Thou Art My Servant, Oh Israel

Isaiah 49, See also 1 Nephi 21 The first thought that impresses me in this reading is that the Lord is behind it all. It is His name’s honor that will be achieved in the end. “Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful,” (vs. 7) At …

My Counsel Shall Stand

Isaiah 46 This theme of idols verses God is repeated again in this chapter. Do we not put our confidence in dead works today just as much as they did in antiquity? Our idols are now electric powered. They are capable of artificial intelligence. And yet somehow, naively, these works of our hands are to …

Welcome Message

“Welcome Message,” President Russel M. Nelson, April 2021 General Conference – Saturday Morning Session Not even having read this message yet, the only thing that I have done is prayed to understand the words of the Prophet. In reading the title, which appears mundane and unimpressive, there is a micro-sermon on inclusion. Everyone is welcome …

He Shall Bring Forth Judgment

Isaiah 42 The first four verses of this chapter, while illustrating the gentle and caring nature of the Christ, also sets for the scope of a significant future event: the gentiles will be brought to judgment. (I don’t feel that this is a condemnation of the gentiles or a reference to a future judgments against …

I Will Proceed to Do A Marvelous Work

Isaiah 29 On my first day of study of this chapter, which coincidentally is in the same week that we are reading about some of the actual events prophesied from Church history, I sent the following notes to Rachel, who was having some particularly difficult exchanges on social media: So I’m reading in Isaiah this …

An Ensign on the Mountains

Isaiah 18 This chapter deals with the gathering of a nation “scattered and peeled” throughout all the earth. The description of Israel includes “a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down.” Isaiah uses almost the same wording at the beginning and the end of the chapter to describe Israel. …

The Lord… Will Yet Choose Israel

Isaiah 14 The great difference between the two sides is this: Christ acts for the benefit of others, and as such is made a king to rule over the nations. This is just. Satan acts only for the benefit of himself, and consequently will be consigned at the end of time to the sides of …

In the Fear of the Lord

Isaiah 11 The opening of this chapter gives us a glimpse into the millennial reign of Christ. We find such paradoxical descriptions as a lamb and a lion lying down together being lead by a small child. (see vs. 6) There is also a brief description of how we will arrive at this state of …