He Is My Strength and My Song - Second Book of Nephi, Chapter Twenty-Two (2 Nephi 22 and Isaiah 12)

You can read the entire chapter at the following links: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/22?lang=eng and https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/isa/12?lang=eng

Isaiah dedicates the few verses that make up this chapter to helping us imagine what the world and our feelings about it will be like after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Even if we don’t know precisely what will happen leading up to His arrival, or when those things will take place, we know that there will be a climax to the already ongoing process of gathering his followers. We also know broadly that events will reflect some kind of judgment that provides protection for those who emulate the Lord from those who seek to ridicule and destroy them. In considering this, we must be very careful not to form prideful notions that we are inherently morally superior to anyone. Any goodness we claim lies in how closely we follow the Lord’s selfless, loving example. And we are not exempt from hardships and trials, or even physical death.

To those who physically survive the tribulations of the times, or who are brought back through God’s grace, the Second Coming will represent an epic deliverance from fear and want. According to the first verse of this chapter, one of the dominant emotions will be relief: “Though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.” Remember, we all fall short in keeping God’s commandments. Yet, those who make it their life’s work to turn back to Christ constantly for help in becoming more like Him will feel the power of forgiveness bless their lives. It will be even more palpable when Jesus comes again.

Another dominant emotion will be joy. Utter, unrestrained joy. The second verse is key to understanding why we can and should feel that same joy right now as we recognize that this chapter is not some poetic flight of fancy, but a true description of future events that shows what opportunities God is offering us right now in the present:

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”

According to the late Brigham Young University professor Ellis Rasmussen, in this verse the original Hebrew refers to God as “El,” another name for the Father. So the Father and the plan He has for us (His children) to become like Him and return to Him gives us an amazingly gracious and merciful chance for salvation. And Jehovah, who before his birth as Jesus Christ represented the Father in His dealings with men and women from the time of Adam and Eve, is our strength and song because His Atonement is the key to our redemption from death and sin.

And so the remaining passages of the chapter referring to joyful actions—praise, crying, shouting, and drawing “water out of the wells of salvation”—represent the jubilant feelings that can come to each of us as we feel our burdens literally lifted and become partakers of the peace the Lord offers. Even more important, we become empowered to help others find that same sense of peace and liberation from darkness and heaviness. It seems almost too good to be true that we can have absolute trust in the Lord to carry us through. But as the Apostle Peter reminds us (in 2 Peter 1:16), it’s not a “cunningly devised fable” at all. In fact, it’s the most enduring truth there is.   

All in Good Time - Second Book of Nephi, Chapter Twenty (2 Nephi 20 and Isaiah 10)

You can read the entire chapter at the following links: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/20?lang=eng and https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/isa/10?lang=eng/. 

There is an overarching theme in this chapter that I call “all in good time.” Whose good time? The Lord’s. Isaiah prophesies Messianically (using the voice of the Lord) to communicate to a people in Judah who are fearful of the big, bad Assyrian Empire closing in on them.

His message? It’s a little harsh for the immediate future. In verse 11, he says, “Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and to her idols?” Meaning, just as the Israelites of the north (Samaria) lost their kingdom because of pride, continued pride will lead to the downfall of the kingdom still (as of 700 B.C.) in Judah. Nephi likely knows that including this passage from Isaiah carries special meaning for his people because they are the generation whom the Lord helped escape Jerusalem just before its downfall.

But the Lord’s silver lining is that the Assyrian bully will ultimately get its just deserts for its own pride. By pulling back to take the long view, the Lord uses Isaiah to show His children and covenant people that even if they will endure very trying times in their day, their descendants will be given the opportunity to claim their inheritance. In Isaiah’s language, this is phrased as the remnant of Israel returning to its lands (verses 20-22), but there’s a deeper meaning about any of us who fall short returning to the Lord’s favor through obedience to His commandments—most importantly faith in Christ and repentance.

Some people reading Isaiah’s prophecy might think that if the Lord knows everything that will happen in the future, he also controls everything that happens. I don’t claim to know how it all works, but I am convinced that the Lord’s great (actually, perfect) foreknowledge does not diminish people’s ability to act and experience the natural consequences of those actions. Just because a parent knows that a young child will endure a few falls when he or she learns to ride a bike, doesn’t mean the parent is making the child fall.

