With the introduction of these isaiah chapters, the book of mormon becomes a much different kind of book than we have previously experienced. Overviews, the first of four parts in the volume, presents four essays. The essay, isaiah in the book of mormon, is included in a book that is meant to provide answers for mormons on difficult topics in mormonisms history and teachings. Isaiah in the book of mormon val brinkerhoff endnote 43 in the book, the remnant awakens the great prophet isaiah saw our day 3000 years ago. Brother douglas bassett, however, has made these great words easier to understand by compiling thousands of statements made by prophets, general authorities, and scriptural scholars to clearly explain the oftenformidable words of one of the greatest prophets.
Discussing the socalled isaiah problem in the book of mormon. The book of mormon attributes two of these three sections to isaiah by quotation. Mormon chose to keep about one third of isaiahs writings. The deuteroisaiah chapters in 1st and 2nd nephi are an uncomfortable presence, but not an inexplicable one, for, as hardy affirms, accepting a divine provenance for the book of mormon provides the theological basis to resolve difficult historical issues. However, by applying various interpretive tools, the authors of the nineteen articles in isaiah in the book of mormon offer readers a clearer understanding of the. Understanding biblical scriptures in the book of mormon. Prophesy against assyria nephis quotations of isaiah. In the light of modern biblical criticism these quotations raise problems that have a serious bearing on the integrity of the nephite record as a whole.
May 21, 2016 the essay, isaiah in the book of mormon, is included in a book that is meant to provide answers for mormons on difficult topics in mormonisms history and teachings. While the writings of isaiah and the prophets have always held a special appeal for me, it was in 1996, while reading the book of mormon, that the words of our savior sank deep into my heart. Some people criticize the fact that isaiah is quoted in the book of mormon. Mar 15, 2009 author mark swint answers these questions and more in compare isaiah. Nephis use of isaiah in the book of mormon lds scripture. However, by applying various interpretive tools, the authors of the nineteen articles in isaiah in the book of mormon offer readers a clearer understanding of the function and message of isaiah as presented by the book of mormon authors. Unlocking isaiah in the book of mormon by victor l. Baptism mentioned in book of mormon isaiah passage general. Heavenly visions and prophetic calls in isaiah 6 2 nephi 16, the book of mormon, and the revelation of john. This is great because you can study up on the keys and go right into isaiah with the information fresh in your mind. In isaiah in the book of mormon, there is a bibliographic section on lds approaches up to 1998 so it becomes easy to see who said what when. One verse that stuck out to me was, sing, o heavens. Whats going on in the book of mormon isaiah chapters. Isaiah in the book of mormon the primary isaiah passages found in the book of mormon are illustrated in the following table.
Which can lend support to at least that portion being substantially later. The answer is that the end of 2 nephi 24 wraps up several major themes from the first chapters he quoted remember, inclusio. This theory claims that there were three individual authors, whose works were later compiled together under the name of the first author isaiah referred to as proto isaiah. Of the 388 verses of isaiah in the book of mormon joseph smith changed 199 of them. Ds groundbreaking research and analysis of the book of isaiah provides the ideal medium for publishing isaiahs endtime message to the world. A new archaeological excavation at the south of the temple mount in jerusalem has just barely uncovered an 8th century seal impression that. Remember, the only 2nd isaiah chapters that show up in the book of mormon are isaiah 4852. Search isaiahs prophesiesthe words from the past will resurface, making known the works of god.
Isaiah 29 and the book of mormon how beautiful upon the mountains. This past week, i was reading from the first book in the book of mormon, and i came across a passage taken from the book of isaiah. Isaiah in the book of mormon book of mormon central. However, i feel that the book of mormon can not only withstand the challenge, but the issue can actually be used to illuminate the nature of isaiah and shed light on why this is such a profound book. Wrights article is essentially a critique of my rather.
The book of mormon is an excellent key that can be used to unlock the bible. The bible connects the book with a prophetic figure. Due to time constraints, little more than abstracts of these papers were read at this symposium. The isaiah chapters are difficult for most readers of the book of mormon, however this work helps the reader better understand whats going on, and conveniently has a chapter on each isaiah chapter in the book of mormon so they become more easily organized and manageable. The crossing over of the jordan was a sign theyd been accepted by god and washed clean after their period of tribulation. Isaiah is quoted more often in the new testament than any other prophet.
