2:2-3 - "...I, Jacob, according to the responsibility which I am under to God...magnify mine office with soberness..."
Magnifying our office is a theme used several times in the scriptures...we magnify our office with soberness, so we might rid our garments of their sins (D&C 24:3, Romans 11:13, Jacob 1:19).
In order to effectively magnify our office, we must have the Spirit with us so we know what needs to be done at the right moment (Jacob 1:19).
2:8-9 - "...it burdeneth my soul that I should be constrained, because of the strict commandment which I have received from God, to admonish you according to your crimes, to enlarge the wounds of those who are already wounded, instead of consoling and healing their wounds..."
This principle doesn't just happen during General Conference. When I worked at EFY for a summer, I had a contrasting example. I had one group of EFY kids that was disobedient, so I had to spend most of my time chastising them or exhorting them to be better. I had another group that was very obedient. Most of the time, I was able to discuss with them the doctrines of the Gospel. If we are living righteously, we open ourselves up to so much more light and knowledge. Purity brings these blessings. I wonder how General Conference would be if we were all obedient.
2:18-19 - "...But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God..."
It's not "bad" to be rich...it's bad to take pride in our riches. It's not "bad" to be poor...it's bad to be bitter in our poverty. It's all about our attitude...how we deal with our situations. There's always silver lining on every cloud. Pollyanna had it right, I guess.
We need to look for the positive in every situation, and in everybody.
Elder Enrique R. Falabella discussed this, that he learned at an early age that happiness does not depend on money. He recounts the story of going to the temple for the first time to be sealed with his family, feeling the peace which comes from knowing that you are an eternal family. These are much greater riches. Having material richness is nice...but it is nowhere close in comparison to eternal riches! (November 2007 Ensign, pg. 14-15).
This is why we should always seek first the kingdom of God.
2:24,27,30 - "...For if I will, saith the Lord of
Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they
shall hearken unto these things..."
Polygamy was an abomination only when it was practiced outside of the commandments of the Lord. Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph each had multiple wives...but kept the commandments in doing so...unlike David and Solomon.
The Lord saw fit to reinstate polygamy during the early years of the Latter-Day church. Verse 30 shows why this is not inconsistent - "if I will...I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things..."
The main point here isn't to defend polygamy, because currently we have the commandment to not practice it. However, the point is that when we receive a commandment, we must follow it, whether it means beginning or ending a practice.
2:30 - "...For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things..."
Sometimes we may receive a commandment or instruction that we may not understand or find very difficult. We still need to act in faith and move forward, trusting in the Lord. We will get the understanding eventually, but it won't come until after the trial of faith.
1:5-7 - "...because of faith and great anxiety..."
Faith in the Lord leads to a better understanding of the Character of God and our ability to become like Him. Then we see the worth of others and have anxiety for them. We want the best for them. So we persuade them to come unto Christ. It's the natural thing to do as we come closer to Christ ourselves.
1:7 - "...we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ..."
Jacob knew what he had to do, and he did it diligently. We know our work (D&C 11:20) and our glory (Alma 29:9)...so we should accomplish it diligently.
1:19 - "...we did magnify our office unto the Lord..."
Magnifying our callings has a connotation of working hard at our calling. That's true, but it's more than that. We could be doing a lot for our calling, but still diminishing our office. "Magnifying" it implies that we are bringing the calling under scrutiny, and that as we faithfully serve, others see the importance that we place upon our callings, so they will do the same in their callings. We should not be disappointed in a calling, neither prideful. We must be humble and do all we can to fulfill the calling. Not only will we be happier, but others will be happier, too, as they do the same from following our examples (Jacob 2:2-3).
33:1 - "...neither am I mighty in writing, like unto speaking..."
Nephi was not mighty in writing, but in speaking he was. One example of this is in 1 Nephi 4:1-3 - where Nephi gives an amazing motivational speech to his brothers. He understands public speaking very well. I think I need to learn more public speaking...but mainly speaking by the power of the Holy Ghost, because that's when it makes a difference!
33:10-12 - "...and if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ..."
The Book of Mormon testifies of Christ...and if we believe in Christ, we will also believe in the words in the Book of Mormon. This is because they are the words of Christ, and if we truly study, we come to understand that it is another testament of Jesus Christ. Our behavior will change as we appreciate more fully the meaning of that statement. We will study more intently the teachings in the Book of Mormon because applying those teachings will bring us to Christ, and help us become like Him. That's our work. Then we will help uthers repent and follow that same course. That is our glory.
33:15 - "...for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey..."
When we receive commandments and promptints from the Lord, we must obey. As we do this, we will have the Holy Ghost with us more, because we're acting in faith and putting ourselves into a position to be more receptive to the Spirit. Joseph Smith understood this: "I made this my rule: When the Lord commands, do it." (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 160).
