#2 - Finding the Gospel of Christ in Isaiah
Isaiah Unplugged Series
A journey into the study of Isaiah and understanding his prophesy, particularly as they relate to you and to me.
Search the Prophets
The doctrine of Jesus Christ is simple. Jesus told those ancient Nephite disciples that “whosoever will hearken unto my words and repenteth and is baptized, the same shall be saved. Search the prophets, for many there be that testify of these things,” (3 Nephi 23:5). Isaiah is by no means the most important prophet to study. All true prophets testify of the doctrines of Christ.
In studying Isaiah, it is easy to get distracted by symbolism, chiasmus, translations, prophecies, etc. Yet strung throughout the writings of Isaiah are the underlying simple truths of the gospel of Christ.
Doctrines of Christ
When asked: “What are the fundamental principles of your religion,” Joseph Smith answered, “The fundamental principles of our religion is the testimony of the apostles and prophets concerning Jesus Christ, ‘that he died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended up into heaven;’ and all other things are only appendages to these, which pertain to our religion.”1
Keeping It Simple
Joseph kept the Lord as the center focus of his life and the church, as it should be. Yet, more often than not, we complicate the gospel of Christ by adding requirements or expectations. When we allow any people, groups, organizations, or churches to stack more doctrines and policies onto the gospel of Christ in addition to that which the Lord declared as his doctrine, then we go beyond that mark we mentioned in the previous post. History is replete with men mingling their philosophies with the gospel of Christ to manipulation of the doctrines they say we should follow.
The Lord spoke out harshly to the Pharisees and scribes in his day because of such manipulation. Through the generations after returning from the Babylonian captivity, rabbis and leaders altered the simple doctrines of the church and started creating and teaching their own doctrines. The Lord declared, “O ye hypocrites! Well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching the doctrines and the commandments of men” (Matthew 7-8).
Nephi predicted this would happen as well. Speaking of our day and our churches, Nephi prophesied, “There shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark. Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted, and their churches are lifted up; because of pride they are puffed up” (2 Nephi 28:8, 12).
The Lord was frustrated with ancient Israel because they continuously rebelled against him. In declaring their deviance from the Lord, Isaiah also predicted the condition of our spiritual state. Our changing of doctrines and ordinances, adding precepts and philosophies, not only affects us, but affect the earth itself. Isaiah declared, “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate” (Isaiah 24:5-6). It is our meddling and fiddling with the doctrines and gospel of Christ that will lead to the devastating apocalyptic events.
The Doctrine of Christ
What is the doctrine of Christ, and what does it mean for you? The doctrine of Christ is very simple and plain to understand. It’s beauty is in its simplicity. Though it is simple, that does not mean that it is easy.
Jesus Christ was very clear that the doctrine of Christ is actually not his own. It is the doctrine of the Father. “Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory; but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him” (John 7:16-18). Jesus did not make up this doctrine. He was just the conduit of Father’s doctrine.
When the Lord visited the Nephites after his resurrection, the first thing he taught was his “doctrine.” He aid to the people, “Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine” (3 Nephi 11:31). Every time I hear the Lord say he is going to declare his doctrine, my ears perk up. I want to know what the Lord considers doctrine, not what men do. Here’s how the Lord describes his doctrine
And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.
And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine….
3 Nephi 11:32-35
As he continues to teach the people, he repeats again his doctrine. Whenever the Lord repeats himself, listen carefully. He declared the following:
And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.
And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
3 Nephi 11:37-39
This doctrine is not new. It is also not surprising. All of the prophets have testified of this gospel principle in one form or another. Jesus said to this same group of people on the next day, “whosoever will hearken unto my words and repenteth and is baptized, the same shall be saved. Search the prophets, for many there be that testify of these things” (3 Nephi 23:5).
About 2,000 years later, the Lord gave similar declarations to the new band of disciples led by Joseph Smith. As they sought to establish a church, the Lord said that the church is the disciple and the disciple is the church. In a revelation to Joseph Smith, the Lord stated, “Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church. Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church” (D&C 10:67-68).
The Doctrine In Chiastic Form
Nephi is known for his desire to teach in plainness. “My soul delighteth in plainness,” he said (2 Nephi 31:3). In that method of teaching in plainness, Nephi gave a beautiful description in chiastic form of the doctrine of Christ by teaching why the Lord was baptized.
In this chiasm, the doctrine of Christ (A/A’) is explained plainly by Nephi. He shows how we enter into that straight and narrow path (C/C’) by following the example set by the Lord (D/D’) to keep the commandment of God to be baptized and afterward receive the Holy Ghost (B/B’), which leads to receiving your baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost (G), allowing you to speak with the tongue of angels. It also highlights the words of Jesus Christ (F/F’) and our Father (E/E’) exerting that we be baptized in the name of Christ.
