Healing the Blind Man, by Carl Heinrich Bloch, at the Frederiksborg Museum of National History
“Comfort” is the first word of Isaiah chapter 40. It marks the beginning of a different tone, a different emphasis in the prophet’s message. Isaiah’s earlier writings warned Israel and Judah about destruction and captivity that would come because of their sins. But these later prophecies were meant to comfort the Jewish people over 150 years in the future—after Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed and the people were taken captive by Babylon. These prophecies, however, reach even further into the future than to the defeated, disheartened Israelites. They speak to us, who also sometimes feel defeated, disheartened, and even lost.
Isaiah’s message to his people and to us is simple: “Fear not” (Isaiah 43:1). All is not lost. The Lord has not forgotten you, and He has power over situations that seem out of your control. Isn’t the Lord, who “created the heavens” (Isaiah 42:5), more powerful than Babylon, than sin, than whatever is holding you captive? “Return unto me,” He pleads, “for I have redeemed thee” (Isaiah 44:22). He can heal, restore, strengthen, forgive, and comfort—whatever is needed for you, in your case, to be redeemed.
Ideas for Learning at Home and at Church
Isaiah 40–49 — Jesus Christ can comfort me and give me hope.
When the Israelites were captives in Babylon, many may have wondered if they had forever lost their place as God’s chosen, covenant people. As you read Isaiah 40–49, look for passages that might have provided comfort and hope. For each passage you find, ponder and record what the Lord might be saying to you in these verses. Here are a few you might start with:
What do you feel the Lord wants you to know about Him?
You might notice that the hymn “How Firm a Foundation” (Hymns, no. 85) draws on Isaiah’s words in Isaiah 41:10; 43:2–5; 46:4. Consider singing or listening to this hymn, looking for parallels between the lyrics and these verses from Isaiah. How has the Lord fulfilled the promises in these verses in your life?
Use additional scripture. Sometimes we can understand the Old Testament better if we supplement our study with verses from the Book of Mormon. For example, the Book of Mormon prophets Nephi and Jacob had access to the writings of Isaiah on the plates of brass (see 1 Nephi 19:22–23), and they used these prophecies to teach about the Savior. To learn how Nephi and Jacob likened Isaiah 48–49 to their people, see 1 Nephi 22. That may help you liken these chapters to your own life.
Isaiah 40–49 — “Thou art my servant.”
Throughout Isaiah 40–49 the Lord speaks of His “servant” and His “witnesses.” These words can refer to Jesus Christ (see Isaiah 42:1–7), to the house of Israel (see Isaiah 45:4), and to King Cyrus, who allowed the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (see Isaiah 44:26–28; 45:1–4). You might also consider how the passages apply to you as a servant and a witness of the Lord. For example, ponder questions like these:
Isaiah 40:1–3, 9–11; 43:9–12. In what sense are you a witness of Jesus Christ? What are the “good tidings” that you can share as His witness? You might imagine that you have been called to the witness stand in a court trial. In this trial, Jesus Christ has been charged with making the claim recorded in Isaiah 43:11. What testimony could you give in support of Jesus’s claim? What evidence from your life would you present?
Isaiah 41:8–13; 42:6; 44:21. What has the Lord called you to do? Consider Church callings as well as other opportunities to serve Him. How has He “formed” or prepared you to become His servant? How does He support you as you serve?
Isaiah 49:1–9. What messages do you find in these verses that can help when your efforts and service seem to be “for nought, and in vain”? (verse 4).
Isaiah 40:3–8, 15–23 ; 42:15–16 ; 47:7–11 — God’s power is greater than worldly power.
Isaiah repeatedly reminded his people of God’s matchless power, even compared to the oppressive worldly power that surrounded them. Look for this message as you read Isaiah 40:3–8, 15–23; 42:15–16; and 47:7–11 (note that chapter 47 is addressed to Israel’s captor, Babylon). What do these passages teach you about worldly things? What do they teach you about God? Ponder why this message might have been valuable to Jewish people in captivity. Why is it valuable to you?