However, even though the Lord doesn’t control our actions, He does intervene to some extent in our world. He makes it very clear that He is the Creator of all, and uses that relationship to make the point that the ax cannot credibly claim to be more powerful than the person who wields it (verse 15)

Stem and Rod of Jesse - Second Book of Nephi, Chapter Twenty-One (2 Nephi 21 and Isaiah 11)

You can read the entire chapter at the following links: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/21?lang=eng and https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/isa/11?lang=eng.

The poetic imagery in 2 Nephi 19 initially refers to what we would call the First Coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh, beginning with his birth (2 Nephi 19:6 - “For unto us a child is born”).  As 2 Nephi 19 continues, and through 2 Nephi 20, it becomes clear that at a time about 700 years before the birth of Christ, Isaiah is communicating prophecies from the Lord about events that will take place over a wide range of time. This time period will stretch well beyond Christ’s mortal life and the immediate aftermath of His resurrection to a time closer to our day when the covenant people of Israel will gather in from many places. 2 Nephi 21 shows us that the gathering will be closely connected with actions by men foreordained by the Lord to reestablish the gospel and church of Christ on earth and to bring about Christ’s literal Second Coming. Indeed, for Isaiah, time seems almost irrelevant because the Lord appears to be showing him a vision of an ultimate reality that depends on a far-off redemption to justify the sufferings the Lord’s people will endure before then.

If we think about the people of Nephi, there is something very similar at play for them. A few decades previously, the Lord led them to the American continent after their departure from a Jerusalem that was about to be sacked by Babylon. They endured great hardship throughout the journey, yet saw mighty miracles in their deliverance and ultimate arrival in America. However, troubles did not cease once they established themselves in America. Family resentments and widespread unwillingness to remember the Lord fed contention. Shortly after the unifying father figure Lehi passed away, Nephi found it necessary to physically separate those willing to follow His righteous teachings from the Lamanites who rejected them.

From 2 Nephi 5 to this point, we witness Nephi and his brother Jacob doing what they can to provide their followers a strong foundation in the Lord’s teachings so that they and future generations can have the perspective they need to overcome hardship and prosper through faith. Continuity with the traditions the Lord had established with their forefathers becomes extremely important. The Nephites have the record from Israel’s past generations from the brass plates they obtained from Laban to go along with plates that Nephi had made after arriving in America (1 Nephi 19) to make sure they can document events going forward. One of the first things the Nephites do after separating from the Lamanites is to build a temple as a sign that their covenant remains with the Lord despite their distance from the Old World.

And then Nephi and his brother Jacob turn their focus to reminding their people of the prophecies that they have inherited and that remain valid and vividly relevant in their lives. This is where Isaiah comes in. As a third witness to bolster the credibility of the prophecies Nephi and Jacob share from their own direct experiences with receiving revelations and visions from God. They are showing that these new prophecies are consistent with the familiar and widely-accepted stories from past prophets.  

Of course, the key element to these prophecies is Jesus Christ and His central role in fulfilling the Father’s plan to save those who seek salvation. The hope that comes from Christ’s First Coming is reinforced with the gospel’s restoration in the latter days, and will climax with His Second Coming. This is in addition to the healing power and comfort we can all access right now through faith in His Atonement and our own repentance and obedience to His word.

In the first verse of 2 Nephi 21, Isaiah tells us of the “stem of Jesse,” and a rod that will come from the stem. Jesse was the father of David, and we know that Jesus is descended from David’s family line. So Jesus is the stem of Jesse. In verses 2-9, Isaiah is clearly talking about the justice that Jesus will bring with Him when He comes to reign over the earth in righteousness and “reprove with equity for the meek.” This is where we get the beautiful imagery of the wolf dwelling with the lamb in harmony, and the young child playing near the serpent’s den without coming to harm. It is emblematic of the idea that Christ will vanquish the pride and contention of the world by rewarding those who have learned to keep Satan at bay with dominion over the earth. Jeremiah (a contemporary of Lehi and Nephi, 23 and 30) and Zechariah (from around 520 B.C.) were prophets after Isaiah (their records were not in the brass plates that Nephi brought to the Americas) who also wrote of a “branch” (clearly a reference to Christ) reigning personally on the earth and establishing a millennial reign (one thousand years) of righteousness.