We must follow the Spirit, as well as the Lord's commandments.
32:2 - "...after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of Angels..."
This may be talking about the gift of tongues, or being able to speak in other languages so other people could understand and be edified by the message...but it also could entail speaking as though you were an angel sent by God.
It's definitely something to think about...if God can trust you and send you to deliver a message, why would He send an angel if you could have that opportunity to serve and grow? At that time, you are the angel needed. We need to be ready at any moment to be ready to help anybody that needs it. We can be ready by preparing as outlined in the next verse.
32:3 - "...feast upon the words of Christ..."
If we feast upon the words of Christ, we will have divine guidance and revelation to accomplish God's will when it is needed.
Elder Spencer J. Condie (November 2007 Ensign, pg. 16-18) talked about this and said that feasting upon the words of Christ is one way to receive the exceeding great and precious promises of the gospel (see 1 Nephi 19:23).
If we do what's required, we will be blessed.
32:4-5,8-9 - "...if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not..."
It works together - we don't understand because we don't ask. If we ask, then work to apply what we do know, we will receive more answers as we need them. The trick is to not listen to Satan, who tells us not to pray. It's subtle sometimes. We reach a point where we want to be acting in faith, but then we neglect asking in faith. There needs to be a good balance between the two. The more we understand our relationship with God, the more natural our prayers become. We want to talk to Him.
32:7 - "...knowledge...is given unto them in plainness..."
The Jews sought deeper - maybe for more understanding, or maybe to avoid understanding...but whatever the reason, the result was that they missed the mark.
We need to understand plainly the gospel; a great teacher can take a seemingly complicated principle and break it down to make it plain. We must do this in our own teaching and learning.
31:2-3 - "...wherefore, I shall speak unto you plainly..."
If we want to improve our behavior, we must, first of all, improve our understanding. if we truly understand the doctrines of the Gospel, we would be living our lives in such a way that it would match the doctrines and principles of the Gospel, as well as the example of Jesus Christ.
President Boyd K. Packer has said, "True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior."
I believe this is true. We must understand the doctrine in order to live it! I've also seen this in many other aspects of life. If we understand the Doctrine of the Character of God, that our friends, family, and people that we see all have the potential to become like God, then we will treat them better and know how to react in otherwise tricky situations. As we come to understand each other, we will be able to come closer to Christ.
31:11,15,20 - Words of the Father
I find these verses interesting because they show quotes from our Heavenly Father. I thought it would be interesting to line up the three quotes:
1. Verse 11 - "Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son."
2. Verse 15 - "Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved."
3. Verse 20 - "Ye shall have eternal life."
I find it interesting because the Father is testifying of Jesus Christ and the Gospel of Christ. It is very important...living the gospel is the only way back to live with our Father, so we must understand and live it!
31:13,19 - "...ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him...then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost..."
As we exercise our faith and renew our covenants, we will have the Spirit with us in a greater measure. Then we receive the direction we need and as we come to recognize the voice of the Spirit, we have more faith and trust in God and His Son...that we will receive help when we need it.
30:1-2 - "...as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord; and as many of the Jews as will not repent shall be cast off..."
Being the "chosen" people of the Lord is not necessarily a matter of lineage, but rather a matter of choice (Romans 2:28-29, Alma 43:4, D&C 121:34-36).
We choose if we will be a part of the chosen people or not. It's our choice.
God is willing and wanting to bless us, but we need to keep the commandments to have the enabling grace bless our lives. It becomes easier to recognize the more we have the Spirit with us. As we tend towards humbleness and righteousness, we choose God even more, which helps us to be even more humble and righteous...and thus the cycle continues.
30:3 - "...there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written; and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed..."
This must have been one of the many tender mercies that the Lord gave to Nephi, because earlier, Nephi saw the destruction of his people in vision, which I am sure was a tough experience (1 Nephi 15:4-5). To see that ray of hope for many of the remnant of his seed was probably a great experience. The Lord does not like us to fail or be unhappy...we need to learn from our experiences and grow from them, not wallow in self-pity, etc.
30:11 - "...and righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins..."
In Ephesians 6:14,16, it says, "...having your loins girt about with truth, and having the breastplate of righteousness...shield of faith..."
These all work together...faithfulness, righteousness, and truth. As we work on our faith, we increase in righteousness and truth. The more righteous we are, the more faith we develop as we see the blessings of following the commandments come into our lives.