Isaiah 48:10 ; 49:13–16 — The Lord can refine me through my afflictions.
As you read Isaiah 48:10, ponder your own “furnace of affliction.” How is the Lord “refining” you? How does Isaiah 49:13–16 help you when you suffer afflictions?
See also “The Refiner’s Fire” (video), Gospel Library.
01 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.02 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned : for she hath received of the Lord ’s hand double for all her sins.03 ¶ The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord , make straight in the desert a highway for our God.04 Every valley shall be exalted , and every mountain and hill shall be made low : and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain :05 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed , and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.06 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass , and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:07 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.08 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.09 ¶ O Zion , that bringest good tidings , get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah , Behold your God!010 Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.011 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd : he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.012 ¶ Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?013 Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord , or being his counsellor hath taught him?014 With whom took he counsel , and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment , and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?015 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.016 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.017 All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity .018 ¶ To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?019 The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.020 He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.021 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?022 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:023 That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.024 Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.025 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.026 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.027 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord , and my judgment is passed over from my God?028 ¶ Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord , the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.029 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.030 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:031 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength ; they shall mount up with wings as eagles ; they shall run , and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 41
01 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.02 Who raised up the righteous man from the east , called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.03 He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.04 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord , the first , and with the last; I am he.05 The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.06 They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.07 So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.08 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen , the seed of Abraham my friend .09 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant ; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.010 ¶ Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.011 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish .012 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.013 For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.014 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord , and thy redeemer , the Holy One of Israel.015 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains , and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.016 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord , and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.017 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.018 I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.019 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine , and the box tree together:020 That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.021 Produce your cause, saith the Lord ; bring forth your strong reasons , saith the King of Jacob.022 Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.023 Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.024 Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.025 I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay.026 Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.027 The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.028 For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.029 Behold, they are all vanity ; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
Isaiah 42
01 Behold my servant , whom I uphold; mine elect , in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.02 He shall not cry, nor lift up , nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.03 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.04 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.05 ¶ Thus saith God the Lord , he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:06 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles ;07 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison , and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.08 I am the Lord : that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.09 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.010 Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.011 Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.012 Let them give glory unto the Lord , and declare his praise in the islands.013 The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war : he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.014 I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.015 I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.016 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.017 ¶ They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.018 Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.019 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect , and blind as the Lord ’s servant?020 Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.021 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable .022 But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore .023 Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?024 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord , he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.025 Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.
Isaiah 43
01 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee , I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.02 When thou passest through the waters , I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire , thou shalt not be burned ; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.03 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour : I gave Egypt for thy ransom , Ethiopia and Seba for thee.04 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.05 Fear not : for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;06 I will say to the north , Give up ; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;07 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.08 ¶ Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.09 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.010 Ye are my witnesses , saith the Lord , and my servant whom I have chosen : that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.011 I, even I, am the Lord ; and beside me there is no saviour .012 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord , that I am God.013 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it ?014 ¶ Thus saith the Lord , your redeemer , the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.015 I am the Lord , your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King .016 Thus saith the Lord , which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;017 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow .018 ¶ Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.019 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness , and rivers in the desert.020 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls : because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.021 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.022 ¶ But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.023 Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.024 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.025 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake , and will not remember thy sins.026 Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.027 Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.028 Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.
Isaiah 44
01 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant ; and Israel, whom I have chosen:02 Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun , whom I have chosen.03 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty , and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:04 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.05 One shall say, I am the Lord ’s ; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord , and surname himself by the name of Israel.06 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first , and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.07 And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.08 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God ; I know not any.09 ¶ They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not , nor know; that they may be ashamed.010 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?011 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.012 The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.013 The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.014 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.015 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.016 He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:017 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.018 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts , that they cannot understand.019 And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?020 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?021 ¶ Remember these , O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant : I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.022 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions , and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.023 Sing , O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing , ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.024 Thus saith the Lord , thy redeemer , and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;025 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;026 That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:027 That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:028 That saith of Cyrus , He is my shepherd , and shall perform all my pleasure : even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built ; and to the temple , Thy foundation shall be laid.
