For my comparisons i use the king james version of the bible provided by the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Book of mormonanachronismsbiblicaldeuteroisaiah fairmormon. Nephi quotes isaiah for a whopping chapters straight in 2 nephi 1224, and continues to quote and refer to him throughout the small plates. What vision guides nephis choice of isaiah chapters. 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. The main nephite prophets who quoted isaiah were nephi, jacob, and abinadi. See royal skousen, textual variants in the isaiah quotations in the book of mormon, in isaiah in the book of mormon, 36990. It contains 19 chapters of the kjv of isaiah in their entirety, along with parts of a few other chapters. Deuteroisaiah in the book of mormon lds discussions. 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.
So when isaiah in the book of mormon speaks of the house of israel, theyre either coming or going. Many people dread reading the isaiah chapters of the book of mormon. From second isaiah on the plates of brass, the book of mormon attests only to chapters 4851, 53, and a few verses of chapters 40 and 55. The writings of isaiah in the book of mormon search isaiah. Book of mormon prophets taught from the brass plate records, not only from chapters 9, which are usually assigned by scholars to the prophet isaiah of the eighth century b. A complete identification of all chapters and verses of isaiah quoted in the book of mormon along with an analysis of each verse is found in monte s. Having come from israel, nephi had a copy of the old testament as these corresponding quotes are. The 21 chapters of isaiah which are quoted chapters 214, 29, and 4854 either partially or completely, represent about onethird of the book of isaiah, but less. Tvedtnes, isaiah variants in the book of mormon, in isaiah and the prophets.
I know the book of mormon is the word of god brought to us through joseph smith. 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. 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. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading unlocking isaiah in the book of mormon.
Isaiah is the most quoted prophet in the book of mormon. Isaiah is the most quoted old testament prophet in the book of mormon volume, and this tome does justice to the essential role isaiah plays in the volume, with many essays dedicating to exegeting the nephite midrash of isaiah periocpe and whole chapters in the book of mormon text. In total, approximately 30 percent of the book of isaiah is quoted in the book of mormon one source counts 478 verses in the book of mormon which are quoted from isaiah. Many nonlds scholars claim that the second half of the book of isaiah was. In some cases, entire passages are duplicated in the book of mormon. Some differences are trivial but others are very interesting. Nephi was one of the leading prophets in the book of mormon. Book of mormon central, what vision guides nephis choice of isaiah chapters.
Chapters 5 prophecies of judgment chapters 4066 promises of redemption interestingly the book of mormon quotes from both collections. Isaiah variants in the book of mormon religious studies center. Anachronistic some scholars believe that isaiah chapters 40 to 55 were written during the babylonian captivity, thus after when the jews in the book of mormon left jerusalem for the new world. Jan 25, 2020 chapters of isaiah quoted in the book of mormon as we start our study of the book of mormon this year in come, follow me we will soon be faced with those pesky isaiah chapters.
The daughter of zion is a motif from the old testament that finds new, powerful meaning in the book of mormon s isaiah chapters. Of the 478 verses in the book of mormon quoted from the book of isaiah, 201 agree with the king james reading while 207 show variations. Isaiah 214 as contained in 2 nephi 1224, and a significant portion of isaiah. In addition, jesus christ has given revelations about, and prophets and apostles. The chapters that do not quote isaiah by verbatim in the book of mormon are actually commentary of the prophecies and should be used to know the actual meaning of the isaiah verses that are quoted.
Making sense or not of isaiah in the book of mormon. A common complaint about reading the book of mormon is the difficulty in understanding the isaiah chapters in 2 nephi. This is remarkable, because parts of the book of mormon were sealed, not to be revealed until a much later time, and because the existing book of mormonwas abridged by mormon. Since joseph had already translated the book of mormon and that isaiah chapter 50 was in the book of mormon joseph appears to have told sidney to use the book of mormon 2 nephi 7 as a guide for jst isaiah 50. Next to the book of mormon references in this chart are corresponding references in the book of isaiah. Jan 21, 2020 isaiah is in many chapters in the book of mormon. Click here to read the isaiah chapters in the book of mormon today, palm sunday, was the perfect time for members of the church of. Though there are potentially several ways to answer this question, one that may help readers better grasp the isaiah chapters in the book of mormon is what lds scholar john w.