A (v. 2) I have written sufficeth me, save it be a few words which I must speak concerning the doctrine of Christ….
B (v. 7-8) Notwithstanding he being holy, he…witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments. Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.
C (v. 9) And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate,
D (v. 9) He having set the example before them….
E (v. 11) And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.
F (v. 12) And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me….
G (v.13) 13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart…, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism…, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels….
F’ (v. 14) But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue…, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me.
E’ (v. 15) And I heard a voice from the Father, saying: Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
D’ (v. 16) And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved….
C’ (v. 18) And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life;
B’ (v. 18) Yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost….
A’ (v. 21) And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.
And there it is, the simple doctrine of Christ. Why do we feel like we have to complicate the gospel of Christ by adding our own rules and regulations, our expectations and philosophies? Why can’t it just remain so simple? Though it is simple, it is not necessarily an easy path. Nephi said that after you follow this path, “Ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life” (2 Nephi 31:20).
Isaiah Testifies of Christ’s Doctrines
This is the also at the center of the book of Isaiah. Isaiah “spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel” (3 Nephi 23:2). Isaiah centers on Jesus Christ (or Jehovah) and his gospel. Isaiah’ book is a call to the covenant children of God to repent, come unto the Lord, and become his “church” or his “people.”
Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
Isaiah 52:1-2
Moroni quoted this statement by Isaiah in the very last words of his book. Prior to sealing those golden plates of scripture in the ground, he gave an impassioned plea to rise up and become the church of Christ, to shake of the dust of our iniquities and disbelief and to don the beautiful garments of Christ. Then he continued:
Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.
Moroni 10:31-33
Fulfilling the Covenant
Isaiah’s writings are filled with the doctrines of Christ. He writes a prophesy of the end days. But it’s not just prophecies of things to come, or stories of ancient events that happened among our ancestral fathers. The core of Isaiah’s message contains a covenant promise and covenant curse. It is a message about the covenant people and a message to the covenant people, to us.
The Covenant Promise
What is the covenant promise the Lord will fulfill? Isaiah’s prophecy is a beautiful story of Jesus Christ’s promise to heal and restore his children. That promise was given to many of our ancestral fathers. We are most familiar with Abraham’s promise, which we call the Abrahamic Covenant.
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations; and I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father; and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee; and in thee (that is, in thy Priesthood) and in thy seed (that is, thy Priesthood), for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee (that is to say, the literal seed, or the seed of the body) shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal.
Abraham 2:9-11
Jacob explained this covenant another way. “And now, my beloved brethren, I have read [the words of Isaiah] that ye might know concerning the covenants of the Lord that he has covenanted with all the house of Israel—That he has spoken unto the Jews, by the mouth of his holy prophets, even from the beginning down, from generation to generation, until the time comes that they shall be restored to the true church and fold of God; when they shall be gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise” (2 Nephi 9:1-2).
The Lord promised that this covenant would be fulfilled in the last days. Abraham was not the first to receive such a covenant. Many of our ancestral fathers had a similar covenant, including Adam, Enoch, and Noah. Isaiah’s prophecy is a description of the fulfillment of that promise. It is the promise of the Lord to gather Israel and bring them back to the Lord. The Lord prophesied that when Isaiah’s words are fulfilled we would know that the Lord’s covenant promise is fulfilled. “And verily, verily, I say unto you, that when they shall be fulfilled then is the fulfilling of the covenant which the Father hath made unto his people, O house of Israel” (3 Nephi 20:12).
Enoch saw the fulfillment of this covenant in a vision of the Lord’s second coming to the earth. Moses recorded part of that vision as follows:
And the Lord said unto Enoch: As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfil the oath which I have made unto you concerning the children of Noah; and the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve; and righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.
And the Lord said unto Enoch: Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other; and there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest.
Moses 7:60-64
Search These Words
Jesus told the Nephites to search out the words of Isaiah. “Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah” (3 Nephi 23:1). Why did the Lord give a specific commandment to search diligently the words of Isaiah? His words are the blueprint of how the Lord will fulfill that covenant.
Isaiah foresaw that we–the covenant people–would be distant from God. “They call themselves of the holy city, but they do not stay themselves upon the God of Israel, who is the Lord of Hosts; yea, the Lord of Hosts is his name” (1 Nephi 20:2, see also Isaiah 48:2). Isaiah predicted that we would “honor him with their lips” but keep their hearts far from him.
Despite the prediction of our rebellion from the Lord, the message Isaiah gives is one of hope, that the Lord will gather those who repent and are refined through the trials of days to come. The Lord’s invitation is universal. “Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1).
As we read Isaiah’s prediction of end-time events, we also see that there are those who will help the Lord in those end-time days to gather wayward Israel from the four quarters of the earth. “Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people; and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their faces toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet” (Isaiah 49:22-23). What may our role be in helping to fulfill this covenant promise of the Lord?