Isaiah 45
01 Thus saith the Lord to his anointed , to Cyrus , whose right hand I have holden , to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates ; and the gates shall not be shut;02 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:03 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness , and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord , which call thee by thy name , am the God of Israel.04 For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect , I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.05 ¶ I am the Lord , and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:06 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord , and there is none else.07 I form the light , and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil : I the Lord do all these things.08 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness : let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation , and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it.09 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker ! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?010 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman , What hast thou brought forth?011 Thus saith the Lord , the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons , and concerning the work of my hands command ye me .012 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.013 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts.014 Thus saith the Lord , The labour of Egypt , and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.015 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour .016 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols .017 But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation : ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.018 For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited : I am the Lord ; and there is none else.019 I have not spoken in secret , in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness , I declare things that are right .020 ¶ Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations : they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.021 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord ? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour ; there is none beside me.022 Look unto me, and be ye saved , all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.023 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear .024 Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength : even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.025 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified , and shall glory.
Isaiah 46
01 Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.02 They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.03 ¶ Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:04 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry , and will deliver you.05 ¶ To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?06 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship .07 They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.08 Remember this, and shew yourselves men : bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.09 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,010 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure :011 Calling a ravenous bird from the east , the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.012 ¶ Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted , that are far from righteousness:013 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry : and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
Isaiah 47
01 Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon , sit on the ground: there is no throne , O daughter of the Chaldeans : for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.02 Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers .03 Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.04 As for our redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.05 Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness , O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.06 ¶ I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.07 ¶ And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it.08 Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow , neither shall I know the loss of children :09 But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.010 ¶ For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.011 ¶ Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.012 Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.013 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers , the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.014 Behold, they shall be as stubble ; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.015 Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.
Isaiah 48
01 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah , which swear by the name of the Lord , and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.02 For they call themselves of the holy city , and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is his name.03 I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.04 Because I knew that thou art obstinate , and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;05 I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.06 Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.07 They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.08 Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb .09 ¶ For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger , and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.010 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction .011 For mine own sake , even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.012 ¶ Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.013 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth , and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.014 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The Lord hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon , and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.015 I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.016 ¶ Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God , and his Spirit, hath sent me.017 Thus saith the Lord , thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.018 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:019 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.020 ¶ Go ye forth of Babylon , flee ye from the Chaldeans , with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob.021 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.022 There is no peace , saith the Lord , unto the wicked.
Isaiah 49
01 Listen , O isles, unto me; and hearken , ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.02 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword ; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;03 And said unto me, Thou art my servant , O Israel, in whom I will be glorified .04 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord , and my work with my God.05 ¶ And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord , and my God shall be my strength.06 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles , that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.07 Thus saith the Lord , the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.08 Thus saith the Lord , In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;09 That thou mayest say to the prisoners , Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.010 They shall not hunger nor thirst ; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.011 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.012 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.013 ¶ Sing , O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing , O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted .014 But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.015 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.016 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.017 Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.018 ¶ Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord , thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.019 For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.020 The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.021 Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate , a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?022 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.023 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers , and their queens thy nursing mothers : they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord : for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.024 ¶ Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?025 But thus saith the Lord , Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.026 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer , the mighty One of Jacob.
1.How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in his excellent word! What more can he say than to you he hath said, Who unto the Savior, who unto the Savior, Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
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2.In ev’ry condition—in sickness, in health, In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth, At home or abroad, on the land or the sea— As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand, As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.
