Lesson 9 - My Soul Delights in the Words of Isaiah

Purpose:

To help explain why the Book of Mormon was organized the way it was.

Describe the purpose of adding Brass Plates revelations to the Book of Mormon.

Provide an understanding for how Lehi, Nephi and Jacob viewed themselves in the context of Brass Plates Revelation.

Identify the power of having Isaiah in the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon Was Intentionally Organized

The Book of Mormon contains two main overarching authors who essentially divide up the book into two parts. The first part is the Small Plates of Nephi. This was mainly written and compiled by Nephi with sections written by Lehi, Jacob, Enos and a few other very minor authors. The second half of the book was written, abridged and compiled by Mormon with some words by Moroni and a very small abridgment of the Brother of Jared’s people.

Both halves of the Book of Mormon were written for our day. The authors were permitted to see our day and organized their messages from what they felt would be beneficial for us to know and remember. Lehi, Nephi and Jacob pulled a lot from the Brass Plates to communicate the events of the latter days. This includes large sections of prophecies by Isaiah, Zenos, Joseph of Egypt and even detailing out their lineage. Using the words of prophets written in the Brass Plates, Lehi, Nephi and Jacob were able to communicate covenants given to the Fathers that would be fulfilled in the latter days and the social, political, moral and spiritual circumstances we find ourselves in today.

Mormon, on the other hand, used traditional Nephite history he was familiar with and turned it into prophetic scripture by marrying circumstances we would encounter in our day to actual events and situations his own people encountered. Essentially, Mormon created a parallel history story-line that mirrored our day. As a result, a typically non-prophetic retelling of history became prophetic in context of it communicating similar events and circumstances we would encounter.

In the Book of Mormon we also get the opportunity to read a fourth gospel of Christ with his post-ascension visit to the people of the Book of Mormon. Contained within this unique gospel is Christ’s words and Christ sharing the words of Isaiah and Malachi. This gospel is special because it briefly parts the veil to some of the things Christ would have done and communicated to his apostles in the New Testament during the time he was with them between his resurrection and ascension. It also shows what the Father’s next focus was through what Christ communicated to the Nephites.   

Lastly, the Book of Mormon provides an incredibly abridged retelling of a civilization's rise and fall. Hand-picked from this executive summary, are a few powerful stories of redemption, Zion and societal wickedness meant for our learning and applying or strongly avoiding.  

The critics of the Book of Mormon believe it is a product of plagiarism, taking scriptures directly from the Bible, with a story-line and language similar to contemporary books, preachers and lecturers of Joseph Smith’s day. While critics intentions usually drive from a sincere desire for truth, their inability to see our day, 2016, in the pages of the book and God’s hand in organizing it, prevents them from using the book as the Urim and Thummim it is intended to be for us.  

What is a powerful insight the Book of Mormon has given you?

Lehi, Nephi, and Jacob’s Additions from the Brass Plates

When Nephi was commanded to make another set of plates, he did not have a lot of space to write a lengthy record. He only had the space for the most important items. So, is it odd that out of 65 chapters in the small plates, roughly a third of them, including 24 chapters, originate from the Brass Plates? What could be more odd is a large portion come directly from Isaiah who we can just read in the Old Testament.

Why would Nephi add so much from other prophet’s, especially from Isaiah?

Did Joseph Smith just get lazy after he lost the 116 pages?

Let’s briefly review all of the revelations from Brass Plates prophet’s contained in the small plates.

• Prophet’s from the tribe of Ephraim prophesied of the scattering of Israel. (1 Nephi 19, Jacob 5) (Zenos, Zenock)
• Ephraim will be found on the isles of the sea and they will have the gospel and they will have the sign of Christ’s death. (1 Nephi 19:10-21) (Zenos, Zenock, Neum)
• God will remember Israel and the covenants He provided them. (1 Nephi 20) (Isaiah)
• Christ will be a light to the Gentiles. (1 Nephi 21) (Isaiah)
• Christ will use the Gentiles to gather Israel. (1 Nephi 22) (Isaiah)
• Joseph of Egypt received a covenant that a seer will restore knowledge of the gospel to his seed. (2 Nephi 3) (Joseph of Egypt)
• Joseph of Egypt received a covenant that a righteous branch of his seed will remain. (2 Nephi 3) (Joseph of Egypt)
• Christ will always remember Israel including the covenants with Israel. (2 Nephi 7) (Isaiah)
• God will remember Zion in the latter-days including the covenants with Israel. (2 Nephi 8) (Isaiah)
• There will be a latter-day temple. (2 Nephi 12) (Isaiah)
• Judah will be punished. (2 Nephi 13) (Isaiah)
• The people who profess to be Zion will be worldly. (2 Nephi 13) (Isaiah)
• The people of Zion will be redeemed and cleansed in the millennium. (2 Nephi 14) (Isaiah)
• Israel will be scattered and desolate. (2 Nephi 15) (Isaiah)
• The Lord will lift up an ensign and gather Israel. (2 Nephi 15) (Isaiah)
• Isaiah ascends to the presence of God. (2 Nephi 16) (Isaiah)
• Christ is the only way to overcome the stumbling block of the world. (2 Nephi 17-19) (Isaiah)
• Great destruction at the second coming. (2 Nephi 20 - 23) (Isaiah)
• Millennial rest. (2 Nephi 24) (Isaiah)
• The scattering and gathering of Israel. (Jacob 5) (Zenos)