Here are five useful tips to help you discover the hidden gems in the book of mormon. Isaiah chapter 1 happens to be a chapter i can grasp without requiring major revelation to understand. Tammy uzelac hall, the host of lds livings sunday on monday, shares an answer to this and other questions readers might have in their studies of the book of mormon this week. A look at the book of mormon isaiah passages through the lenses of textual criticism reveals a number of features that may have otherwise been missed by readers. David seeley wrote an article in the book entitled, isaiah in the book of mormon, explaining that the main lesson we learn from the isaiah chapters in the book of mormon is to avoid haughtiness and pride manifested in every imaginable way. Reading the isaiah chapters in the book of mormon is like going for a hike in the mountains. Book of mormon central, how did nephi read isaiah as a witness of christs coming. Isaiah is well known to be the most difficult prophet to understand, mainly because if you do not read his words by the spirit, the text just sort of floats in one ear and out the other.
Some scholars believe that some of the chapters of the current book of isaiah were not written by that prophet but by one or more different authors long after isaiah s timein fact, after the time that lehi and his family left jerusalem. Some scholars believe that some of the chapters of the current book of isaiah were not written by that prophet but by one or more different authors long after isaiahs timein fact, after the time that lehi and his family left jerusalem. Welch pointed out that nephi prophesied of four distinct. However, we have worked the last two years to help readers better understand those chapters and hope you will find our posts helpful as you uncover what isaiah intended us to know. Ten keys to understanding isaiah church of jesus christ.
In the case of the book of mormon, which contains copious quotes from the new testament, the implication is that the book actually originated after the formation of the christian scriptures. You already understand the isaiah chapters better than you. With the destruction of the nephites at the forefront of nephis mind, he prophecies of a day when the words of the book of mormon will bring salvation and redemption to the remnant of his seed, as embodied by the daughter of zion. Some 58 are paraphrased and 11 others are variants andor paraphrases. I also use the most recent version 1981 of the book of. One benefit from the duplication of isaiah is the correction of some errors in our english translation, the.
The book of isaiah is the first of the latter prophets in the hebrew bible, preceding ezekiel, and jeremiah. Isaiah variants in the book of mormon religious studies. The first shows which isaiah chapters are quoted in the book of mormon including their order and location in the book of mormon as well as a summary of each quoted chapter to encourage speculation as to why the writers of the book of mormon would have wanted to include that particular chapter in their record. They emphasized this point by quoting extensively from isaiah in their own sermons and writings. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In response to a recent question, the following extract isaiah in the book of mormon from tmd volume 2 was posted to the mormon delusion facebook page and may be of interest. To find a specific sidebyside comparison of an isaiah chapter or verse in the book of mormon you can. Arguing that isaiah lies at the very heart of nephis project, spencer insists on demystifying the writings of isaiah while nonetheless refusing. New archaeological evidence for book of mormon prophet isaiah.
Deutero isaiah verses in the book of mormon overview of the deutero isaiah problem in the book of mormon. As a missionary in guatemala, i remember one companion saying that if you shot the book of mormon with a gun, not even a bullet would get through the isaiah chapters. As we start our study of the book of mormon this year in come, follow me we will soon be faced with those pesky isaiah chapters. An indispensable resource for lds students of scripture 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.