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3.Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed, For I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous, Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
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4.When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’erflow, For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee, and sanctify to thee, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress. 5.When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply. The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume, thy dross to consume, Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine. 6.E’en down to old age, all my people shall prove My sov’reign, eternal, unchangeable love; And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn, Like lambs shall they still, like lambs shall they still, Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be borne. 7.The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
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4.When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’erflow, For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee, and sanctify to thee, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
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5.When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply. The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume, thy dross to consume, Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
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6.E’en down to old age, all my people shall prove My sov’reign, eternal, unchangeable love; And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn, Like lambs shall they still, like lambs shall they still, Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be borne.
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7.The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
Marin, I’m Elder Holland, and things are about to go downhill.
We are all intrigued by survival stories. We hear tales of intrepid explorers and ordinary people alike who manage to keep themselves alive against all odds and expectations, and we can’t help but ask ourselves, “Could I have done that?”
I think immediately of British explorer Ernest Shackleton and the crew of his ship HMS Endurance, shipwrecked in Antarctic ice and then stranded on a barren island for nearly two years. Shackleton’s extraordinary leadership and indomitable resolve saved the lives of his men, despite the harshest conditions.
Then I think of the crew of Apollo 13 hurtling through space to land on the moon! But disaster struck when an oxygen tank exploded, and the mission had to be aborted. Short of oxygen, the crew and mission control ingeniously improvised and brought all three astronauts safely back to earth.
I marvel at the astonishing survival of individuals and families victimized by war, imprisoned in camps, and those who become refugees who heroically and courageously keep alive the flame of hope for fellow sufferers, who impart goodness in the face of brutality, and who somehow manage to help others endure just one more day.
Could you or I survive in any one of these extreme circumstances?
Perhaps some of you, however, consider the accounts of survivors, and your soul cries out that you are living a survival story right now as a victim of abuse, neglect, bullying, domestic violence, or any suffering of this kind. You are in the midst of your own desperate attempt to survive a situation that feels very much like a disastrous shipwreck or a promising mission suddenly aborted. Will you ever be rescued; will you make it through your own survival story?
The answer is yes. You can survive. You have in fact already been rescued; you have already been saved—by the One who has suffered the very torment you are suffering and endured the very agony you are enduring. Jesus has overcome the abuses of this world to give you power to not only survive but one day, through Him, to overcome and even conquer—to completely rise above the pain, the misery, the anguish, and see them replaced by peace.
The Apostle Paul asks:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
You will remember when President Russell M. Nelson issued the following invitation in general conference. He said: “As you study your scriptures … , I encourage you to make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel. I think you will be astounded!”
Here are just a few of the powerful and comforting promises our family found. Imagine the Lord speaking these words to you—to you who are surviving—because they are for you:
Fear not.
I know your sorrows, and I have come to deliver you.
I will not leave you.
My name is upon you, and my angels have charge over you.
I will do wonders among you.
Walk with me; learn of me; I will give you rest.
I am in your midst.
You are mine.
With those assurances very much in mind, I want to speak directly to those who feel as though there is no way out of their own survival story because of the trauma inflicted by the cruel actions of others. If this is your survival story, we weep with you. We yearn for you to overcome the confusion, shame, and fear, and we long for you, through Jesus Christ, to conquer.
If you have experienced any kind of abuse, violence, or oppression, you may be left with the idea that these events were somehow your fault and that you deserve to carry the shame and guilt you feel. You may have had thoughts such as:
I could have prevented this.
God doesn’t love me anymore.
Nobody will ever love me.
I am damaged beyond repair.
The Savior’s Atonement applies to others but not to me.
These erroneous thoughts and feelings may have been a barrier to seeking help from family, friends, leaders, or professionals, and so you have struggled alone. If you have sought help from those you trust, you may still be wrestling with ideas of shame and even self-loathing. The impact of these events can remain for many years. You hope that one day you’ll feel better, but somehow that day has not yet come.
