Why Are the Words of Isaiah So Great?
An Invitation to the Isaiah Institute's Search Diligently Virtual Class
“Great are the words of Isaiah.”
Jesus Christ spoke these words as He ministered to the people in ancient America and commanded them (and us) to search the words of Isaiah diligently.
In the Book of Mormon, numerous prophets, including Nephi (see also here), Jacob, and Abinadi, prepare us for this commandment of the Lord by their own reading, recitation, and commentary on the great words of Isaiah. Furthermore, the Lord’s commandment in the Book of Mormon to search the words of Isaiah diligently is followed by similar exhortations by other ancient American prophets, including Moroni.
Why?
What is so important about Isaiah?
Why are Isaiah’s words so great?
The Lord explained:
And now, behold, I say unto you, that 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.
For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles.
And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake. (3 Nephi 23:1-3)
Nephi explained:
And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning. (1 Nephi 19:23)
Nephi then invited his us to liken the words of Isaiah unto ourselves:
Wherefore I spake unto them, saying: Hear ye the words of the prophet, ye who are a remnant of the house of Israel, a branch who have been broken off; hear ye the words of the prophet, which were written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves, that ye may have hope as well as your brethren from whom ye have been broken off; for after this manner has the prophet written. (1 Nephi 19:24)
Nephi’s younger brother Jacob also championed the words of Isaiah:
And now, behold, I would speak unto you concerning things which are, and which are to come; wherefore, I will read you the words of Isaiah. And they are the words which my brother has desired that I should speak unto you. And I speak unto you for your sakes, that ye may learn and glorify the name of your God.
And now, the words which I shall read are they which Isaiah spake concerning all the house of Israel; wherefore, they may be likened unto you, for ye are of the house of Israel. And there are many things which have been spoken by Isaiah which may be likened unto you, because ye are of the house of Israel. (2 Nephi 6:4-5)
Later in the Book of Mormon, Abinadi quoted the words of Isaiah extensively, verbatim, and probably from memory to his mostly unreceptive audience.
The words of Isaiah testify of Christ, increase our faith in Christ, and strengthen our hope in Christ. For just these reasons, the words of Isaiah are great. But the words of Isaiah are also great because, as the Lord Himself taught, they are true, and all of his words have been and shall be fulfilled.
The more diligently I read, study, search, and delight in the words of Isaiah, the better I see and understand how his words have been fulfilled, how they are now being fulfilled, and how they shall yet be fulfilled.
Like Nephi and Jacob, Isaiah was an eyewitness of Jesus Christ.
Nephi recorded Isaiah’s calling in the Book of Mormon and the Lord’s first message for Isaiah to declare:
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.
And he said: Go and tell this people—Hear ye indeed, but they understood not; and see ye indeed, but they perceived not.
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. (2 Nephi 16:8-10)
Avraham Gileadi’s translation and interpretation of Isaiah is often helpful:
Then I heard the voice of my Lord saying, Whom shall I send? Who will go for us? And I replied, Here am I; send me!9 And he said, Go, and say to these people, Go on hearing, but not understanding; Go on seeing, but not perceiving.10 Make the heart of these people grow fat; dull their ears and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand in their heart, and repent, and be healed. (Isaiah 6:8-10)
In my Book of Mormon study this morning, the words of Isaiah - the same words that the angel Moroni quoted to the Prophet Joseph Smith during their early interactions - testified powerfully to me of Jesus Christ, of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and of many other things:
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. (2 Nephi 21:1-4)
The Prophet Joseph Smith received further revelation concerning these verses:
Who is the Stem of Jesse spoken of in the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th verses of the 11th chapter of Isaiah?
Verily thus saith the Lord: It is Christ. (D&C 113:1-2)
The Stem of Jesse is Christ, but what is the rod from the Stem of Jesse?
What is the rod spoken of in the first verse of the 11th chapter of Isaiah, that should come of the Stem of Jesse?
Behold, thus saith the Lord: It is a servant in the hands of Christ, who is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom there is laid much power. (D&C 113:3-4)
And the root?
What is the root of Jesse spoken of in the 10th verse of the 11th chapter?
Behold, thus saith the Lord, it is a descendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering of my people in the last days. (D&C 113:5-6)
For possible interpretations of these and other things in light of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s relationship to Jesus Christ, I recommend Vern G. Swanson’s fascinating book Dynasty of the Holy Grail: Mormonism’s Sacred Bloodline. Isaiah, the Book of Mormon, and Joseph Smith’s revelations clearly testify of Christ and of the Prophet Joseph Smith, but there is so much more in the words of Isaiah that merit our best efforts to understand and liken them unto ourselves.
To that end, I was recently reminded that Avraham Gileadi’s Isaiah Institute will soon host an in depth chapter by chapter class to help us to obey the Lord’s commandment to diligently search the words of Isaiah.
This is a year-long course that begins on March 6, 2025, with the accompanying YouTube channel Search Diligently. If we intend to understand (not merely hear) and to perceive (not merely see) why the Lord commanded us to diligently search the great words of Isaiah, then this is a great place to start or to continue our study.
The truth is that whatever we study and search in the great words of Isaiah is being fulfilled before our very eyes, or it shall be fulfilled in the near future. For these and many other reasons, the great words of Isaiah are more relevant to us now than ever.
Isaiah was a great prophet, seer, and poet and we ought to diligently search his great words. Thanks to the Prophet Joseph Smith, we have the Book of Mormon which testifies of Christ and helps us to better understand the importance of Isaiah’s great words.
Joseph Smith, Jr. was not merely an uneducated farm boy or even a well-prepared religious genius turned prophet. (Although there is merit to Neville’s argument and I enjoyed his book Moroni’s America) Joseph Smith, Jr. was and is a servant in the hands of Christ who translated the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God.
(For a deeper understanding of the gift and power of God by which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon I recommend Michael Hubbard MacKay and Nicholas J. Frederick excellent book Joseph Smith’s Seer Stones and Ogden Kraut’s excellent book Seers and Seer Stones.)
Isaia 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
The great invitation of our Lord. Come and let us reason together. I love it.