Always there is a call to repentance and loyalty to the savior. The extensive use of isaiah poses several problems. We are told to search isaiah ten times in scripture, three times in the book of mormon. Isaiah problem in the book of mormon byu scholarsarchive. Book of mormon evidence vs book of mormon central search isaiah. The isaiah problem in the book of mormon, book of mormon compendium. Baptism mentioned in book of mormon isaiah passage. But the book of mormon claims that the people who wrote it were descendants of manasseh, not of ephraim alma 10. Book of mormonanachronismsbiblicaldeuteroisaiah fairmormon.
Several parts of the book of mormon are highly influenced by the text of deuteroisaiah. Yea, behold i say unto you, that those saints who have gone before me, who have possessed this land, shall cry, yea, even from the dust will they cry unto the lord. That the book of mormon quotes from isaiah is not a problem, except that joseph smiths 1830 translation reads nearly verbatim to the 1611 king james translation. Next to the book of mormon references in this chart are corresponding references in the book of isaiah. Have you ever compared the kjv isaiah to the book of mormon isaiah verses. There is a lot of linguistic evidence that i cant really evaluate because i dont read ancient hebrew. The imagery and practices found in the book of mormon are compared with certain phrases and material concerns found in jewish and christian apocryphal writings. Ludlow reminds us why it is crucial that we study the writings of isaiah, and not simply plow through or skip over them in our scripture reading. Note that the sons of ishmael, who came to america with lehi, were also counted as descendants of nephi, and so would also be of the tribe of manasseh 2 nephi 1. I am curious as to how mormons deal with fact that the book of mormon contains chapters of deuteroisaiah e. Many nonlds scholars claim that the second half of the book of isaiah was written after the time lehi left jerusalem, yet the book of mormon contains material. This chart lists book of mormon passages that quote or paraphrase the words of isaiah, which held great meaning for the nephites and also apply to us today. Prophetic commentary by lehi, nephi, jacob, and the lord himself helps us understand isaiah passages in the book of mormon.
These landmark works join many others already on lds book shelves. Examine why they were included in the book of mormon. Commentaries on isaiah in the book of mormon deseret book. Nov 01, 2003 in unlocking isaiah in the book of mormon, dr. Jun 21, 2008 discussing the socalled isaiah problem in the book of mormon. The first prophet of the book of mormon, nephi, gave us many teachings in the first book of the book of mormon 1 nephi about obedience, faith, and coming closer to our savior jesus christ.
Part 1 part 2 rightclick cntrlclick for macs and save. The deuteroisaiah theory is the claim that parts of isaiah were written later than others. However, many people call the words of isaiah too difficult to understand or. Isaiah variants in the book of mormon religious studies center.
The isaiah problem in the book of mormon chap 11 shields. According to lecture, why does nephi stop quoting isaiah at the end of 2 nephi 24. He asserts that this is clearly an inadequate and inaccurate response to a significant body of. Nov 14, 2012 the first prophet of the book of mormon, nephi, gave us many teachings in the first book of the book of mormon 1 nephi about obedience, faith, and coming closer to our savior jesus christ. Why has 3 nephi been called the focal point, the supreme moment in the book of mormon. There are at least three reasons why the book of isaiah is of great importance to the reader. Spencer is a young scholar who is doing exciting stuff on the book of mormon from a theological perspective. The book of isaiah is replete with references to the savior, often calling him the holy one of israel. Later in the second book of the book of mormon 2 nephi the prophet, nephi, quotes many scriptures from isaiah, which he found on the plates of brass that. To my way of thinking, it makes more sense to examine substantive differences between the texts of the king james and book of mormon versions of isaiah.
But for many, the isaiah sections of the book of mormon can seem daunting. May 22, 2018 the book of mormon quotes isaiah more than any other prophet. New archaeological evidence for book of mormon prophet isaiah. I was gathered by the book of mormon search isaiah. I have my the book of isaiah a new translation with interpretive keys from the book of mormon by avraham gileadi open this book contains a new translation by a wellknown scholar that stays as closely as possible to the hebrew text of isaiah. Authorship of the book of isaiah in light of the book. Textual variants in the isaiah quotations in the book of.
Jackson follows those who went before him in discussing the composition of the book of isaiah by pointing out a few of the arguments that scholars have made for the. A question of book of mormon scholarship is whether the several chapters or passages of isaiah cited or paraphrased in the book derive from an ancient text or whether they have been copied with some revision from the king james version. With this new information about chapter 19 reading it becomes not just worthwhile but imperative for all who wish to survive the coming punishments inflicted upon the united states. Here are questions readers might have in their studies of the book of mormon this week, accompanied by halls insights that add new meaning. In terms of literary style, theme, and vocabulary, the. However, many people call the words of isaiah too difficult to understand or even boring. Deuteroisaiah in book of mormon general discussions. And now, behold, i say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. In his book, understanding the book of mormon, grant hardy faces this issue head on, critiquing the positions of latterday saints who dismiss the deuteroisaiah problem as simply the work of academics who do not believe in prophecy. First, the savior gave a commandment to search the words of isaiah thoroughly.