Nephi and Jacob’s many and lengthy insertions from the Brass Plates weren’t a result of Joseph Smith getting lazy and plagiarizing the Bible. Interestingly, you do not have lengthy Old Testament/Brass Plate insertions in Mormon’s half of the book except in 3 Nephi from Christ adding words from Isaiah and Malachi. All of Mormon’s stories and doctrinal dissertations are original stories.

So why did Nephi and Jacob decide to go the route of just adding other prophet’s revelations?

Nephi speaking: “Nevertheless, I do not write anything upon plates save it be that I think they are sacred. And now, if I do err, even did they err of old; not that I would excuse myself because of other men, but because of the weakness which is in me, according to the flesh, I would excuse myself.”  - 1 Nephi 19:6

Jacob speaking: “And now, the words which I shall read are they which Isaiah spake concerning all the house of Israel; wherefore, they may be likened unto you, for ye are of the house of Israel.” - 2 Nephi 6:6

Remember, the small plates of Nephi, which includes 1 Nephi - Omni, were written for us. Nephi and Jacob used the words of other prophets, like Christ did on the road to Emmaus or Peter did on the day of Pentecost, to communicate the most important content that was applicable to us in our day.

What Brass Plates addition to the Book of Mormon has opened your eyes that you wouldn’t have seen if it was not contained in the Book of Mormon?

Overarching Themes from Brass Plate Additions

What were the overarching themes contained within the addition from other prophets by Nephi, Lehi and Jacob?

• Israel will be scattered (Isaiah chapters and Zenos)
• Christ is the only one to clear up all the stumbling blocks (Isaiah chapters)
• God will remember his covenants with the Fathers (Isaiah chapters, Joseph of Egypt’s covenant, Zenos)
• Israel will be remembered, restored and Zion will come (Isaiah chapters, Joseph of Egypt’s covenant, Zenos)
• Great destruction will come and the millennial rest will follow (Isaiah chapters)

Why didn’t Nephi just add his own revelation that communicated these events? Why did he “plagiarize” from Isaiah and others?

The answer is, he did add his own content, as far as he was permitted. And so did Lehi and so did Jacob.

Lehi’s related content:

• Lehi descended from Joseph of Egypt (from the Brass Plates).

“And thus my father, Lehi, did discover the genealogy of his fathers. And Laban also was a descendant of Joseph, wherefore he and his fathers had kept the record.” - 1 Nephi 5:16

• The house of Israel will be scattered, the gentiles in the latter-days will gather, Israel will be restored (from Isaiah and Zenos in the Brass Plates).

“And after the house of Israel should be scattered they should be gathered together again; or, in fine, after the Gentiles had received the fulness of the gospel, the natural branches of the olive-tree, or the remnants of the house of Israel, should be grafted in, or come to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer.” - 1 Nephi 10:14

Nephi’s related content:

• The gentiles will come to the Promised Land and be given a book that overcomes stumbling blocks.

“And it came to pass that the angel of the Lord spake unto me, saying: Behold, saith the Lamb of God, after I have visited the remnant of the house of Israel—and this remnant of whom I speak is the seed of thy father—wherefore, after I have visited them in judgment, and smitten them by the hand of the Gentiles, and after the Gentiles do stumble exceedingly, because of the most plain and precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb—I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb.” - 1 Nephi 13:34

• The gentiles must repent or they will be brought into destruction.

“And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, Nephi, saying: Thou hast beheld that if the Gentiles repent it shall be well with them; and thou also knowest concerning the covenants of the Lord unto the house of Israel; and thou also hast heard that whoso repenteth not must perish.

Therefore, wo be unto the Gentiles if it so be that they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God.” - 1 Nephi 14:5-6

Jacob’s related content:

• God will scatter Israel and use the gentiles to restore Israel because of his covenant.

“Wherefore, after they are driven to and fro, for thus saith the angel, many shall be afflicted in the flesh, and shall not be suffered to perish, because of the prayers of the faithful; they shall be scattered, and smitten, and hated; nevertheless, the Lord will be merciful unto them, that when they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer, they shall be gathered together again to the lands of their inheritance.

And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children; and for this cause the prophet has written these things.” - 2 Nephi 6:11-12

• God will remember his covenant and Israel will be gathered back to their lands of inheritance.

“And now, my beloved brethren, I have read these things 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.

Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children.” - 2 Nephi 9: 1-3

• Israel is like an olive tree and after it is gathered the end very near.

