In response to this commandment, this articles chief purpose and contribution to existing isaiah scholarship is to show how the main doctrines and purposes of the book of mormon, found on the title page and in the writings of book of mormon prophets, mirror and follow the central focus of the isaiah. Why does nephi use isaiah 29 as part of his own prophecy. In the light of modern biblical criticism these quotations raise problems that have a serious bearing on the integrity of the nephite record as a whole. As jews, or descendants of jews, book of mormon prophets were taught in all the learning of the jews 1 nephi 1. New archaeological evidence for book of mormon prophet isaiah. American religion, little attention has been given to the novel uses of. Interestingly, there are many other places in the book of mormon that isaiah is quoted. Just how isaiah was prophetic in the old testament. Oct 28, 2017 most notably, they treat isaiahs many and diverse prophecies as if they depict a single endtime scenario. But isaiah was not the only old testament prophet who foretold the book of mormon. Mar 06, 2018 click here to read the isaiah chapters in the book of mormon. Understanding isaiah in the book of mormon thus presumes an understanding of the terms house of israel, covenant, and gentile, which predominate in the isaiah commentaries in the book of mormon and do not occur elsewhere in the book. Most notably, they treat isaiah s many and diverse prophecies as if they depict a single endtime scenario. This particular phrase is one of the most commonly misunderstood in isaiah and in the book of mormon, where this isaiah phrase is quoted numerous times.
Isaiah had a prophecy for the end time that was twofold. Overviews of the prophecy of isaiah the book of isaiah. Why is isaiah quoted so much in the book of mormon. Bible prophecies of book of mormon life after ministry. July 8, 2019 messages of the book of mormon before recording many of the words of isaiah onto the gold plates from which the book of mormon was translated, nephi testifies that isaiah s teachings and prophecies have such a sweeping spiritual vision that they are applicable to all people.
The book of mormon narrative says that the jews who left jerusalem for the new world had with them the scriptures written up until that point 600 b. Also included are the high priests mentioned and the missionaries. Nearly a third of the chapters from isaiah had already been recorded in the book of mormon. The book of mormon reports prophecies made during a thousandyear period concerning the future of the nephites and lamanites, the earthly ministry of jesus christ, his visit to the western hemisphere, the future restoration of the gospel to the gentiles, and related events of the last days. Organizing my thoughts and study has greatly increase my faith in god his prophecies and fulfilments. The isaiah effect in book of mormon prophecies isaiah. Prophets in the book of mormon, including the lord himself, repeatedly declared the importance of reading isaiah s prophecies.
Prophets and prophecies of the old testament by duane s. This chart lists book of mormon passages that quote or paraphrase the words of isaiah, which held great meaning for the. Welch pointed out that nephi prophesied of four distinct. A second major question is sometimes raised about the isaiah material in the book of mormon. According to matthew, when the angel gabriel appeared to joseph, he said that marys conception, and the birth of jesus was done, that it. How do we explain material from isaiah in the book of mormon. How the gospels and the book of mormon help us understand. Joseph smith, founder of the latter day saint movement, is viewed by the movements adherents as a prophet in the tradition of the ancient prophets recorded in the bible. May 27, 2019 the last prophet in the book of mormon, moroni, wrote the following in the middle of a list of admonitions to his modern readers. Conclude the lesson by testifying of the blessings that come from being part. Nephis prophecies and teachings the book of mormon online.
A word or phrase from the law, which was known by most hebrews, brought to their minds much more than was on the written page. Book of mormon prophets taught from the brass plate records, not only from chapters 9, which are usually assigned by scholars to the prophet isaiah of the eighth century b. In addition, whole chapters are quoted and placed in the book of mormon, the choice of the ancient prophets who decided they must be included. If the prophet isaiah truly existed, and wrote in the late 8 th century b. In the lds curriculum, we are now plodding through the isaiah chapters in second nephi. Avraham gileadis book the book of isaiah, a new translation with interpretive keys from the book of mormon was worth reading in 1988 when it was published.