Melchizedek was called the King of Righteousness, so often when we see "righteousness" in the scriptures, it's also referring to the Melchizedek Priesthood. So as we work to honor and use our priesthood, it helps us learn truth and develop faith. It's a great circle, and following it will help us have the Spirit more.
30:17-18 - "...Satan shall have power over the hearts of the children of men no more, for a long time..."
Elsewhere,
it has been said that Satan will be bound during the Millennium, and as
I read this, it appears that being "bound" is less of a physical
attribute and more of a spiritual condition that is a result of the
people just not listening to him.
If
we will keep the commandments and help all those around us to do the
same, we will be able to "bind" Satan, at least partially, right now.
This will help us come closer to God.
29:6-10 - "...I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another..."
God can and does speak to more than one nation, more than one people, and more than one time period. He can speak to whomever He wants, whenever He wants, and He does it. We must always be ready to listen in whatever circumstance, whatever the message. Then we must go and do. That may be one reason why people say that God does not talk today...because if He did, they would have to do something about it.
29:8,12 - "...I shall speak unto the Jews...the Nephites...all nations of the earth and they shall write it..."
The Lord speaks to us. The fact that He talked to the Nephites and Jews shows that He will talk to us (vs. 8). We can have faith in Him and work to apply what we are told so the Lord can bless us with His Spirit and further knowledge and light. We act in faith, and receive in trust.
29:11-14 - "...and they shall write it..."
We will have the scriptures from not only the Jews and Nephites, but also all the lost 10 tribes. I think it will be one record and not 10, but we'll see how it comes about. We will just need to take and receive those words as well...learning and applying them.
28:2 - "...the things which shall be written out of the book shall be of great worth unto the children of men..."
Like it says in 1 Nephi 6:6, Nephi told his seed not to occupy the plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men.
All of it is important and of great worth to us...we need to take what they teach and apply it in our lives.
28:30 - "...for unto him that receiveth, I will give more; and from them that shall say, we have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have..."
This is a very important statement - the less that we live the gospel, the more we forget. It becomes easier to live in the manner of the world when we do this. Faith plays a huge part in this process - as we live in faith, we will receive more and more light and knowledge until that perfect day (D&C 50:24, Alma 12:10, Daniel 2:21, D&C 71:5).
28:31 - "...cursed is he that...shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost..."
If we are listening for the spirit, we will recognize if someone is teaching things we should be applying, or if it is not of God. This shows the importance of letting virtue garnish our thoughts unceasingly! (D&C 121:45) As we invite the spirit, we will be able to recognize the difference.
27:6-19 - Prophecy about the Book of Mormon
It is interesting that the sealed portion is discussed - that it will be revealed in the last days. That will be amazing. If we are to appreciate the sealed portion, however, we must appreciate what we have now, by studying the Book of Mormon, Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and the slough of modern scripture, especially General Conferences.
27:23 - "...I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith..."
God wants to work with us...we have to open ourselves to Him, though...through our faith and actions. As we work to do this, we will receive the help we need and come to trust God even more. I love Him, and I will do this.
27:27 - "...wo unto them that seek to hide their counsel from the Lord..."
Elder L. Whitney Clayton talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, Pg. 51-53.
He talked about pornography and its evil effects. We can't hide that from God. "Along with losing the Spirit, pornography users also lose perspective and proportion. Like King David, they try to conceal their sin, forgetting that nothing is hidden from the Lord."
We can't hide anything from the Lord, but we can repent and come unto Him. It doesn't depend upon the temptations we receive...it does depend on how we react to those temptations.
27:29 - "...and in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, adn teh blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness..."
This is probably speaking spiritually, but it is also interesting to note that we have the Book of Mormon on audio cassette, CD, DVD, and also in ASL and Braille. The blind and deaf can study the Book of Mormon. How blessed we are!
26:13 - "...and that he manifesteth himelf unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, among the children of men, according to their faith..."
There are many great blessings that come as a result of faith. We see miracles, signs, and wonders. We don't seek them, but they follow faith. We also will see the Savior, recognize Him, and follow Him as we develop true faith. As we develop our faith, we also have the Spirit with us in a deeper way, helping us with decisions and helping us come unto Christ.
26:16-17 - "...for those who shall be destroyed shall speak unto them out of the ground..."
This is talking about the Book of Mormon. Even though the Nephites were destroyed, they still passed along their words, works, and warnings. If we heed these teachings, we will come closer to Christ. This will help us avoid destruction ourselves!
26:27 - "...he hath commended his people that they should persuade all men to repentance..."
Part of our Glory is to persuade all men to repentance. It's our glory, because as we repent, we are accomplishing our work, and it brings us happiness. Then we help others repent, which is our glory (Alma 29:9), and this brings us joy.
26:29 - "...priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world..."