“And now, behold, my brethren, as I said unto you that I would prophesy, behold, this is my prophecy—that the things which this prophet Zenos spake, concerning the house of Israel, in the which he likened them unto a tame olive tree, must surely come to pass.

And the day that he shall set his hand again the second time to recover his people, is the day, yea, even the last time, that the servants of the Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and prune his vineyard; and after that the end soon cometh.” - Jacob 6: 1-2

When reading the Book of Mormon, you really need to group Isaiah in with Zenos, Zenock, Neum and Joseph of Egypt. They all served the same purpose - enhance and expand what Lehi, Nephi and Jacob were discussing about the the scattering and gathering of Israel. They molded the words of these Brass Plates prophets and inserted them where they did to add volume to what they were writing about. Like Jacob said about Zenos' Allegory of the Olive Tree, “And now, behold, my brethren, as I said unto you that I would prophesy, behold, this is my prophecy..." can be said about Lehi and his retelling of Joseph of Egypt's covenant (2 Nephi 3) and all of Isaiah's words contained in the Book of Mormon. The words of Isaiah were the words of Nephi. He saw the same vision as Isaiah, then used Isaiah's words to communicate what he saw.

Lehi’s family purposely left the holy land. The land that God gave Abraham their father. This was not an easy thing to do and it went counter to everything they knew about their religion. The Jews were meant to be in Jerusalem. It was their Promised land. They were meant to worship in the land of their Fathers.

When they received the Brass Plates, they were able to uncover a lot about themselves. They found out that they were from Joseph of Egypt’s lineage (1 Nephi 6). They found out that through Joseph’s lineage there would be a righteous branch broken off (2 Nephi 3). That broken branch, including others, would be scattered upon the earth (Jacob 5). Those branches on the isles of the sea would be shown the signs of the Messiah including His death (1 Nephi 19). All of the Jews would eventually be scattered (2 Nephi 10; 13; 15). The Messiah would be the only one to overcome Israel’s stumbling blocks (2 Nephi 7, 17-19). God will remember Israel through fulfilling His covenants with them (2 Nephi 12; 14; 15). After Israel is gathered in the latter-days, there will be destruction and then millennial peace (2 Nephi 20: 22-24).

The scattering and gathering of Israel dominated the content Lehi, Nephi and Jacob gave us within the small plates of Nephi. And they reinforced the topic by inserting Brass Plates prophesies in a way to emphasize the importance of this topic.

It reminds me of when parents go out on a date for the first time after having a new child. In their anxiety, they’ll write a list down for the babysitter for all the things she needs to do. Then, they’ll add a second list containing the same things on a sticky note for placement on the refrigerator. They’ll text the babysitter before they enter the play. They’ll call her to see how things are going during intermission and then they’ll rush home, skipping dessert, in order to get home as fast as they can.

Lehi exercised great faith in leaving Jerusalem. It would have been like leaving his religion. He, like Nephi and Jacob, were given promises that the gentiles would, in the latter-days, restore their posterity to the truth and the fold of God. They did not want the gentiles to forget their role and they did not want their posterity to skim over covenants directed at them. In their anxiety, they overemphasized the importance of the scattering and gathering of Israel, especially the gathering of a remnant of their seed.

In addition, there were things Nephi was just not allowed to write:

“And behold, the things which this apostle of the Lamb shall write are many things which thou hast seen; and behold, the remainder shalt thou see.

But the things which thou shalt see hereafter thou shalt not write; for the Lord God hath ordained the apostle of the Lamb of God that he should write them.

And also others who have been, to them hath he shown all things, and they have written them; and they are sealed up to come forth in their purity, according to the truth which is in the Lamb, in the own due time of the Lord, unto the house of Israel.

And I, Nephi, heard and bear record, that the name of the apostle of the Lamb was John, according to the word of the angel.

And behold, I, Nephi, am forbidden that I should write the remainder of the things which I saw and heard; wherefore the things which I have written sufficeth me; and I have written but a small part of the things which I saw.” - 1 Nephi 14: 24-28

Nephi was not allowed to finish his narrative from scattering of Israel to gathering of Israel to the end of the world and millennium. Like Jurassic Park’s Dino DNA, where they used modern reptile DNA to fill in the gaps of prehistoric animals; Nephi used Isaiah’s words to fill in the gaps where he was not permitted to “add unto” or “take away” (Revelation 22: 18-19) from John’s revelation.

Like Lehi used Joseph of Egypt’s words (2 Nephi 3) and Jacob used Zenos’ words (Jacob 5), Nephi used Isaiah’s words to create a more complete picture of future events concerning his people including the gentiles and their responsibilities toward the remnant of his people and the end of the world.

Summary:

The Book of Mormon is written for our day.   

Lehi, Nephi, and Jacob used a disproportionate amount of their writings to communicate the gathering and scattering of Israel.

Using Brass Plates revelations allowed Lehi, Nephi and Jacob to provide a more complete picture of the last days.

Nephi was not permitted to share all of his vision so he used Isaiah’s words to fill in the gaps.