Apr 09, 2019 it was a year ago this week, i spent three days at two book of mormon conferences on the same weekend. The isaiah institute was created in the year 2000 by the hebraeus foundation to disseminate the message of the prophet isaiah circa 742701 b. The late nineteenth century saw a division of isaiah into three parts by critics, who. The book of mormon quotes twentyone complete chapters of isaiah and parts of others.
Here is a brief overview regarding the authorship of isaiah. Spencer is a young scholar who is doing exciting stuff on the book of mormon. The book of mormon narrative says that the jews who left jerusalem for the new world had with them the scriptures written up until that point 600 b. The 21st international book of mormon evidence conference believes the book of mormon took place in north america the heartland theory, while the book of mormon central 2018 conference believes the book of mormon all took place in central america the mesoamerican theory. In the treasure chest of the book of mormon scriptures, gems of isaiah seem to be locked away in secure compartments. The words of isaiah are scattered throughout the book of mormon like rare gems of great value and worth. In compare isaiah understanding biblical scriptures in the book of mormon, discover how the words of isaiah influenced nephi, abinadi, mormon, and others. Ds groundbreaking research and analysis of the book of isaiah provides the ideal medium for. Jesus words reflect the use of deuteroisaiah at the beginning of the book of mormon in lehi and jacobs sermons see the previous post. Sep 29, 2011 i am curious as to how mormons deal with fact that the book of mormon contains chapters of deutero isaiah e. The book of mormon quotes isaiah more than any other prophet. How do we explain material from isaiah in the book of mormon. As students of the bible are aware, isaiah is not always an easy book to understand, and those portions of it that appear in the book of mormon can be equally difficult to interpret. Textual variants in the isaiah quotations in the book of mormon.
By teaching the words of isaiah in concert with nephis inspired commentary, isaiah will have a greater impact on the lives of latterday saint youth. Plagiarism the book of mormon narrative says that the jews who left jerusalem for the new world had with them the scriptures written up until that point 600 b. Why did mormon include 22 of the 66 chapters of isaiah in the book of mormon when he knew we would have the old testament. May 12, 2017 relative to isaiah 48 as others noted that was an expansion not even in the original version of the book of mormon. We have already seen that it is a family narrative, a theological treatise, and a book of prophecy with oracular dreams and sweeping visions of the future. Avraham gileadis book the book of isaiah, a new translation with interpretive keys from the book of mormon was worth reading in 1988 when it was published. An explanation of the problem and response from sidney sperry concerning the isaiah problem. He is quoted more by christ, peter, paul, john, and book of mormon prophets than any other. Isaiah s oracles or prophecies against the nations, which begin in isaiah 2 nephi 23, continue past isaiah 14 2 nephi 24. The traditional problem here is that deuteroisaiah chapters 4055 are usually considered to be written fairly late usually dated to during the exile in babylon. However, i feel that the book of mormon can not only withstand the challenge, but the issue can actually be used to illuminate the nature of isaiah and shed light on why this is.
Relative to isaiah 48 as others noted that was an expansion not even in the original version of the book of mormon. Why isaiah is the source of over 85 percent of the biblical. So, the book of mormon could not be a stick of ephraim. Unlocking isaiah in the book of mormon deseret book. Jul 03, 2018 while the writings of isaiah and the prophets have always held a special appeal for me, it was in 1996, while reading the book of mormon, that the words of our savior sank deep into my heart. We build enduring faith in jesus christ by making the book of mormon. It was a year ago this week, i spent three days at two book of mormon conferences on the same weekend. Deuteroisaiah and the book of mormon students of the book of mormon bmhave recognized the problem of having explicit and lengthy quotations of isaiah chapters 4055 since at least the days of b. As a result of this, the isaiah chapters on nephis plates would have looked slightly different from the isaiah chapters that we have now in the book of mormon. A valuable resource for gospel teachers, students, and family study, commentaries on isaiah in the book of mormon can help each of us more fully comprehend the teachings and prophecies of isaiah. Isaiahs oracles or prophecies against the nations, which begin in isaiah 2 nephi 23, continue past isaiah 14 2 nephi 24. Learn why the savior quotes malachi and teaches the sermon on the mount to the nephites.