Isaiah invites us to become clean before God, learn to do well, and relieve the oppressed. Isaiah’s theme is that even though the world is wicked, we can rejoice in the Savior. The Come, Follow Me reading schedule allots five weeks for us to study Isaiah; themes in the first twelve chapters include the need for humility before God, the coming Savior, and coming judgment.
“‘More Fully Persuaded’: Isaiah’s Witness of Christ’s Ministry,” Jeffrey R. Holland, Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
Isaiah was prepared to testify of the Messiah and bear such witness of the divinity of Christ’s coming. Elder Holland focuses on Isaiah’s prophecies regarding Christ’s birth, mortal ministry, and Atonement; Christ’s visit to spirits in prison; Christ showing kindness and preserving latter-day Zion; and the millennial Christ. The full book, Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, is available at Book of Mormon Central.
“Great Are the Words of Isaiah,” Hugh W. Nibley, Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament, BYU Religious Studies Center
“The quickest way to get an overview of the immense book of Isaiah is simply to read the first chapter.” Isaiah says that the worst vices are pride, selfishness, and grinding the faces of the poor. A happy world to come is described in chapters 11 and 12.
“A Latter–Day Saint Reading of Isaiah: The Example of Isaiah 6,” Paul Y. Hoskisson, Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament, BYU Religious Studies Center
Isaiah chapter 6 can be well understood by looking at the poetry, literary style, cultural context, scriptural context, and prophetic vision. This article goes verse by verse to illuminate the meaning of words that might be stumbling blocks to modern readers.
“Harmonizing Isaiah: Combing Ancient Scriptures,” Donald W. Parry, Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
In Harmonizing Isaiah, Dead Sea Scrolls scholar Donald W. Parry provides his translation of the Isaiah Scroll combined with readings of other versions of Isaiah preserved in the Masoretic Text, the Book of Mormon, and the Joseph Smith Translation. With the Isaiah passages rendered in modern English and formatted into parallel lines of poetry, Harmonizing Isaiah is a helpful resource for teachers and students of the book of Isaiah. The chapter “The Book of Isaiah” contains the full Isaiah text, and an introduction and appendices of the full book are also available for free download.
“Isaiah Passages in the Book of Mormon,” Charting the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch and J. Gregory Welch, Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
This chart shows where Isaiah is quoted or paraphrased in the Book of Mormon. A companion chart, “Isaiah Passages Listed by Book of Mormon Reference,” shows these quotations, organized in Book of Mormon order.
“On Christ and Covenants: An LDS Reading of Isaiah’s Prophetic Call,” David E. Bokovoy, Studies in the Bible and Antiquity
Isaiah’s prophetic call narrative (Isaiah 6) points to Christ and covenants.
“Notes on Vocabulary in Isaiah 2–11, 13–14, 29, 48–54,” Donald W. Parry and Janet L. Garrard Willis, Isaiah in the Book of Mormon
Defines obscure words and phrases in Isaiah, by chapter and verse, such as in Isaiah 2, where you’ll find definitions for “cease ye from man,” and “wherein is he to be accounted of?”
“Nephi’s Use of Isaiah 2–14 in 2 Nephi 12–30,” David Rolph Seely, Isaiah in the Book of Mormon
Isaiah 2 deals with the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah 3 and 4’s theme is Judah, Jerusalem and daughters of Zion. Isaiah 5 sees Judah as a vineyard, and destruction. Isaiah 6 tells of Isaiah’s call and the iniquity of Judah. Warnings against pride run throughout the book of Isaiah.
BYU Studies also recommends a book from the BYU Religious Studies Center, Opening Isaiah: A Harmony, by Ann N. Madsen and Shon D. Hopkin, available for purchase in PDF or print here.