If you want to know more about why i made this site you can read about it here. Deuteroisaiah and the book of mormon for thus it is. How do we explain material from isaiah in the book of mormon. Then circle in place of italicizing words and phrases that speak about our. Extract from the mormon delusion, volume 2, chapter 11. T summary of book of mormon quotes from isaiah 1 nephi 20. Just how isaiah was prophetic in the old testament. May 14, 2014 discussions on the book of mormon 2 nephi 1116 originally aired. So i decided to make my own and start with the isaiah passages in the book of mormon. Nyman, great are the words of isaiah 1980, and an indepth study of the book of mormon isaiah passages is found in donald w. Sometimes the quotation is explicit, as in the second book of nephi, which contains 18 quoted chapters of the book of isaiah. Isaiah s writings are quoted extensively in other scriptures. Making sense or not of isaiah in the book of mormon wheat.
Nephi is known for quoting isaiah frequently, so one might wonder why he chose the particular isaiah chapters he did. This chart organizes important isaiah references in the book of mormon according to their order of appearance in the book of isaiah. As all prophets do, jacob is explaining what isaiah is prophesying about in. Pattern and purpose of the isaiah commentaries in the book of. Chapters 214 and 29 from the first collection and chapter 4854 from the second collection. Remember, the only 2nd isaiah chapters that show up in the book of mormon are isaiah 4852 and we have just the one echo from trito isaiah. Reading the covenantal purpose of isaiah in the book of. Unlocking isaiah in the book of mormon kindle edition by. Unlocking isaiah in the book of mormon kindle edition by ludlow, victor l. In the book of mormon, there are many chapters of isaiah directly incorporated from the king james version kjv of the bible, complete with translation errors that were obviously not possible to have been recorded on the gold plates since the kjv was not available until thousands of years. Im going to focus on 2 nephi 9, which follows chapters 7 and 8 isaiah 50 and 51, more or less and presents itself as a commentary on those two chapters.
The last prophet in the book of mormon, moroni, wrote the following in the middle of a list of admonitions to his modern readers. Students of the book of mormon bm have recognized the problem of having explicit and lengthy quotations of isaiah chapters 4055 since at least the days of b. Pattern and purpose of the isaiah commentaries in the book. Having come from israel, nephi had a copy of the old testament as these corresponding quotes are written before the birth of christ.
Book of mormon central, why do early nephite prophets speak about the scattering of israel. In the vision of all, joseph spencer draws on the best of biblical and latterday saint scholarship to make sense of the socalled isaiah chapters in the first two books of the book of mormon. In light of the size of the gold plates, all of the abridging, and the difficulty of engraving the plates, the extensive use of isaiah in the book of mormon must be considered filler. In addition, whole chapters are quoted and placed in the book of mormon, the choice of the ancient prophets who decided they must be included. Theres no doubt, isaiah s writings arent the easiest to understand, but john bytheway helps readers navigate the isaiah chapters in his book isaiah for airheads. However, the passage in isaiah has nothing to do with mormonism or the book of mormon. However, we have worked the last two years to help readers better understand those chapters and hope you will find. Kjv isaiah in the book of mormon why the lds church is true. Religious studies center, brigham young university, 1984, 16578. Sometimes youre not sure why youre there, but then you see something unexpected and beautifulan eagle soaring, an unexpected wildflower, a hidden waterfalland it touches your soul. Getting through the isaiah chapters in the book of mormon boyd k packer lds quotes for seminary. So here is another installment on the book of mormon previous post on 1 nephi 1. Isaiah in the book of mormon religious studies center.
As all prophets do, jacob is explaining what isaiah is prophesying about in more understandable words for his people. Would we give isaiah the same consideration if his writings had not been given extensive coverage in the book of mormon. Some 58 are paraphrased and 11 others are variants and or paraphrases. Why is isaiah quoted so much in the book of mormon. The book of mormon and the king james bible wikipedia. The book of mormon testifies of christ and his mission here on the earth. Oct 31, 2017 but victor ludlow divides the book of isaiah into two main collections. Isaiah prophecies in book of mormon are relevant to the.