There is a difference between setting yourself up for a light to get gain, and setting yourself up for a light to glorify our Father in Heaven. In both circumstances, we are being a light...it depends on our motives and desires and humility. The thing that helps is shown in the next verse...charity!
25:5 - "...taught after the manner of the things of the Jews..."
If we understand the manner of the things of the Jews, then we will understand the Isaiah passages. You can see something similar today - the Brethren understand the things of today's world; so do we, so we understand the teachings of our church leaders very well. We must understand and follow their counsel, as well as work to understand the things of the Jews so we can apply those scriptures to us.
25:7 - "...I proceed with mine own prophecy, according to my plainness; in the which I know that no man can err..."
The prophets teach with plainness, so we cannot err (Alma 5:43, Mosiah 2:40, 2 Nephi 25:20, 2 Nephi 25:28). The beauty of the gospel is that it is so clear! It takes a lot of twisting to match our personal preferences, and there is no happiness in that!
25:7 - "...in the days that the prophecies of Isaiah shall be fulfilled men shall know of a surety, at the times when they shall come to pass..."
Interesting - we will be able to recognize the fulfillment of those prophecies and know when they will be fulfilled. I'm very excited for the Second Coming!
25:23 - "...it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do..."
True, we can do a lot to return to God, and it is essential! We must repent, and follow the gospel of Jesus Christ. But...if it wasn't for the atonement, we would have no gospel. We wouldn't even exist. It is by grace that we are able to do! We must never short-change the Lord by thinking that we can make it back on our own.
Elder Claudio D. Zivic talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, Pg 98-99.
"We, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, have chosen not to be ordinary men and women...it is not enough to go through the motions of being baptized and confirmed, but rather we have to fulfill and honor the commitment that we made with the Lord on that memorable day."
We do this by doing "all we can do."
25:25 - "...we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ..."
This passage shows one of the key tenets of our faith...that we are Christian. We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophecy of Christ, etc. I have a firm testimony of Christ, and know that it is through Him that we are saved.
25:28-29 - "...for the right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not..."
There are so many wrong ways to live our life...and many right ways. The right way for us is revealed as we believe and have faith in Christ. Then we will trust Him and work to be obedient to the commandments. This gives us the Spirit, which guides us in the "right" way that we must go.
24:1 - "...the Lord will yet choose Israel..."
Why and when will the Lord choose Israel? It happens when Israel chooses the Lord. When we choose the Lord, He is able to bless & save us, but - we must choose Him (D&C 121:34-36). The French word for "chosen" is "élu." The root of that French word translates directly to "elect." Many are called, but few are chosen (or elect). So...we are "chosen" when we are "elect," and we are "elect" when we choose God!
24:3 - "...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 wast made to serve..."
We can have faith that the Lord will give us rest from our trials and troubles. It is also good because we have hope now and will work harder, knowing we will have respite, greater than the tough times now.
24:16 - "...is this the man that made the earth to tremble..."
When we will see Satan for who he really is, we will probably be surprised. That doesn't mean that we can let down our guard...we must be constantly vigilant in keeping the commandments and resisting temptation, or we will end up on Satan's side.
23:3 - "...mine anger is not upon them that rejoice in my highness..."
That's one way to stay on the Lord's good side. Another way is to resist temptation and repent when we fall.
23:11 - "...and I will punish the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay down the haughtiness of the terrible..."
The Lord will give just recompense for the actions of each person. Of us it is required to forgive all men (D&C 64:10). This is about condemning judgment. There's a difference between consequences and condemnation. Sometimes it is needful for some people to receive consequences so they can learn from their actions. This doesn't mean that we hold a grudge against them...we should always want to help each other come closer to Christ. But we don't need to condone their actions either. In this path, we show our faith in Christ's healing and fixing power.
23:12 - "...I will make a man more precious than fine gold..."
The footnote for this verse refers to the passage of scripture found in 2 Nephi 14:1-4. In the last days, men will be scarce as a result of wars - much more precious to women than "fine gold." It shows the importance of being close to the Lord, especially for women who need the spirit of the Lord in finding a spouse, or dealing with the loss of a spouse / father / brother / son.
22:3 - "...with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation..."
Wow, combined with Alma 29:9, Moses 1:39, 2 Nephi 2:25, and D&C 11:20, this shows that our glory is to be an instrument in God's hands to help bring others to Christ.
This is our joy.
We need to do our part, especially with the end drawing nigh.
22:4 - "...praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted..."
If we are giving credit where credit is due, then we are showing our faith and gratitude. It's a good way to show our love and remember Him. What better way to remember somebody than to honor them?
22:4-6 - "...praise the Lord...sing unto the Lord..."
