2
Ne 11:2 I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah,
for my soul delighteth in his words
Chapter
11 is Nephi’s preface to his Isaiah section. He explains why Isaiah is so
important and then he transcribes Isaiah 2-14 from the brass plates. Earlier,
in 1 Nephi, he had included Isaiah 48-9 (see 1 Ne 20-1). Jacob, had quoted
Isaiah 50 (see 2 Ne 7). Later, Nephi includes portions of Isaiah 29 (see 2 Ne
27). Nephi’s great love for the words of Isaiah comes from the Spirit. Nephi
had seen in vision many of the things that Isaiah was prophesying about (see 1
Ne 11-14). Isaiah concentrated on some of Nephi’s favorite subjects, the house
of Israel and the coming of the Messiah, Behold,
my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the
truth of the coming of Christ (v. 4).
Of
the importance of the prophecies of Isaiah, the Bible Dictionary states:
“Isaiah is the most quoted of all the
prophets, being more frequently quoted by Jesus, Paul, Peter, and John (in his
Revelation) than any other O.T. prophet. Likewise the Book of Mormon and the
Doctrine and Covenants quote from Isaiah more than from any other prophet. The
Lord told the Nephites that ‘great are the words of
Isaiah,’ and that all things Isaiah spoke of the house of Israel and of
the gentiles would be fulfilled (3 Ne 23:1-3).
“….The reader today has no greater
written commentary and guide to understanding Isaiah than the Book of Mormon
and the Doctrine and Covenants. As one understands these works better he will
understand Isaiah better, and as one understands Isaiah better, he more fully
comprehends the mission of the Savior, and the meaning of the covenant that was
placed upon Abraham and his seed by which all the families of the earth would
be blessed.”
It
is the opinion of the author of this website (BLR) that one of the reasons that
the chapters of Isaiah were included in the Book of Mormon is because most of
the latter-day saints don’t read the Old Testament. By including these chapters
of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, members of the Church who have a hard time
getting through Genesis will still be familiar with the great prophet, Isaiah.
If one includes Mosiah 14 (which contains Isaiah 53) and 3 Nephi 22 (which
contains Isaiah 54), the Book of Mormon includes 17 of Isaiah’s 66 chapters.
For the most part, the Book of Mormon includes the most important of these 66
chapters. Some of the other great Isaiah chapters deal with the Messiah and his
Second Coming (see Isaiah 24, 42, 51, 52, 58-66). If we read only those
portions of Isaiah that are included in the Book of Mormon, we will miss out on
the great and profound prophecies contained in these other chapters. Truly, we
need to follow the counsel of the Savior and study the words of Isaiah—even if
it means reading the Old Testament. For as the Savior said, ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give
unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of
Isaiah (3 Ne 23:1). It should be remembered that Isaiah is the only
prophet whom the Lord singled out as a great prophet whose prophecies should be
specifically studied.
2
Ne 11:2-3 he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have
seen him. And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him
Nephi
recognized the similarities between himself, Jacob, and Isaiah. All three had
been privileged to see the Savior, to witness portions of his mortal ministry,
and to be given knowledge about how the house of Israel will be gathered home
in the last days. Their combined witness declares that Jesus Christ is the
Messiah, that the promises of the fathers given to the house of Israel will all
be fulfilled, and that God lives, for they had all seen him. As Nephi declares,
by the words of three, God hath said, I will
establish my word.
Jeffrey
R. Holland
“I am suggesting here that Nephi,
Jacob, and Isaiah are three early types and shadows of Oliver Cowdery, David
Whitmer, and Martine Harris, if you will—witnesses positioned right at the
front of the book where Oliver, David, and Martin would be positioned—that
Nephi, Jacob, and Isaiah are the three great ancient witnesses of the Book of
Mormon—or more particularly, the first three great witnesses in the Book of
Mormon testifying to the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, he who will
be the central, commanding, presiding figure throughout the Book of Mormon.
Nephi stresses this idea himself when he writes in the eleventh chapter of 2
Nephi: [verses 2-3].”
