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Parsing Isaiah

I love Isaiah.

Let me just state that for the record. It's my mission president's fault (thanks, President Nielsen!). I have always loved the Book of Mormon, but growing up we skipped the "Isaiah chapters" because my parents thought (perhaps rightly) that they were a little dense. So it wasn't until my mission that I really grew to love Isaiah and the Old Testament. Let me offer a few things that I have gained from my study - things that have helped me come to this appreciation for Isaiah and his writing:

1. Isaiah is tough. He is very profound and deep in the doctrinal area. Most of what he says has multiple meanings and applications and symbols that are meaningful in many ways. No study of Isaiah should begin lightly - get yourself a good study manual (the Old Testament religion course book is very good) and prepare to spend a lot of time studying. But like a dog gnawing that bone for the delicious marrow inside, once you crack Isaiah you're in and it will become delicious and nourishing to your soul.

2. There are basically three Isaiahs, the first of which is the political Isaiah, speaking to the Jews of the time; the second is the Isaiah that speaks of the Messiah and the meridian of time, and the last Isaiah speaks of the latter-days, or the time in which we are currently living. Look to the chapter headings for cues as to which Isaiah you'll be reading. It's not always clear, and as mentioned above, much of the symbolism has multiple applications and meanings.

3. Be prepared to make it personal. Isaiah is really only as applicable today as we allow him to be. This is true of all the scriptures, but particularly of Isaiah. As you read Isaiah, actively look for ways to apply what he's talking about to our lives. This is what Nephi did (see 1 Nephi 19:23) and he was able to instill in his family a desire to come close to the Lord - to persuade them to believe in Christ.

4. Read the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon offers great insights into the Old Testament in general, but Isaiah in particular. The commentaries of Nephi, Jacob, and others, allows unique perspectives from people to whom Isaiah was not three thousand years distant, but someone more like Joseph Smith is for us. They also understood the geography, culture, and traditions much more than anyone alive today, so their ideas are particularly useful. And of course, the Savior Himself commanded us to search Isaiah to ponder the messages contained therein. Isaiah does bring people to Christ.

5. Pray. Seek the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This should be our pattern in all scripture study, but with regard to things in the gospel that are symbolic and beautiful, the meaning is made richer and greater by personal experiences with the scriptures and the symbols therein. Our relationship with the Lord will be made stronger as we search these holy books and seek to make them part of our lives.

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