The millennium will be a time of rejoicing. I look forward to it. It will be the Lord who is praised - because He is the one who accomplished it all. We must remain humble or suffer severe disappointment and the other consequences of pride.
21:1-5 - "...a rod out of the stem of Jesse..."
The rod out of the stem of Jesse is Jesus Christ. He will come forth and lead us during the Millenium - so we must choose now which side we're on, then act! Keep the commandments, and keep His righteousness, or priesthood.
21:2-3 - "...and shall make him of quick understanding...spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord..."
There's a difference between "doubting" fear and fear of the Lord. "Doubting" fear leaves no room for growth or trust in the Lord. "Doubting" fear is detrimental. Fear of the Lord is based on faith. We "fear" the Lord inasmuch as we respect Him and act in faith. This is how we can be guided and gain a more perfect understanding.
21:6-9 - "...the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb..."
That will be an awesome day when the aggressive predators will mingle with the docile ones. They won't hurt or destroy each other because the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord.
It's amazing how much our behavior changes when we truly understand the doctrine. Let us understand.
21:13 - "...the envy of Ephraim shall also depart..."
Awesome...I pray for this, at least in the way the Lord wants it. I think I may be a bit too much envious. The Lord can help us, though, and help our weaknesses become strengths. I'm so grateful for that help, or I would be very lost.
20:11 - "...shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and to her idols..."
Just because we're members of the church doesn't mean we will be able to sin and "get away" with it. We will be punished for our own transgressions.
20:12-15 - "...shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith..."
Without the Lord, we are nothing. We are naught but instruments in His hands to bless the lives of those around us. We are either effective or ineffective. It's not that we are either instruments or not, because we are, and always will be instruments that He can use.
However, we need to be effective if we wish to be wise servants in assisting the Lord in His work and glory.
20:17 - "...and the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame, and shall burn and shall devour his thorns and his briers in one day..."
The Lord will deal justly and righteously with us all. We must have faith in Him that He does know what He's doing. Then we can act in faith to forgive, forget, move on, and move up. The Lord will take care of the things that don't seem "fair."
19:2-3 - "...they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest..."
This passage seems to be talking about the Restoration and missionary work. The people walked in darkness (Apostasy) and have seen a great light (Restoration). Thou hast multiplied the nation (growth of the church), and increased the joy (missionary work). It reminds me of D&C 18:10,15-16 and 2 Nephi 2:25, where it states that we receive joy in helping others come unto Christ.
19:6 - "...for unto us a child is born..."
I know that Jesus Christ was truly given for us, so we may return to God. I am very grateful that the Lord accomplished the Atonement and Resurrection...that He performed for us. We are so blessed, and now we must assist the Lord in His work and glory. We must do as the Lord commands.
19:16 - "...for the leaders of this people cause them to err..."
This shows why it is so important to act in faith and be a good example, because whether or not we are leading people, we are watched. We set an example...and we must make it a good example if we want to be effective servants of the Lord.
Whole Chapter - "...for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still..."
The Lord does punish us, because He loves us and wants us to be happy. We need to repent and return to Him, and also suffer the consequences of our actions...but his hand is stretched out still.
18:6-10 - "...forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah...shal be broken in pieces..."
Those that reject or refuse Jesus Christ will be cut down and broken in pieces at the last day. We must stand with the Lord, or we will not receive the great blessings we seek, especially in returning to live with our heavenly parents and in becoming like Him.
18:14 - "...and he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling..."
Often, the same teachings will have a profound difference on different people. For the righteous, it justifies their actions. For the wicked, it condemns them. We need to be righteous so we can benefit from the Lord as a sanctuary.
18:17 - "...and I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him..."
There will be great calamities and tough times...but our outcome depends on who we place our faith in. Who do we trust and serve? If we will have faith in the Lord and serve Him, then no matter what happens to us physically, we will be fine spiritually.
18:18 - "...I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of Hosts..."
The Lord used Isaiah and his children to teach Israel lessons, as well as for prophecy. All things testify of Christ, and I just find it interesting that these people were used specifically to testify of destruction, captivity, etc. We should take from this that we must fulfill what the Lord asks us to do...for we have covenanted to do so.
18:19 - "...should not a people seek unto their God for the living to hear from the dead..."
Instead of black magic, or anything of the sort, we should look to God, who will give us needed comfort instead of calling on black magic to seek to bring back people who are dead.
17:10-13 - "...I will not...tempt the Lord..."
True, normally it's better to not ask God for a sign...it says that a wicked and adulterous generation will ask for a sign. But in this case, the Lord (through the prophet) tells Ahaz to ask for a sign. If the prophet tells us to do something, we'd better do it. It's not a double standard - it's personal, situational revelation.
