Isaiah - That Great Stumbling Block

I was going through my blog drafts and came across this one and for whatever reason I failed to click publish. Here ya go.


Anyone who has set out to read the Book of Mormon soon discovers that great stumbling block called Isaiah. With all the imagery he uses in his prose, he can be downright baffling to read, much less wade through.

So why?

Why was Nephi instructed to include the words of Isaiah? Why did the Savior himself quote from Isaiah's writings and declare his words to be great? (see 3 Nephi 23:1)

I find it quite interesting that Nephi, intending to persuade his people to more fully believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, read to them from the writings of Isaiah (see 1 Nephi 19:23).

Isaiah has never been a favorite of mine. I am one of those who find him challenging, hard, difficult to understand.

So I was a little taken back when Kiersten tells me last week how much see enjoys reading the writings of Isaiah. (She's been reading the Book of Mormon as a goal.)

WHAT??

Since she was in charge of the lesson for Family Home Evening, I gave her the assignment to teach us something from Isaiah.

I didn't give her a lot of time to prepare, but she did teach us about the name Utah which most of us have understood to mean "the top of the mountains." It's a pretty cool correlation but whether the meaning is entirely correct is up for discussion.

Either way, Isaiah was right when he stated that "the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains" (see Isaiah 2:2) No one can really dispute that Utah is situated in the top of some pretty good-sized mountains.

She also wanted to point something out that her friend Rachel showed to her. The word Utah reads vertical in that same verse of Isaiah, but we also discovered that not all editions of the scriptures show that to be true. It's a fun thing to find, but certainly not one to base a testimony on.

Oh, I hope she continues her love of the scriptures, especially Isaiah since she truly does delight in his words.

I have much to learn from my daughter and also from Isaiah.