The abuse was not, is not, and never will be your fault, no matter what the abuser or anyone else may have said to the contrary. When you have been a victim of cruelty, incest, or any other perversion, you are not the one who needs to repent; you are not responsible.
You are not less worthy or less valuable or less loved as a human being, or as a daughter or son of God, because of what someone else has done to you.
God does not now see, nor has He ever seen, you as someone to be despised. Whatever has happened to you, He is not ashamed of you or disappointed in you. He loves you in a way you have yet to discover. And you will discover it as you trust in His promises and as you learn to believe Him when He says you are “precious in [His] sight.”
You are not defined by these terrible things that have been done to you. You are, in glorious truth, defined by your eternally existing identity as a son or daughter of God and by your Creator’s perfect, infinite love and invitation to whole and complete healing.
Though it may seem impossible, feel impossible, healing can come through the miracle of the redemptive might of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, who is risen “with healing in his wings.”
Our merciful Savior, victorious over darkness and depravity, has power to right all wrongs, a life-giving truth for those wronged by others.
Please know that the Savior has descended below all things, even what has happened to you. Because of that, He knows exactly what real terror and shame feel like and how it feels to be abandoned and broken. From the depths of His atoning suffering, the Savior imparts hope you thought was lost forever, strength you believed you could never possess, and healing you couldn’t imagine was possible.
There is no place for any kind of abuse—physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal—in any home, any country, or any culture. Nothing a wife, child, or husband might do or say makes them “deserve” to be beaten. No one, in any country or culture, is ever “asking for” aggression or violence from someone else in authority or by someone who is bigger and stronger.
Those who abuse and who seek to hide their grievous sins may get away with it for a time. But the Lord, who sees all, knows the deeds and the thoughts and intents of the heart. He is a God of justice, and His divine justice will be served.
Miraculously, the Lord is also a God of mercy to the truly repentant. Abusers—including those who were once abused themselves—who confess, forsake their sin, and do all in their power to make recompense and restitution, have access to forgiveness through the miracle of the Atonement of Christ.
For the falsely accused, the unspeakable gravity of these accusations brings its own purgatory. But they too are blessed by the Savior’s vicarious suffering for them and the knowledge that ultimately truth will prevail.
But unrepentant abusers will stand before the Lord to account for their heinous crimes.
The Lord Himself is crystal clear in His condemnation of abuse of any kind: “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones … , it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
Dear friends who have been so terribly wounded—and for that matter, anyone who has borne the injustices of life—you can have a new beginning and a fresh start. In Gethsemane and on Calvary, Jesus “took upon Himself … all of the anguish and suffering ever experienced by you and me,” and He has overcome it all! With arms outstretched, the Savior offers the gift of healing to you. With courage, patience, and faithful focus on Him, before too long you can come to fully accept this gift. You can let go of your pain and leave it at His feet.
Your gentle Savior declared, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that [you] might have life, and that [you] might have it more abundantly.” You are a survivor, you can heal, and you can trust that with the power and grace of Jesus Christ, you will overcome and conquer.
Jesus specializes in the seemingly impossible. He came here to make the impossible possible, the irredeemable redeemable, to heal the unhealable, to right the unrightable, to promise the unpromisable. And He’s really good at it. In fact, He’s perfect at it. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Healer, amen.
For more information and resources, see “Abuse” in the Life Help section at ChurchofJesusChrist.org and in the Gospel Library app.
See Alma 7:11–12. President Russell M. Nelson taught: “[Jesus Christ] was brutally reviled, mocked, spit upon, and scourged. In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Savior took upon Himself every pain, every sin, and all of the anguish and suffering ever experienced by you and me and by everyone who has ever lived or will ever live. Under the weight of that excruciating burden, He bled from every pore [see Doctrine and Covenants 19:18]. All of this suffering was intensified as He was cruelly crucified on Calvary’s cross” (“The Correct Name of the Church,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 88).