17:10-13 - "...the Lord spoke unto Ahaz..."
This is a matter of learning to trust the Lord, and have faith in His revelation. We may have a previous understanding based on our reading of scripture and interpretation...but we need to be willing to listen to personal revelation. That's much more important. Continuous revelation is wonderful, but we must accept it.
17:18-19 - "...the Lord shall hiss for the fly...for the bee..."
This is a symbol of the gathering of Israel. They will be gathered from all over.
We need to gather ourselves, then help gather others.
17:21-22 - "...in that day...abundance of milk and butter..."
The prosperity of that time of gathering will be so great that they will have butter...normally a delicacy and not to be had during famine. It's going to be a great time for the righteous...we should be righteous, even if we don't receive great blessings.
16:2 - Seraphim
The wings that covered the face represent power, the wings that covered his feet represent dominance and speed, and the wings that were used to fly represent spiritual dominance.
These Seraphim are servants of the Lord, empowered with great blessings.
As we serve the Lord, we are also empowered with blessings...but we need to be worthy of them.
16:4-5 - "...the house filled with smoke..."
This represents God - or the Lord...a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
How will we recognize the Savior? What is our personal way of knowing that He is the Christ?
16:9-10 - "...make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy...lest they...hear with their ears and understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed..."
This shows the Lord's mercy! He's not doing this so His people won't receive blessings...he's doing it because they aren't ready for it yet. This testifies to me that the Lord loves me and will give me experiences and trials and blessings as I'm ready to receive them. I can move forward in faith, both when I don't receive experiences that I think I should have, and also when I receive experiences that I think I shouldn't have.
15:4 - "...what could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it..."
The Lord has truly put in a lot of effort and work to help the vineyard...and now it is up to us to do our part.
15:13 - "...therefore, my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge..."
Knowledge is power. We have the opportunities and experiences because we learn. We receive knowledge. As we learn, we need to apply what we learn, or we may lose what we had, losing also the knowledge that we could have had. In that vein, then, a lack of knowledge is a form of captivity. If we don't know a principle, how can we apply it? We don't receive many blessings because we don't know about them. If we want these blessings, we must apply what we already know, and then seek for more knowledge.
15:26-29 - "...none shall slumber nor sleep..."
They will always be ready - strong and firm.
This seems to be describing our day and maybe some of the technology that has or will be invented (a car is ready at a moment's notice to carry us away safely). We must always be ready, and use what the Lord has given us to further His work along.
14:1 - "...seven women shall take hold of one man..."
This may be showing an example of repentance. It seems like the women from the last chapter were humbled in their sinful and prideful state and now they want their reproach taken away.
It's so much better when we don't get into similar situations in the first place.
14:4-6 - "...when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion..."
After the daughters of Zion are purged and cleansed, then the Lord will be able to dwell with them. We also need to purge and clean ourselves in the prescribed manner, and He will be with us.
We don't have to wait until the Second Coming to be guided and led by the Lord. But we must follow Him.
14:5 - "...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..."
This shows another aspect of faith...yes the Lord will create a cloud and fire, but he will do it upon every dwelling-place and assembly of Zion. This implies that we need to first build our dwelling-places and assemblies of Zion. How can he create the cloud and fire upon the dwelling-places if these places don't exist? As we build these places (physically and spiritually), we open ourselves to receive great blessings from the Lord!
13:1-5 - This passage gives a list of things that will be taken away in the last days.
The things that will be taken away are all symbols of a powerful society (mighty man, man of war, judge, prophet, captain of fifty, cunning artificer, eloquent orator, etc.). In the last days society will be changed from a powerful society and rendered to a society of chaos and disrespect. We can see some hints of that prophecy already with the rampant disrespect, pride, and entitlement views of many children. This shows the importance of discipline - we need to make sure that our children know that when they make a mistake, there are consequences. By being a good example, we can also help them know what they need to do.
13:6-8 - "...thou has clothing, be thou our ruler..."
At that time, many will look to anyone that has any success to be their leader. This can be sad if they do not look to support themselves and seek to use these leaders as a crutch. Maybe it will become so bad that even the people who are quite capable will be in the same boat.
If we have our food storage and are prepared while keeping the commandments, we will have less to fear.
13:9 - "...the show of their countenance doth witness against them..."
People can tell if we've been sinning or if we are clean. It shows in our countenance. If there's any problem, we must have faith in the Lord and go fix the problem. The Lord wants us to be happy...and that will come through righteous living.
13:16-17 - "...the daughters of Zion are haughty..."
