Below are the quotes that were used in the video.
I love studying the book of Isaiah. For me, the teachings of Isaiah bring hope and are relevant and applicable to our lives today. As we learn Isaiah 1-12 together, we will focus on finding hope and strength in times of spiritual peril. We will also look at God's ways and paths, including how the temple teaches us to stay on them.
Some Book of Mormon Scriptures on the Relevance and Applicability of Isaiah
Historical Background (Isaiah 1:1)
King Uzziah (792-740 B.C.)
King Jotham (740-734 B.C.)
King Ahaz (734-728 B.C.)
King Hezekiah (728-697 B.C.)
King Manasseh (697-642 B.C.)
“Oliver Cowdery referred to thirteen passages from Isaiah which the angel Moroni told Joseph Smith were being fulfilled in these latter days: Isaiah 1:7, 23–26; 2:1, 3–4; 4:5–6; 11:14, 16; 13:10, 13; 24:21; 28:21; and 29:11–14” (Cowdery, Messenger and Advocate, February 1835, 79–80; April 1835, 109–112).
Theme 1: In times of spiritual peril, God promises He will help us remain on the covenant path.
"Isaiah compares the sins of a nation to being scarlet (Heb. towla’) in color. In Isaiah’s time, scarlet dye was made from the dried body of the female scarlet worm called “coccus ilicis.”
"When the female of the scarlet worm species was ready to give birth to her young, she would attach her body to the trunk of a tree, fixing herself so firmly and permanently that she would never leave again. The eggs eposited beneath her body were thus protected until the larvae were hatched and able to leave and enter their own life cycle. As the mother died, the crimson fluid stained her body and the surrounding wood. From the dead bodies of such female scarlet worms, the commercial scarlet dyes of antiquity were extracted. (Morris, 73.) (ISAIAH: A PROPHET’S PROPHET, VOLUME 1, p. 24)
Theme 2: In times of spiritual peril, God will teach us of his ways so we can walk on His path.
•Path – “Generally a narrow way or track laid down for walking or made by continual treading.”
•Way – “Any line of passage or travel.”
•Road – “a wide way leading from one place to another, especially one with a specially prepared surface which vehicles can use.”
•Highway – “a main road, especially one connecting major towns or cities.”
•Freeway – “an express highway, especially one with controlled access.”
Lord's Paths
Way (noun) Dictionary.com
The Lord's Way:
In the Temple, We Learn the Lord’s Way
President Russell M. Nelson: "Each temple is a beacon of light and hope. The temple, the House of the Lord, stands as a symbol of our faith in life after death and as a stepping stone to eternal life for us and our families. The temple is a sacred and essential part of God’s plan for our happiness, now and forever.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/inside-temples)
Theme 3: In times of spiritual peril, God warns us not to add ‘dross’ to our lives.
So if God wants to “purely bpurge away thy dross,” what adds ‘dross’ to our lives?
Theme 4: In times of spiritual peril, God reminds us often that it will work out for the righteous.
Elder David A. Bednar: “… trends of the world frequently promote a false individuality that is nothing more than a superficial and curious outward conformity. True individuality is the product of spirituality and is not a function of trinkets or ornaments attached to or hanging from parts of our body.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2001/09/ye-are-the-temple-of-god?lang=eng
Theme 5: In times of spiritual peril, God gives us lasting bravery to endure our days ‘well.’
True [lasting] Bravery comes from:
President Russel M. Nelson: “With the help of two Hebrew scholars, I learned that one of the Hebraic meanings of the word Israel is “let God prevail.”4 Thus the very name of Israel refers to a person who is willing to let God prevail in his or her life. That concept stirs my soul!” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/46nelson?lang=eng)
President Russel M. Nelson: “When your greatest desire is to let God prevail, to be part of Israel, so many decisions become easier - so many issues become non-issues.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/46nelson?lang=eng)
Winston Churchill: Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities... because it is the quality which guarantees all others. (1931 June 27, Collier's, Unlucky Alfonso, p. 49).
Theme 6: In times of spiritual peril, God wants, and will help Israel to prevail.
"Here is how you could read this verse applying the symbolism to us in our day. “And the Lord [Jesus Christ] will create upon every dwelling place [home] of mount Zion [Church], and upon her assemblies [wards and stakes], a cloud and smoke [the visible presence and protection of God] by day, and the shining of a flaming fire [presence and protection of God] by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence [to each saint in Zion]. And there shall be a tabernacle [temple] for a shadow in the daytime from the heat [a place of comfort], and for a place of refuge, and for a covert [protection] from storm [personal difficulties] and from rain.” (ISAIAH: A PROPHET’S PROPHET, VOLUME 1, p. 61)
Isaiah verses five and six of this chapter were quoted by the Angel Moroni to Joseph Smith. Moroni said that these verses “were soon to be fulfilled.” (Messenger and Advocate, April 1835, p. 110)
Theme 7: In times of spiritual peril, God gives us knowledge to help us prevail.
Joseph Smith: “The … happiness of any community goes hand in hand with the knowledge possessed by the people” (“Knowledge Is Power,” an editorial published in Times and Seasons, Aug. 15, 1842, pp. 889–90).
Isaiah 5 contains warnings to Israel so that they can avoid captivity.
1. Greed is a poison that leads to ignorance (Isaiah 5:8).
“We make poor and irrational decisions if our decision is motivated by greediness: greed for monetary gain; greed that results in a conflict of interest; desire for power, titles, and recognition of men” (Bishop Robert D. Hales, CR, October 1988).