Matthew 18:6. “The terrible, vicious practice of sexual abuse … is beyond understanding. … It is a violation of that which is sacred and divine. … It is reprehensible and worthy of the most severe condemnation. Shame on any man or woman who would sexually abuse a child. In doing so, the abuser not only does the most serious kind of injury. He or she also stands condemned before the Lord” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Save the Children,” Ensign, Nov. 1994, 54).
Isaiah’s message to Israel promised hope and reassurance that God would redeem His covenant people. He prophesied that the Messiah would be a light to the Gentiles and free God’s people from captivity and sin. Through Isaiah the Lord warned Israel against worshipping false gods and reminded them that He is their Creator and Redeemer. Isaiah prophesied of the downfall of Babylon and declared that the Lord would bring justice and salvation to the world.
Note: The citation of a source not published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not imply that it or its author is endorsed by the Church or represents the official position of the Church.
What is the voice crying in the wilderness to “prepare … the way of the Lord”?
These verses have multiple fulfillments. John the Baptist applied this passage to himself. He called for Israel to prepare for redemption through Jesus Christ by entering the covenant of baptism. Additionally, Saints in this dispensation are sent as messengers to all of Heavenly Father’s children, crying, “Repent, repent, and prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight.”
John the Baptist Preaching in the Wilderness, by Robert T. Barrett
The latter part of the book of Isaiah contains several passages that scholars often call the “servant songs” or “servant psalms.” These poetic sections describe a servant who carries out the will of God. The servant mentioned in these songs may have multiple representations. For example, Isaiah himself, King Cyrus of Persia, and the house of Israel all appear to fulfill certain portions of these prophecies. However, the servant songs ultimately point to Jesus Christ, who perfectly fulfills the mission and attributes of the servant described by Isaiah.
In what ways were Isaiah’s prophecies about the servant fulfilled?
Isaiah’s prophecies about the servant in these verses were directly fulfilled by Jesus Christ. For example, Isaiah said that the servant would be given “for a covenant of the people.” President Jeffrey R. Holland taught that this phrase refers to the Savior’s role as “the grand central figure in making … covenants and ordinances efficacious in time and eternity. He is the sacrifice upon which the covenant is based, whose blood ratifies it, and He is also the Mediator of the Covenant.”
Additionally, Isaiah’s prophecy that the eyes of the blind would be opened and that prisoners would be brought out of captivity was fulfilled both during Christ’s mortal ministry and through His redemptive work in the spirit world.
Isaiah’s prophecies are also fulfilled through the house of Israel. As part of the Abrahamic covenant, the Lord’s people have a sacred responsibility to bring the blessings of the gospel to all nations. As they fulfill this mission, they help bring freedom, vision, and the Savior’s light to the world.
The Israelites frequently sang songs of praise to the Lord in gratitude for the blessings and deliverance they received from Him. The phrase “new song” is often used in the Old Testament to mean fresh or renewed praises to God in response to His deliverance or redemption. In Isaiah 42:10–12, all the earth is commanded to praise the Lord with a new song in recognition of the great works that He and His servants have performed. The “isles” often represent the farthest reaches of civilization.
The people of Kedar were descendants of Ishmael who lived in the wilderness among the rocks and represent the most sparsely populated regions. Isaiah’s message is that the day will come when all people, regardless of where they are, will unite in singing praises to God. Modern revelation also speaks of a new song that will be sung during the Millennium, when all people “shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and shall see eye to eye.”
Why is the Lord’s servant described as being blind and deaf?
The servant being blind and deaf has significance when the servant is considered to represent the house of Israel. There have been many times when the Israelites could be seen as spiritually blind and deaf as they struggled to trust the Lord.
The Joseph Smith Translation adjusts these verses to state that it is not the servant who is blind and deaf, but the servant will help those who are. This is an important distinction when considering that the Savior is the ultimate fulfillment of the servant described by Isaiah.