Remember, we take for granted that David’s kingdom will be restored. The story of Jesus’s mortal life and resurrection is in our historical record, as are new signs of the regathering of Israel over the past two centuries. The people living in the time of Isaiah and Nephi, however, are first-hand witnesses to the loss of David’s realms to invading foreigners (first the kingdom of Israel around 720 B.C. to the Assyrians in Isaiah’s time, then the kingdom of Judah around 600 B.C. to the Babylonians just after Nephi and his family fled Jerusalem). Therefore, the idea that David’s line would regain a throne of glory, and that this kingdom would cover the entire earth (not just the little patch of territory first given to Israel), requires a considerable exercise of faith on their part.

In verse 10, we learn of a root of Jesse, “which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek.” In a latter-day revelation given to Joseph Smith in 1838 on the meaning of various passages from Isaiah, we are told that this root (which is probably also the rod that comes from the stem) is a descendant of both Jesse and Joseph (of Egypt). He will use the keys of the kingdom to gather the Lord’s people in the last days. From other scripture, scholars have deduced that Joseph Smith is descended from Joseph of Egypt, so it seems likely that he is the root of Jesse. He is not the Messiah. That role is reserved solely for Jesus. But Joseph Smith has played an extremely important role as the prophet who brought forth the Lord’s gospel and church in the latter days.

The rest of the chapter is filled with language of great hope and power for those who have endured hardship as the Lord’s people. For the Nephites, who are getting used to a life far removed from familiar surroundings, and are learning to cope with being a target of their brothers’ resentments, this hopefulness is particularly important. Near the end of the chapter, Isaiah’s reference to a future day when the Lord will strike the “tongue of the Red Sea” (verse 15) connects the latter-day gathering with the most famous Biblical gathering of all—Moses bringing the Israelites in Egypt together for their exodus from Pharaoh and his armies.

For Unto Us a Child Is Born - Second Book of Nephi, Chapter Nineteen (2 Nephi 19 and Isaiah

You can read the entire chapter at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/19?lang=eng or https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/isa/9?lang=eng.

The words roll off the tongue and, for those familiar with the stirring melodies and harmonies of Handel’s Messiah, immediately bring a smile to our faces. I can’t think of verse 6 of this chapter without hope breaking into bright dawn in my mind. If there are problems I’m brooding on, they seem to matter much less than before. “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.”

In Handel’s music, there are extended pauses before each of the climactic bursts of “Wonderful!” “Counselor!” and “The Mighty God! The Everlasting Father.” This chorus repeats and builds upon itself in joyous, delicious harmony and musical counterpoint. The through-and-through beauty of it is the only thing that prevents me from utterly losing my patience at how hard it is to get the timing and note clusters right when I sing it over Christmas with my local church choir. Perhaps the most effective part of the whole thing is that the final name Isaiah uses for the Savior is reserved for the very end of the number. Only then, as the music begins to fade and the choir seems as though it has almost given out, do the singers half-whisper—in hushed and reverent tones—“the Prince of Peace.” Ironically, it is by getting quieter rather than louder that our attention is more fully drawn to this line.

Handel’s use of a single verse in Isaiah 9 for an entire movement of his sacred oratorio demonstrates just how powerful the prophet’s poetry is. It is even more compelling when we consider the context. Isaiah is speaking in a place and time where distinguishing between past, present, and future is much less important than communicating things are they truly are. He has several audiences—initially the people of Judah, but eventually it will encompass all of the gathered people of Israel and the billions of Gentiles who embrace the message of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah starts the chapter by referring to the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel by Assyria. Zebulun and Naphtali are tribes of Israel located in the north, and they are overrun by the Assyrians’ seemingly unstoppable earthly power. For the southern kingdom of Judah, it is a reminder that their brother Israelites—who split from their kingdom a few hundred years earlier—have been lost. But rather than dwelling on this trauma and any sense of guilt or sadness, Isaiah turns the attention of his audience to a “great light” that will multiply the nation and increase their joy.

It may seem hard to visualize for this weary, besieged people who live in constant fear of surrounding enemies, but Isaiah insistently presses his case. The yoke of their burden will be broken, along with the rod of the oppressor (verse 5).