2
Ne 11:4 all things which have been given of God…are
the typifying of him
For
Christians, the Law of Moses is often looked to as a type to teach us of
Christ. As Paul said, it is the schoolmaster to
bring us unto Christ (Gal 3:24). It teaches of things which are holy and
things which are not holy, that ye may put
difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean (Lev
10:10). It teaches about the nature of the sacrifice of the Only-Begotten, i.e.
firstborn, male, without blemish, etc.
But
there are other events which may not be directly related to the Law of Moses which
are a type of Christ:
1) The most obvious, as taught in the
Book of Mormon, is the serpent raised in the wilderness. The serpent was to
represent Christ so that those who were to look upon it should not die though
bitten by poisonous serpents. See 2 Ne 25:20.
2) The offering of Isaac by Abraham is
also a symbol for the sacrifice of the Savior. Abraham, through offering his
only son, learned about what God the Father must have had to go through when
witnessing the suffering of His Only-Begotten, perfect Son.
3) There was an ancient Jewish
tradition, which apparently began with Moses, that the firstborn was to be holy
and dedicated to the Lord. And the Lord spake unto
Moses, saying, Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb
among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is
mine (Ex 13:1-2).
4) The events of the Passover, when all
the firstborn sons of Egypt were killed by a plague from the Lord, use symbols
to teach us many things about the mission of Christ:
a) A sacrificial
lamb, without blemish is offered (Ex 12:5,21)
b) The lamb is
killed in the evening and had no broken bones (Ex 12:6,46)
c) The lamb is
to be eaten (Ex 12:8); the Savior said, Except ye
eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you
(Jn 6:53).
d) No stranger
is allowed to eat of the Lamb (Ex 12:43), the unworthy are not allowed to take
the sacrament (1 Cor 11:29)
e) The blood
of the lamb, placed upon the doorposts, saved the children of Israel from
destruction (Ex 12:8), the blood of Jesus Christ, shed in Gesthemane and on
Calvary, saves all mankind from physical and spiritual death.
f) The time of
the year was the same for both the Passover and the crucifixion, for the last
meal that Jesus was to enjoy on earth was the celebration of the Passover.
Many
other examples could be used. Suffice it to say that the value of the Law of
Moses and the other events which point us to Christ is that they help us more
fully understand the meaning, implications, depth, and power of the mission and
atonement of Jesus Christ.
2
Ne 11:8 Now these are the words (of Isaiah), and ye may liken them
unto you and unto all men
Nephi
teaches us how to get personal benefit out of the scriptures. The scriptures
often speak to individuals who were in very different situations than ours, but
the principles of the gospel and the fruits of righteousness are the same. We
should, therefore, study the scriptures with the intent to apply them to our
lives, to imagine that the Lord is speaking directly to us, and to respond to
our callings as the prophets of old did.
“Gospel principles do not tarnish with
time, nor do they apply with greater effect in one day than in another. The Lord has said, ‘What
I say unto one I say unto all’ (D&C 93:49). The art of gospel teaching is to make
timeless principles timely. Nephi did
this by taking those prophecies that were made to the entire house of Israel
and specifically applying them to his own family, who are part of the house of
Israel.” (McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon,
vol. 1, p. 149)
Gene R. Cook
“It is absolutely essential to apply
the scriptures to yourself…[when] we’re searching to apply them to our own hearts
is when they really come alive…If you really want to come unto the Lord, if you
really want to draw close to Him and find out how He is, how He works, how He
thinks, what He counts to be important and what He doesn’t, you’ll find it in
the scriptures.” (LDS Church News, Deseret News, Nov. 19, 1988)
Brigham Young
“Do you read the Scriptures, my
brethren and sisters, as though you were writing them, a thousand, two
thousand, or five thousand years ago? Do you read them as though you stood in
the place of the men who wrote them? If you do not feel thus, it is your
privilege to do so, that you may be as familiar with the spirit and meaning of
the written word of God as you are with your daily walk and conversation, or as
you are with your workmen or with your households.” (Discourses of Brigham
Young, p. 128 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon
compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p.63)