Isaiahs prophecies about christ can be confusing sometimes. Jesus quoted isaiah more often than any other old testament prophet. Nephi was including the scripture off the brass plates onto. Isaiah is the most quoted prophet in the book of mormon. To teach that message to his descendants, nephi transcribed many prophecies of isaiah into his own record, and jacob did the same. In the book of mormon, jacob, nephi, abinadi, and jesus all quote from different parts of isaiah, and each identifies the prophet by name. We have the book of revelation to warn us about the wars of the last days. Isaiah variants in the book of mormon religious studies. However, many people call the words of isaiah too difficult to understand or even boring.
The book of mormon describes a number of individuals unique to its narrative as prophets. That the book of mormon quotes from isaiah is not a problem, except that joseph smiths 1830 translation reads nearly verbatim to the 1611 king james translation. Take thee one stick, and write upon it, for judah, and for the children of israel. Religious studies center, brigham young university, 1984, 16578. The following website postings, many of which encapsulate subjects already discussed, reiterate how isaiahs prophetic message relates to the geopolitical configuration of our present world and how becoming familiar with it prepares us to participate in the events isaiah predicts. Although isaiah is speaking about ancient nations and events, book of mormon prophets apply them to the endtime. Isaiah prophecies the birth of christ in chapter 9 2 nephi. Deutero isaiah verses in the book of mormon overview of the deutero isaiah problem in the book of mormon. The book of mormon quotes isaiah more than any other prophet.
Prophetic commentary by lehi, nephi, jacob, and the lord himself helps us understand isaiah passages in the book of mormon. Isaiahkey to the book of mormon book of mormon central. A companion to your study of the book of mormon by daniel h. Nyman, great are the words of isaiah springville, ut. Nephi was one of the leading prophets in the book of mormon. The traditional view is that all 66 chapters of the book of isaiah were written by one man, isaiah, possibly in two.
The book of mormon tells us that in the last days the gentiles will have a record of the jews containing the covenants of the lord and many of the prophecies of the holy prophets see 1 ne. A son, the messiah, will be born and rule with justice forever. When we consider the fact that isaiah is the most quoted of all prophets, being more frequently quoted by jesus, paul, peter, and john in his revelation than any other old testament prophet, it should not surprise us that both the book of mormon and doctrine and covenants also quote isaiah more than any other prophet lds bible dictionary, p. I replied, if jesus christ is our saviorthe very foundation of christianityi assume he would be prophesied of in the old testament. Nephi frequently borrowed the language of isaiah 29 to describe his own visions and prophecies about the latterdays. Isaiah in the book of mormon blog relates the relevance of. Did you know that most of isaiahs temple prophecies are also addressed to gods own laodicean church in the end time. Isaiah was the 8thcentury bc israelite prophet after whom the book of isaiah is named within the text of the book of isaiah, isaiah himself is referred to as the prophet, but the exact relationship between the book of isaiah and any such historical isaiah is complicated. Then to be sure the reader gets the exodus theme in the book of mormon, its writers quote many of isaiah s prophecies of the latterday exodus out of babylon see 1. Book of mormon, biblical prophecies about the encyclopedia of. Isaiah prophesized the coming of the messiah jesus christ. Although there are actually dozens of false prophecies we could begin with, we thought it might be appropriate, to begin with one that has come to newfound prominence in recent years.
Isaiah in the book of mormon religious studies center. This new discovery possibly adds further credibility to the book of mormon. The only biblical prophecy mormons have fulfilled is being part of the many who would believe false teachers because they have itching ears. Blog feed isaiah prophecies in book of mormon are relevant. Isaiah, nephi, and other prophets fulfilled this divine promise. Discussions on the old testament great are the words of isaiahpart 1. Help students understand that isaiah s prophecies in 2 nephi 2124 reflect one of the main messages of the book of mormon. Isaiah s witness of christs ministry, elder jeffrey r.
Latterday saints believe that the coming forth of the book of mormon as an instrument in gods hand for bringing his. In the king james version of the bible, for example, only a few individuals other than christ are prophesied. But the doctrine and covenants, being more contemporary, predicts war globally, beginning in america. The laodiceans rebellion revolves around gods government.