It is no wonder that Matthew looked to this prophecy when writing his gospel (good news) that Jesus is Messiah. After all, Jesus’ base of operations for most of his ministry was Capernaum, which Matthew describes as being in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali (Matthew 4:15-16). So for Matthew, it was natural to declare that Jesus was the great light, the one who would take away our pain and burdens.

Let’s focus on two of the names Isaiah gives the Messiah: the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. Jesus is the Everlasting Father because the Father trusts Jesus completely to represent Him and carry out His plan. That plan, of course, is the idea that those who look to salvation through Christ’s atoning sacrifice for their sins will surely find it.

As we ponder the meaning of that in our own lives, in the very recesses of our souls, think about the power of verse 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.”

Jesus isn’t just going to reestablish a glorious nation, though that will happen as well. He is going to rebuild Israel one person at a time. Those who follow Him will not worry about losing their old self if they see that the new person Jesus promises to help them build (as a very close partner) is going to be much stronger and happier.

What about the Prince of Peace? This is probably one of the more misunderstood concepts in scripture. As we know, the events of Jesus’ mortal life were very far from what we would call peaceful. He was definitely a disrupter of the status quo. He overturned the moneychangers’ tables in the temple courtyard. He infuriated local leaders and even the great Sanhedrin (religious council) in Jerusalem to the point that they sought his life, and the Romans were willing to oblige in order to rid themselves of the nuisance.

So what does the word “peace” mean here? There may not be a perfect answer, but the one I believe is that peace is much more about your internal state than your external one. If you can find assurance in understanding where God’s plan will lead you, it becomes much easier to face hardship with a courageous and even cheerful and grateful outlook. And of course Jesus exemplified this more than anyone else. What does it say about the clarity of His conscience and purity of His intent when even in the throes of torturous execution he gives loving counsel to the two criminals crucified next to him, makes sure that his mother is taken care of, and pleads with the Father to forgive the very people responsible for his pain when it is at its most acute?

And once peace is within you, you can use it to radiate love and hope around you. This is the victory Christ won—a promise to everyone that if they look to Him, they can share in eternal joy. Words aren’t adequate to describe what that is, but it’s something that allows us to not only feel goodness, but take part in creating it. The natural consequence of Christ’s Atonement is that the promise it represents will fill the world as humble seekers tap into its power and share the message to others via the Holy Ghost. And, ultimately, the Second Coming will feature Jesus Himself reigning over a fully changed society. When that happens, He will indeed literally be the Prince of Peace.

But Isaiah shows us that the way to that more sanctified world will be filled with darkness and challenges (verses 14-21). Peace is hard-earned by learning to choose love over fear, generosity over selfishness, hope over despair. The Father’s plan says that we’ll have sadness and pain to deal with, and we’ll also find deception and treachery among some of our neighbors. Those who choose pride over humility will feel “wickedness burning as the fire,” which actually presents an opportunity for them to repent of their ways. When the time comes for the Second Coming of Jesus, the earth will be only for those who are accepting of Him in their thoughts, words, deeds, and characters, and the Lord will intercede to protect the righteous. 

For Unto Us a Child Is Born - Second Book of Nephi, Chapter Nineteen (2 Nephi 19 and Isaiah 9)

You can read the entire chapter at https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/19?lang=eng or https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/isa/9?lang=eng.

The words roll off the tongue and, for those familiar with the stirring melodies and harmonies of Handel’s Messiah, immediately bring a smile to our faces. I can’t think of verse 6 of this chapter without hope breaking into bright dawn in my mind. If there are problems I’m brooding on, they seem to matter much less than before. “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.”

In Handel’s music, there are extended pauses before each of the climactic bursts of “Wonderful!” “Counselor!” and “The Mighty God! The Everlasting Father.” This chorus repeats and builds upon itself in joyous, delicious harmony and musical counterpoint. The through-and-through beauty of it is the only thing that prevents me from utterly losing my patience at how hard it is to get the timing and note clusters right when I sing it over Christmas with my local church choir. Perhaps the most effective part of the whole thing is that the final name Isaiah uses for the Savior is reserved for the very end of the number. Only then, as the music begins to fade and the choir seems as though it has almost given out, do the singers half-whisper—in hushed and reverent tones—“the Prince of Peace.” Ironically, it is by getting quieter rather than louder that our attention is more fully drawn to this line.

