land, saith God unto me, above all other lands, wherefore I will have all men that dwell thereon that they shall worship me, saith God.

20 And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been ^adriven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a ^bbetter land, for the Lord has made the sea our ^cpath, and we are upon an ^disle of the sea.

21 But great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the ^aisles of the sea; wherefore as it says isles, there must needs be more than this, and they are inhabited also by our brethren.

22 For behold, the Lord God has ^aled away from time to time from the house of Israel, according to his will and pleasure. And now behold, the Lord remembereth all them who have been broken off, wherefore he remembereth us also.

23 Therefore, ^acheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are ^bfree to ^cact for yourselves—to ^dchoose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.

24 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, ^areconcile yourselves to the ^bwill of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the ^cgrace of God that ye are ^dsaved.

25 Wherefore, may God ^araise you from death by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the ^batonement, that ye may be received into the ^ceternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise him through grace divine. Amen.


Two things popped out to me from this chapter:

1. Verse 11 - Jacob prophesies that this land will have no kings. That prophesy has been true so far and that seems so miraculous. Is there any other place on earth that hasn't had a king as their political leader?

2. Verse 24 - Jacob asks his brethren (which, on a side note makes me wonder, was this a "priesthood session"?) to reconcile themselves with the will of God. I learned that the Latin translation of the word reconcile is: "re" - "again", "con" - "with", "cile" - "sit" so that means sit with again. So Jacob is basically admonishing them to make good choices so that they can sit with God again.

I also feel like I have to include this quote about verse 3. It is very humbling.

“This generation is as corrupt as the generation of the Jews that crucified Christ; and if He were here to-day, and should preach the same doctrine He did then, they would put Him to death” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 328).

pgs. 76 and 77...the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel.

34 Wo unto the ^aliar, for he shall be thrust down to ^bhell.

35 Wo unto the ^amurderer who deliberately ^bkilleth, for he shall ^cdie.

36 Wo unto them who commit ^awhoredoms, for they shall be thrust down to hell.

37 Yea, wo unto those that ^aworship idols, for the devil of all devils delighteth in them.

38 And, in fine, wo unto all those who die in their ^asins; for they shall ^breturn to God, and behold his face, and remain in their sins.

39 O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in ^atransgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that ^bcunning one. Remember, to be ^ccarnally-minded is ^ddeath, and to be ^espiritually-minded is ^flife ^geternal.

40 O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will ^arevile against the ^btruth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are ^chard against all ^duncleanness; but the ^erighteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.

41 O then, my beloved brethren, ^acome unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the ^bway for man is ^cnarrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the ^dgate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

42 And whoso ^aknocketh, to him will he open; and the ^bwise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their ^clearning, and their ^dwisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves ^efools before God, and come down in the depths of ^fhumility, he will not open unto them.

43 But the things of the wise and the ^aprudent shall be ^bhid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints.

44 O, my beloved brethren, remember my words. Behold, I take off my garments, and I shake them before you; I pray the God of my salvation that he view me with his ^aall-searching eye; wherefore, ye shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their works, that the God of Israel did witness that I ^bshook your iniquities from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am ^crid of your blood.

45 O, my beloved brethren, turn away from your sins; shake off the ^achains of him that would bind you fast; come unto that God who is the ^brock of your salvation.

46 Prepare your souls for that glorious day when ^ajustice shall be administered unto the righteous, even the day of ^bjudgment, that ye may not shrink with awful fear; that ye may not remember your awful ^cguilt in perfectness, and be constrained to exclaim: Holy, holy are thy judgments, O Lord God ^dAlmighty—but I know my guilt; I transgressed thy law, and my transgressions are mine; and the devil hath ^eobtained me, that I am a prey to his awful misery.

47 But behold, my brethren, is it expedient that I should awake you to an awful reality of these things? Would I harrow up your souls if your minds were pure? Would I be plain unto you according to the plainness of the truth if ye were freed from sin?

48 Behold, if ye were holy I would speak unto you of holiness; but as ye are not holy, and ye look upon me as a ^ateacher, it must needs be expedient that I ^bteach you the consequences of sin.

49 Behold, my soul abhorreth sin, and my heart ^adelighteth in righteousness; and I will ^bpraise the holy name of my God.

50 Come, my brethren, every one that ^athirsteth, come ye to the ^bwaters; and he that hath no ^cmoney, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

51 Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your ^alabor for that which cannot ^bsatisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and ^cfeast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.

52 Behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give ^athanks unto his holy name by night. Let your hearts ^brejoice.

53 And behold how great the ^acovenants of the Lord, and how great his ^bcondescensions unto the children of men; and because of his greatness, and his ^cgrace and ^dmercy, he has promised unto us that our seed shall not utterly be destroyed, according to the flesh, but that he would ^epreserve them; and in future generations they shall become a righteous ^fbranch unto the house of Israel.

54 And now, my brethren, I would speak unto you more; but on the morrow I will declare unto you the remainder of my words. Amen.


These verses contain so much doctrine about the judgment day and how much we will need the Savior in that day. I'm so curious about the meaning of Jacob "shaking his garments" before his people in verse 44. I wonder if that had some cultural significance at the time and helped Jacob to emphasize how important this message was to him. The judgment of his people was clearly weighing heavily on his mind! I found this quote by John Taylor that helps us to understand the way our earthly actions will be judged. It really makes me want to make good choices with the way I use my time here on earth!

“Man sleeps the sleep of death, but the spirit lives where the record of his deeds is kept—that does not die—man cannot kill it; there is no decay associated with it, and it still retains in all its vividness the remembrance of that which transpired before the separation by death of the body and the ever-living spirit. Man sleeps for a time in the grave, and by-and-by he rises again from the dead and goes to judgment; and then the secret thoughts of all men are revealed before Him with whom we have to do; we cannot hide them; it would be in vain for a man to say then, I did not do so-and-so; the command would be, Unravel and read the record which he has made of himself, and let it testify in relation to these things, and all could gaze upon it. If a man has acted fraudulently against his neighbor—has committed murder, or adultery, or anything else, and wants to cover it up, that record will stare him in the face, he tells the story himself, and bears witness against himself. . . . It is not because somebody has seen things, or heard anything by which a man will be judged and condemned, but it is because that record that is written by the man himself in the tablets of his own mind—that record that cannot lie—will in that day be unfolded before God and angels, and those who shall sit as judges” (John Taylor, in Journal of Discourses, 11:78–79).