Finding doctrine and meaning in book of mormon isaiah. With the destruction of the nephites at the forefront of nephis mind, he prophecies of a day when the words of the book of mormon will bring salvation and redemption to the remnant of his seed, as embodied by the daughter of zion. So here is another installment on the book of mormon previous post on 1 nephi 1. Inspired voices from the old testament of the 478 verses in the book of mormon quoted from the book of isaiah, 201 agree with the king james reading while 207 show variations. Tvedtnes, isaiah variants in the book of mormon, in isaiah and the prophets. Amazing and there is no way that joseph smith wrote his book and included the isaiah prophecies to coincide and perfectly fit the story line. Feb 10, 2020 isaiah texts in the book of mormon byu religious education. And when they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, among whom was my son moroni and we having survived the dead of our people, did behold on the morrow, when the lamanites had returned unto their camps, from the top of the hill cumorah, the ten thousand of my people who were hewn down, being led in the. Pattern and purpose of the isaiah commentaries in the book. Between them, they placed all or parts of twentyfour chapters of isaiah into the book of mormon.
Prophecies of the last days and the regathering of israel are also there. The last prophet in the book of mormon, moroni, wrote the following in the middle of a list of admonitions to his modern readers. Then to be sure the reader gets the exodus theme in the book of mormon, its writers quote many of isaiahs prophecies of the latterday exodus out of babylon see 1 nephi 20. Despite increasing recognition of the importance of mormonism to.
This phrase is first encountered in the fifth chapter of isaiah corresponding to the fifteenth chapter of 2 nephi. Nephi uses the chapters of isaiah in the book of mormon to further enforce the importance of his. Oct 26, 2012 avraham gileadis book the book of isaiah, a new translation with interpretive keys from the book of mormon was worth reading in 1988 when it was published. Judgments are pronounced against the northern kingdom of israel this is a continuation of the topic in chapter 8. False prophecies in the book of mormon life after ministry.
However, i feel that the book of mormon can not only withstand the challenge, but the issue can actually be used to illuminate the nature of isaiah and shed light on why this is such a profound book. The isaiah problem in the book of mormon chap 11 shields. In 2 nephi 27, nephi borrowed extensively from the language of isaiah 29 to describe the coming forth of the book of mormon. Isaiah 29 is one of the most often cited scriptural passages of the restoration. God promised to bring forth additional prophets who would teach the covenant path.
The context of isaiah prophecies placed in book of mormon will provide the reader a better understanding of isaiah and additional belief in book of mormon. Nephi quotes isaiah for a whopping chapters straight in 2 nephi 1224, and continues to quote and refer to him throughout the small plates. And now i write some of the words of isaiah, that whoso of my. Nephi is known for quoting isaiah frequently, so one might wonder why he chose the particular isaiah chapters he did. Doubts as to the literary unity of the book of isaiah are fairly.
The extensive use of isaiah poses several problems. Clearly the brass plates of laban afforded them access to that prophet s works and was part of their scriptural understanding, perhaps even part of their daytoday conversations. Though there are potentially several ways to answer this question, one that may help readers better grasp the isaiah chapters in the book of mormon is what lds scholar john w. In their gospels in the new testament, matthew, luke, and john the beloved do the same. Overviews, the first of four parts in the volume, presents four essays. Abinadi interprets isaiah, journal of book of mormon and other restoration scripture 10, no. The scope of this paper does not allow a detailed explication of the isaiah chapters in the book of mormon. Jul 25, 2019 when we consider the fact that isaiah is the most quoted of all prophets, being more frequently quoted by jesus, paul, peter, and john in his revelation than any other old testament prophet, it should not surprise us that both the book of mormon and doctrine and covenants also quote isaiah more than any other prophet lds bible dictionary, p.
The main nephite prophets who quoted isaiah were nephi, jacob, and abinadi. Some people criticize the fact that isaiah is quoted in the book of mormon. The book of mormons use of isaiah is instructive and very interesting to latterday saints. Prophesies of the last days messages of the book of mormon. As we study the book of mormon more closely, we find that it paints a living portrait of the types of things isaiah prophesied for the last day. Nephi was including the scripture off the brass plates onto his gold plates that are relevant to them. Nephi quotes isaiah for a whopping chapters straight in 2 nephi 1224, and continues to quote and refer to him throughout the small plates nephi is not the only one who uses isaiah. Isaiah was the 8thcentury bc israelite prophet after whom the book of isaiah is named. Why does this scripture in isaiah and in the book of.