A consistent theme found in the second half of Isaiah is the supremacy of God over all else. Idolatry was a persistent challenge in ancient Israel, including during Isaiah’s time. Israel was surrounded by nations who worshipped idols, and the Israelites were often influenced by the beliefs of their neighbors. Through Isaiah, the Lord repeatedly declared that idols could do nothing for the people—only God could save them.
The Lord’s teachings in Isaiah 43:10–11 should not be misunderstood to mean that faithful individuals cannot eventually become like God. Modern revelation affirms that through the grace of Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father’s children have the divine potential to become joint-heirs with Jesus Christ and inherit all that the Father has. But our opportunity for eternal progression does not diminish God’s supremacy. “Latter-day Saints believe that God’s children will always worship Him. Our progression will never change His identity as our Father and our God.”
Isaiah prophesied that the Lord would rescue the Jews from exile through the Persian king Cyrus II. The word “anointed” (messiah in Hebrew) indicates that Cyrus was acting as the Lord’s chosen instrument in allowing the Jews to return from Babylon to their homeland and rebuild the temple that the Babylonians had destroyed.
In the context of Isaiah 45, the word translated as “evil” in the King James Version does not refer to wickedness or sin. Instead it likely refers to “difficult,” “disastrous,” or “calamitous” things. The Lord sometimes allows such difficulties to humble His people and help them repent. The Book of Mormon clearly teaches that “whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil,” and Satan “is the author of all sin.”
What does it mean that “every knee shall bow, [and] every tongue shall swear”?
Isaiah prophesied that Cyrus’s military success would fulfill God’s purpose of delivering Israel. The Lord declared that He had raised up Cyrus and guided his actions—even though Cyrus had “not known” Him. Even though most nations were unaware of Jehovah’s power during Cyrus’s time, Isaiah prophesied of a future day when all nations would recognize the Lord’s supremacy and bear witness of Him. The Book of Mormon prophet Abinadi indicated that this universal acknowledgment will occur at the time of the Savior’s Second Coming.
Of His return, modern prophets and apostles have declared: “We testify that He will someday return to earth. ‘And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together’ [Isaiah 40:5]. He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him.”
What did the Lord mean when He said, “I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands”?
Isaiah 48–49 are quoted in the Book of Mormon. Nephi explained that he included Isaiah’s words to persuade his brothers “to believe in the Lord their Redeemer.”Isaiah 48 contains the Lord’s rebuke for Israel’s stubbornness and hypocrisy and gives reasons for their scattering and exile.
In contrast, Isaiah 49 provides a message of hope. The Lord used powerful poetic language to affirm His unwavering commitment to His covenant people. He declared, “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” The Hebrew word translated as “graven” can also mean “inscribed” or “written.” This poetic image became more significant after the Savior’s Resurrection, as He retained the marks of the Crucifixion in His hands and feet as reminders of His sacrifice.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong testified: “Mortal men were cruelly crucified and later resurrected. But only the living Jesus Christ in His perfect resurrected form still bears the marks of crucifixion in His hands, feet, and side. Only He can say, ‘I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands’ [Isaiah 49:16]. Only He can say: ‘I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God’ [Doctrine and Covenants 45:52].”
How will the Gentiles be nursing fathers and mothers to Israel?
Israel was conquered, enslaved, and scattered by Gentile nations as a consequence of their disobedience. One fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy was that Israel eventually returned from Babylonian exile, and the rulers of Gentile nations aided in their return.
Nephi described how Isaiah’s prophecy would also be fulfilled in the last days. He taught that many latter-day Gentiles would receive the blessings of the gospel and help in the gathering of Israel. He testified that this latter-day work would bless not only the Gentiles but all of Israel, as it would help fulfill God’s covenant with Abraham that “in [his] seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.”