Handel’s use of a single verse in Isaiah 9 for an entire movement of his sacred oratorio demonstrates just how powerful the prophet’s poetry is. It is even more compelling when we consider the context. Isaiah is speaking in a place and time where distinguishing between past, present, and future is much less important than communicating things are they truly are. He has several audiences—initially the people of Judah, but eventually it will encompass all of the gathered people of Israel and the billions of Gentiles who embrace the message of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah starts the chapter by referring to the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel by Assyria. Zebulun and Naphtali are tribes of Israel located in the north, and they are overrun by the Assyrians’ seemingly unstoppable earthly power. For the southern kingdom of Judah, it is a reminder that their brother Israelites—who split from their kingdom a few hundred years earlier—have been lost. But rather than dwelling on this trauma and any sense of guilt or sadness, Isaiah turns the attention of his audience to a “great light” that will multiply the nation and increase their joy.

It may seem hard to visualize for this weary, besieged people who live in constant fear of surrounding enemies, but Isaiah insistently presses his case. The yoke of their burden will be broken, along with the rod of the oppressor (verse 5).

It is no wonder that Matthew looked to this prophecy when writing his gospel (good news) that Jesus is Messiah. After all, Jesus’ base of operations for most of his ministry was Capernaum, which Matthew describes as being in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali (Matthew 4:15-16). So for Matthew, it was natural to declare that Jesus was the great light, the one who would take away our pain and burdens.

Let’s focus on two of the names Isaiah gives the Messiah: the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. Jesus is the Everlasting Father because the Father trusts Jesus completely to represent Him and carry out His plan. That plan, of course, is the idea that those who look to salvation through Christ’s atoning sacrifice for their sins will surely find it.

As we ponder the meaning of that in our own lives, in the very recesses of our souls, think about the power of verse 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.”

Jesus isn’t just going to reestablish a glorious nation, though that will happen as well. He is going to rebuild Israel one person at a time. Those who follow Him will not worry about losing their old self if they see that the new person Jesus promises to help them build (as a very close partner) is going to be much stronger and happier.

What about the Prince of Peace? This is probably one of the more misunderstood concepts in scripture. As we know, the events of Jesus’ mortal life were very far from what we would call peaceful. He was definitely a disrupter of the status quo. He overturned the moneychangers’ tables in the temple courtyard. He infuriated local leaders and even the great Sanhedrin (religious council) in Jerusalem to the point that they sought his life, and the Romans were willing to oblige in order to rid themselves of the nuisance.

So what does the word “peace” mean here? There may not be a perfect answer, but the one I believe is that peace is much more about your internal state than your external one. If you can find assurance in understanding where God’s plan will lead you, it becomes much easier to face hardship with a courageous and even cheerful and grateful outlook. And of course Jesus exemplified this more than anyone else. What does it say about the clarity of His conscience and purity of His intent when even in the throes of torturous execution he gives loving counsel to the two criminals crucified next to him, makes sure that his mother is taken care of, and pleads with the Father to forgive the very people responsible for his pain when it is at its most acute?

And once peace is within you, you can use it to radiate love and hope around you. This is the victory Christ won—a promise to everyone that if they look to Him, they can share in eternal joy. Words aren’t adequate to describe what that is, but it’s something that allows us to not only feel goodness, but take part in creating it. The natural consequence of Christ’s Atonement is that the promise it represents will fill the world as humble seekers tap into its power and share the message to others via the Holy Ghost. And, ultimately, the Second Coming will feature Jesus Himself reigning over a fully changed society. When that happens, He will indeed literally be the Prince of Peace.

But Isaiah shows us that the way to that more sanctified world will be filled with darkness and challenges (verses 14-21). Peace is hard-earned by learning to choose love over fear, generousness over selfishness, hope over despair. The Father’s plan says that we’ll have sadness and pain to deal with, and we’ll also find deception and treachery among some of our neighbors. Those who choose pride over humility will feel “wickedness burning as the fire,” which actually presents an opportunity for them to repent of their ways. When the time comes for the Second Coming of Jesus, the earth will be only for those who are accepting of Him in their thoughts, words, deeds, and characters, and the Lord will intercede to protect the righteous.