Here, the prophets included are those who, according to the narrative, inherited the plates of nephi and who otherwise are called prophets within the text. Plagiarism the book of mormon narrative says that the jews who left jerusalem for the new world had with them the scriptures written up until that point 600 b. Book of mormon fhe lesson the joyful prophecies of isaiah. Bible prophecies of the book of mormon book of mormon facts. Nov 11, 2019 july 8, 2019 messages of the book of mormon before recording many of the words of isaiah onto the gold plates from which the book of mormon was translated, nephi testifies that isaiahs teachings and prophecies have such a sweeping spiritual vision that they are applicable to all people. The relevance of isaiah 3 prophecy to the book of mormon story line is obvious. The daughter of zion is a motif from the old testament that finds new, powerful meaning in the book of mormon s isaiah chapters. America in the prophecy of isaiah, part 1 the mormon chronicle. The book of mormon quotes twentyone complete chapters of isaiah and parts of others. Isaiah texts in the book of mormon byu religious education. Prophecy in the book of mormon encyclopedia of mormonism.
They emphasized this point by quoting extensively from isaiah in their own sermons and writings. Next to the book of mormon references in this chart are corresponding references in the book of isaiah. In the book of mormon, there are many chapters of isaiah directly incorporated from the king james version kjv of the bible, complete with translation errors that were obviously not possible to have been recorded on the gold plates since the kjv was not available until thousands of years. Clearly, isaiah is a very prominent figure in book of mormon writings, and was revered for his powerful prophecies. Isaiah prophecies in book of mormon are relevant to the. Book of mormon gospel doctrine teachers manual, 1999. Isaiah s prophecies about christ can be confusing sometimes. Holland highlights the ways in which the book of mormon authors use isaiah s prophecies to emphasize aspects of jesus ministry. Since the nations and kingdoms of the gentiles will have the writings of the biblical prophets, including those of the prophet isaiah, the question naturally arises. In addition, jesus christ has given revelations about, and prophets and apostles of the latter days. The book of isaiah is replete with references to the savior, often calling him the holy one of israel. In the bible and the book of mormon springville, ut.
Mormon leaders today are still relying on this passage in isaiah 29 to have the same effect pratt was hoping for 163 years ago. He was believed to have written chapters 9 in the book of isaiah with the balance of the book authored by several other prophets. Said an early book of mormon prophet, nephi, and now i, nephi, write more of the words of isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. During his life, smith made several prophecies, many documented in the doctrine and covenants, a book of scripture in several of the movements denominations. Pattern and purpose of the isaiah commentaries in the book of. Isaiah is right on the mark with his prophecy of this once powerful nation 2 nephi 23. But latterday saints, with their testimony of prophecy and with the many evidences given in the scriptures, have long affirmed that isaiah, son of amoz, wrote the entire book of isaiah. Some 58 are paraphrased and 11 others are variants andor paraphrases.
Always there is a call to repentance and loyalty to the savior. For i will liken his words unto my people, and i will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my redeemer, even as i have seen him. The lord thy god will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me moses. Even though the jews were to spend time in captivity, they would yet return to their homeland, rebuild the temple, and have a period where they would have a degree of peace and prophetic direction in their lives. In section of the doctrine and covenants is recorded a revelation received by joseph smith in 1843. An example of how the book of mormon gives us a key for understanding isaiah can also show how understanding isaiah aids our understanding of the book of mormon. He delivered his message to the temple priests and to the people of israel.
Within the text of the book of isaiah, isaiah himself is referred to as the. What vision guides nephis choice of isaiah chapters. Making sense or not of isaiah in the book of mormon. With this new information about chapter 19 reading it becomes not just worthwhile but imperative for all who wish to survive the coming punishments inflicted upon the united states. Having come from israel, nephi had a copy of the old testament as these corresponding quotes are written before the birth of christ. Im going to focus on 2 nephi 9, which follows chapters 7 and 8 isaiah 50 and 51, more or less and presents itself as a commentary on those two chapters. Some scholars believe that some of the chapters of the current book of isaiah were not written by that prophet but by one or more different authors long after isaiah s timein fact, after the time that lehi and his family left jerusalem. My soul delighteth in the words of isaiah byu studies. Other isaiah passages quoted in the book of mormon. This chart lists book of mormon passages that quote or paraphrase the words of isaiah, which held great meaning for the nephites and also apply to us today.