Return of Captive Israel, 1945, oil on canvas, 53 1/2 x 90 inches. Courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Relief Society Building
“Though an issue of some debate, a typical list of the Servant Songs includes Isaiah 42:1–6; 49:1–6; 50:4–9; 52:13–15; 53:1–12” (Terry B. Ball, “Isaiah’s ‘Other’ Servant Songs,” in The Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, ed. D. Kelly Ogden and others [2009], 207).
Many scholars believe that the identification of Cyrus by name is evidence that this passage was written after the Jews returned from exile. Latter-day Saints believe such things can be known by revelation (see Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and others, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament: An Illustrated Reference for Latter-day Saints [2009], 295).
See Parry and others, Understanding Isaiah, 388, note on Isaiah 45:1.
Muhlestein, Learning to Love Isaiah, 375, note on Isaiah 45:6–7.
See Matthew L. Bowen, “‘That Ye May Have Hope’: Nephi’s Use of Isaiah 49:22–23 in Teaching the Concept of Hope,” Religious Educator, vol. 23, no. 2 (2022), 35–36.
Earl D. Radmacher and others, eds., NKJV Study Bible, 3rd ed. (2018), 1043, note on Isaiah 49:16; Longman and Strauss, Baker Expository Dictionary, entry 2710, page 960.
1.Keep the commandments; keep the commandments! In this there is safety; in this there is peace. He will send blessings; He will send blessings. Words of a prophet:
Verse
2.We are His children; we are His children, and we must be tested to show we are true. Hold to His promises; Hold to His promises, Heeding the prophets:
Chorus
Keep the commandments. In this there is safety and peace.
Come, Follow Me Resources for Children: Old Testament 2026
September 28–October 4
You can use these additional resources for children to help teach from each week to study the Old Testament using Come, Follow Me. Choose whichever stories, activities, or videos work best for you.
Isaiah 40:3–5 — I can help prepare “the way of the Lord.”
Think of some ways to illustrate what it might mean to “prepare … the way of the Lord,” as described in Isaiah 40:3–5. For example, you and your children could straighten something that’s crooked, clear a cluttered floor, or make a clear path in rocky ground. You could also show pictures of John the Baptist and Joseph Smith (see Gospel Art Book, nos. 35, 87). How did they prepare the way for the Lord’s coming? (see Luke 3:2–18; Doctrine and Covenants 135:3). How can we help? This might be an opportunity to talk about how Aaronic Priesthood holders help prepare the way of the Lord (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:26–28).
Isaiah 43:10 — I can be a witness of the Lord.
After reading Isaiah 43:10 together, you could talk about what it means to be a witness. Share with each other things you have experienced that you can be a “witness” of—for example, a food you have tasted, a place you have visited, or a person you know. What does it mean to be the Lord’s witness? What can we tell other people about Him?
Isaiah 44:3–4 ; 45:8 — The Lord will “pour” His blessings on me.
After reading these verses, your children could water a plant and talk about blessings the Lord has poured out on them. What happens to a plant when we water it? How have the Lord’s blessings helped us grow?
Pictures or videos of rivers and ocean waves could help your children visualize Isaiah 48:18 (such as the pictures in this outline). Your children might enjoy moving their hands and arms like a river and waves of the sea. How can peace be like a river? How can righteousness be like waves? Talk about how keeping God’s commandments has helped you feel peaceful like a river or strong like a wave.
Sing together a song about commandments, such as “Keep the Commandments” (Children’s Songbook, 146–47). What does this song teach about why we should keep God’s commandments?
Isaiah 49:14–16 — The Lord will never forget me.
Isaiah 49:14–16 can be a great comfort to your children for years to come. As you read verse 14, you could talk about what might make people feel forgotten or forsaken. How do we know the Lord has not forgotten us?
To introduce verses 15–16, you could ask your children about someone who they will never forget, like a family member or friend. According to Isaiah 49:15–16, why will the Lord never forget us? Then you could share with each other your feelings about Jesus Christ.
For more, see this month’s issue of the Friend magazine.
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