Chapters 5666 sometimes represented by the greek letter tau. It was written for us in our day and will help us specifically if we study it, seeking guidance from its pages. Getting through the isaiah chapters in the book of mormon. Isaiah in the book of mormon smith copied chapter after chapter of isaiah chapters. The book of mormon quotes twentyone entire chapters of isaiah and parts of others. What is less well known is that the book of mormon makes a large number of unacknowledged biblical quotes. By carefully reading nephis commentary, looking for patterns in the overall structure of the text, we gain further insight as to why he includes the portions of isaiah into the text of the book of mormon. Nearly a third of the chapters from isaiah had already been recorded in the book of mormon.
My top 10 chapters in the book of mormon the gospel home. The book of mormon contains many linguistic similarities to the king james bible kjv. The book of mormon contains extensive quotes from isaiah some twentytwo chapters of the prophet are found in the book, in many cases quoted verbatim from the king james version. In the lds curriculum, we are now plodding through the isaiah chapters in second nephi. I recommend trying this exercise on your own with any or all of the isaiah chapters in the book of mormon or the bible. Unlocking isaiah in the book of mormon by victor l.
Samuel expressed the belief that isaiah was not the author of certain chapters. Oct 24, 2017 getting through the isaiah chapters in the book of mormon boyd k packer lds quotes for seminary. Understanding isaiah in the book of mormon thus presumes an understanding of the terms house of israel, covenant, and gentile, which predominate in the isaiah commentaries in the book of mormon and do not occur elsewhere in the book. These chapters have inspired me, taught me and are perennial favorites. To find a specific side byside comparison of an isaiah chapter or verse in the book of mormon you can. 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. You may have noticed that most of the isaiah chapters in the book of mormon are the first chapters and last chapters of isaiah in the old testament dealing with the initial scattering of israel, and the latterday gathering of israel. Kjv isaiah in the book of mormon why the lds church is. Chapters 4055 sometimes represented by the greek letter delta. Nephis use of isaiah in the book of mormon lds scripture.
Two large blocks of isaiah chapters 214 and 4854 are scattered among four books 1 nephi, 2 nephi, mosiah, and 3 nephi. A second major question is sometimes raised about the isaiah material in the book of mormon. Nephis version of isaiah 4852 that he quoted on his plates was. Chapters 9 sometimes represented by the greek letter pi. In addition to this table below, at least 52 other verses from isaiah are found throughout the book of mormon. Further research will show that the book of mormon relies on a specific version of the new testament, namely the king james version. The book of mormon quotes twentyone complete chapters of isaiah and parts of others. The isaiah problem in the book of mormon chap 11 shields. Textual criticism is the careful analysis of a texts manuscripts to uncover its textual history, including what sorts of changes were made and why. Royal skousen has done nearly exhaustive textual critical work on the book of mormon. Whats going on in the book of mormon isaiah chapters.
Nephis major commentary on these chapters comes by way of summary and conclusion in 2 nephi 25, the chapter immediately following the long isaiah. Secondarily, chapter 11 of isaiah was quoted to joseph smith in a vision in his earliest days as a prophet and became the subject of a section in the doctrine and covenants. Were the isaiah passages in the book of mormon simply. The book of mormon quotes extensively from the book of isaiah, including entire chapters, and in many cases verbatim to the king james translation. A commandment i give unto you that ye search these things diligently. The book of mormon explicitly quotes the prophet isaiah. Mormon founder joseph smith is said to have unsealed the book of mormon document when he was given the ancient plates by the angel moroni in order to translate and print the scripture in 1830. The first 39 chapters prophesy doom for a sinful judah and for all the nations of the world that oppose god, while the last 27 prophesy the restoration of the nation. The current biblematching chapterandverse divisions were added in the 1879 edition of the book of mormon. The scope of this paper does not allow a detailed explication of the isaiah chapters in the book of mormon. Nyman, great are the words of isaiah 1980, and an in depth study of the book of mormon isaiah passages is found in donald w.
538 490 273 662 748 389 73 746 538 669 1378 976 212 886 486 422 1497 1294 142 27 1328 31 973 439 1262 774 1209 664 536 743 900 500 936