This isn't talking about the population of the world in general...this is describing the daughters of Zion! Even the very elect can become proud and haughty - and when it gets that bad, it's only a matter of time to downfall. We need to be vigilant in keeping the commandments and staying true to the faith.
13:18-26 - "...the men shall fall by the sword..."
When women go bad, men go bad, too. We need the support of each other to stay on the right path. It's tough, but we need to each do our part.
12:2 - "...the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains..."
That's very interesting - in the movie "House of the Lord," it talks about this subject. Not only are we building temples in the mountains, but the word "Utah" itself means "top of the mountains." In this sense, prophecy has been and is being fulfilled, and we're a part of it. Prophecies will continue to be fulfilled, and we should participate by "flowing" unto the temple.
12:6-22 - This passage describes the conditions of pride in our days.
We worship the works of our own hands instead of being grateful that the Lord gave us the talent to be able to take care of things, build things, help people, be a leader, and so much more. As we are grateful, we give credit where credit is due, and this helps remove pride, or at least a lot of it.
The main point comes a little later in verse 22 - "cease ye from man." We must remove ourselves from the tendency towards the natural man, become as a little child, and humble ourselves before we are humbled by external forces.
12:22 - "...cease ye from man..."
It's surprising sometimes how much faith we have in man and man's abilities, but not faith in the Lord. The abilities of man testifies of the abilities of the Lord. We must trust the Lord and not lean on the natural man. We can still trust man, but have faith in the Lord.
As we act in faith, the more we will put off the natural man!
11:2 - "...my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah..."
Isaiah testified of Christ, in many different ways. If we will delight in the words of Isaiah, read, study, and ponder these words...we can and will come closer to Jesus Christ.
11:3 - "...by the words of three...I will establish my word..."
Witnesses are so important. We have witnesses to the truth to help establish the validity of it. We have witnesses to ordinances to help ensure obedience to those ordinances. Our own example should be such that we are witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places, or our own actions will witness against us (Mosiah 18:9).
11:4 - "...my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ..."
What really gives me joy? I think it's helping others...making them laugh and helping them learn. There are many types of "aha!" moments. We do not have to limit ourselves to humor or astonishment. We can and must continue to learn and share with others. As we do so, we are helping them come unto Christ.
11:4 - "...all things...are the typifying of him..."
This says that all things testify of Christ (Moses 6:63). Light, nature, music...everything! We just need to look at everything and see how they each can bring us closer to Him.
11:5-6 - "...my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord..."
This is the type of faith that we must have...the kind that means that we are happy and excited to keep the covenants that we have made. The kind that pushes us to share our blessings and insights with others and help them come unto Christ.
God must be so sad when he sees us go through terrible times. He must cry out and want to help us, but with His wisdom and mercy, he allows horrible things to happen so we can learn and be a strength to those who need help in their own times of trial. It is a great blessing to be grateful for.
11:8 - "...liken them unto you..."
We can read all we want, but until we apply what we learn, we go nowhere...and actually regress if we aren't careful. If we aren't progressing, we regress. There is no "stagnation."
10:3 - "...Christ...should be his name..."
Up until this time, the Book of Mormon used the Hebrew form of the word "Christ," which is "Messiah." The Book of Mormon was written in Reformed Egyptian, a mixture of Egyptian and Hebrew. It would not make sense that they would use the Greek form of the word...unless it was revealed to them. At this point, an angel visits Jacob and reveals this name to him. From then on, this version of the name is used in the Book of Mormon. It's a great principle of revelation, and then application of that revelation.
10:3-5 - "...and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God..."
This attitude and state that the people had reached that they would be willing to crucify their God is really sad, and is a result of priestcrafts and iniquities. If we don't pay attention, we could do the same today and reject God because of our obsession with priestcrafts and iniquities.
10:11-14 - "...there shall be no kings upon the land...for he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish..."
I really like this promise. The way the government is set up today in the United States is amazing, and gives representation to us...the people. We are blessed to be able to play a role in who represents us and the laws that we put on the land and people. We need to take advantage of this system to bless the people of America and the world, and not set up Kings who will reign in oppression, etc.
10:20-22 - "...great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the isles of the sea..."
I have seen a lot of these promises and blessings while serving as a missionary in the West Indies. These people are greatly blessed as they keep the commandments, just as much as I have seen others blessed as they do the same. God is no respecter of persons.
10:23 - "...cheer up your hearts...remember that ye are free to act for yourselves..."
This is very true. We have the freedom to act for ourselves, especially living in such a great country. That alone should cheer up our hearts. We are very blessed, and we need to be grateful to the Lord for giving us these great blessings!
This is also a great application of faith. We really should be acting in faith and not expect everything to be put into our laps. We act in faith, yes...but that does not mean that we have to be stoic about it. We can and should be cheerfully doing everything in our power to come unto Christ ourselves, and then help others do the same.
9:6-7 - "...resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall..."
We fell, so we need a way to overcome our fallen state. The atonement brought the resurrection, and because the atonement was infinite, it satisfied all the requirements necessary for resurrection (and exaltation).
9:8-9 - If there were no Atonement, we would be like Satan - angels to a devil.
When we follow Satan's plan, the best we can possibly do is to become angels to a devil. When we follow God's plan, the best we can possibly do is to become a god, like Him.
We become like those that we follow.
This is also seen in that the Lord took on himself the "seed of Abraham" and not the "nature of angels" (Hebrews 2:16).
9:13-14 - "...we shall have a perfect knowledge..."
For the righteous, it will be a great day. For the wicked, they will remember all their sins. Ouch.
We need to keep the commandments so it will be a good day.
9:21 - He will save all men if they hearken to His voice.
If we want to be saved, we need to do what He says.
The Lord is the only reason we can be saved, and I'm grateful!
9:23 - "...and he commandeth all men that they must repent and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God..."
We all want to be saved...we want to be happy. It takes work, effort, and giving up things that don't lead us to God. It takes acting in faith. If we have faith, we shall not fear.
9:28-29 - "...to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God..."
That's the trick - hearkening to the counsel of God. Often, we just want to do things our own way...and only God's way will work. It's when we trust our own wisdom that the problems come. Like it says in the verse, though, being learned is good...if we hearken to the counsel of God. It's tough sometimes because we're told to make a decision and then pray for confirmation...sometimes I wonder if I'm receiving confirmation or convincing myself that I have. Reading the scriptures diligently and earnest prayer will help us know the difference.
9:31-32 - "...wo unto the deaf that will not hear...wo unto the blind that will not see..."
It's not that they can't hear or see...it's that they won't. How many times do we plug our ears and shut our eyes and do not take advantage of the gospel? We hurt ourselves and all the people we could have helped.
9:39-40 - "...words of truth are hard against all uncleanness..."
That reminds me of 1 Nephi 16:1-3 where Nephi says the same thing to Laman and Lemuel.
They take truth to be hard because of inertia - it's easy to stay on your current path, and change is tough. When you stay carnally-minded, it leads to death. However, if you can keep the inertia in staying spiritually-minded, you will follow the path that leads to eternal life.
9:41,45,51 - "...come unto the Lord..."
We are exhorted so many times to "Come unto Him"...this implies action. We must keep the commandments, thus becoming like Him, while we're coming unto Him.
9:48 - "...if ye were holy I would speak of holiness...but as ye are not holy...I must teach you the consequences of sin."
Interesting. I just wonder what General Conference would be like if everybody were holy. I do know that our own personal preparation will help us learn and be taught through the Holy Ghost, so at least we can prepare ourselves to receive the revelation we need.
8:1-2 - "...look unto the rock from whence ye are hewn...look unto Abraham, your father, and unto Sarah..."
The Abrahamic covenant applies to us, and if we follow the example of Abraham and Sarah (implied through the verbiage "look"), then we will receive those blessings.
8:4-7 - Chaiasmus
It looks like this passage is a chaiasmus, with the focus being on "lift up your eyes to the heavens." We are often told to "look" or "lift up our eyes." This implies action on our part. If we want the blessings, we need to follow the required commandments.
8:5 - "Righteousness"
Very often when you see the word "Righteousness" in Biblical passages (mainly the Old Testament) and Isaiah passages, it's referring to the Melchizedek Priesthood. Melchizedek was the "King of Righteousness." It makes sense in this passage because the word "righteous" is being used as a noun and not an attribute. It also makes sense because it says, "my righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth," - which goes together. Salvation comes from the ordinances properly administered by the correct authority - the priesthood.
8:5 - "...the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust..."
We must have faith in the Lord and trust Him. It's difficult sometimes when we can't see the end from the beginning, but if we do trust Him, we will get the blessings from following Him.
8:12 - "...who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of men..."
We must not be afraid of men, but rather fear the Lord and follow His teachings and commandments.
8:20 - "...thy sons have fainted, save these two..."
There are a lot more questions about this passage of scripture than there are answers. If this is referring to the two prophets at Jerusalem as described in Revelations (Revelations 11:3-12), then what does this passage mean by the fainted part? Will all the rest of the prophets have fainted at that point? Will there just be two prophets left? When it says "prophets," does this mean prophets from the First Presidency or Quorum of the 12, or prophets raised up from the Jews? There are a lot of questions, but few answers.