2. A passion for pleasure promotes ignorance (Isaiah 5:11-12)
"When the passion for pleasure has become uppermost in a person’s life, passion for God and his truth and his ways are squeezed out" (Smith, The American New Commentary, Volume 15A Isaiah 40-66, p. 174).
3. Cords of vanity choke knowledge (Isaiah 5:18)
"The truest characters of ignorance are vanity and pride and arrogance." Samuel Butler
4. Sign seeking blinds us to new knowledge (Isaiah 5:19).
The sign-seeker tells God to hustle (‘make speed’) and get His job done (‘hasten his work’) as a prerequisite for their belief (that we may know it) (see Isaiah 5:19).
5. Deception keeps us in ignorance’s prison (Isaiah 5:20).
Deception blinds us to the light that illuminates our understanding and obfuscates the truth from our minds.
Without absolute truth, deception, especially self-deception, along with uncontrolled passion result in the rationalization and justification of almost any act. (see Smith, The American New Commentary, Volume 15A Isaiah 40-66, p. 178).
6. Intellectual wannabees (Isaiah 5:21).
“For decades it has been popular in America for the cynical intellectuals to sneer and scoff at that which they do not understand, or want to understand.” (President David O. McKay said, CR, October 1966).
7. Justification entrenches ignorance (Isaiah 5:22-23).
"A man who cannot admit his mistakes will soon justify his ignorance." Hryhorii Skovoroda
Isaiah promises God’s help in our day in Isaiah 5:25-26.
President Gordon B. Hinckley: “When the Brethren stood on the summit, they looked over this valley to the south of them. It was largely barren, except for the willows and rushes that grew along the streams that carried water from the mountains to the lake. There was no building of any kind, but Brigham Young had said the previous Saturday, ‘This is the place.’
“The summit where they stood was named Ensign Peak out of reference to these great prophetic words of Isaiah: ‘And he [speaking of God] will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly’ (Isaiah 5:26.) (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1989/11/an-ensign-to-the-nations?lang=eng
“This Church is the standard which Isaiah said the Lord would set up for the people in the latter day.”(Marion G. Romney C.R. Apr. 1961, p.19)
King Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria (reigned 745-727 BCE): “I flayed as many nobles as had rebelled against me and draped their skins over the pile of corpses; some I spread out within the pile, some I erected on stakes upon the pile...I flayed many right through my land and draped their skins over the walls.”
"With their blood I dyed the mountain red like red wool, and the rest of them the ravines and torrents of the mountain swallowed. I carried off captives and possessions from them. I cut off the heads of their fighters and built with the heads a tower before their city. I burnt their adolescent boys and girls."
The early stages of the war are described in 2 Chronicles 28 and “indicate that God gave Ahaz into the hand of Syria … thereby allowing them to defeat Judah's army in battle and take prisoners (2 Chr 28:5). Israel's army also inflicted heavy casualties on Judah, killing 120,000 troops, the king's son, and the person who was second in command to the king (2 Chr 28:6-8). Nevertheless, the two armies of Syria and Israel were never able to defeat the city of Jerusalem” (Smith, The American New Commentary, Volume 15A Isaiah 40-66, p. 206).
“The upper pool is located today about 700 yards from the Jaffa Gate and is on the highway leading to the fullers' field. It was in a position near water for washing of the cloth previous to drying and bleaching and was probably alongside the aqueduct. These are two interesting images in this verse: fuller “to make white” and the spring. The fuller makes the ordinary cloth white (pure) and the spring provides water essential for life in Jerusalem. In other words, there is a source that can purify us and lead us to life eternal” (Miller, Isaiah: A Prophet’s Prophet).
“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” NIV Bible translation - Isaiah 7:9
When difficult times arise, God encourages:
But if you reject God and His word:
"Have the moral courage to stand firm in obeying God's will, even if you have to stand alone." Ulisses Soares.
“In 734 B.C. Tiglath-pileser marched through Israel and Philistia to the Egyptian border and cut off any potential aid from the Egyptians. The next year (733 B.C.) Israel lost the Galilee and the Trans-Jordan Area (see 2 Kings 15:29). Damascus falls to Assyria the next year in 732 B.C. and Isaiah’s prophecy will be fulfilled” (Miller, A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 79).
The army of Assyria is compared to “…the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria and all his glory; and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks. And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land” (Isaiah 8:7-8).
This type of punishment was “viewed as the rightful chastisement of a rebellious subject … and was practiced specifically to dissuade opposition to Assyrian rule by setting an example form which other potential rebels should draw the appropriate conclusions” (Healy, The Ancient Assyrians, p. 8).
“Thus, the purpose of this policy was psychological, its principal object being to engender terror so as to convey a sense of powerlessness in the face of Assyrian arms” (Healy, The Ancient Assyrians, p. 9).
“We chose between the soft peaceful waters of Shiloah, and the flood waters of sin. We should not walk the walk of the unfaithful but have hope. Those who are on the Lord’s errand look for opportunities to build faith in Jesus Christ and deepen the conversion of His disciples. Our ministry is to ‘attest to’ or become a witness to the Law of the Gospel. Testimonies of Christ and the gospel lead us to a sanctuary where we can draw closer to God and deepen our relationship with Him.” (Miller, A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 113).
Sanctuary (Heb. miqdâsh) is a consecrated thing or place not necessarily an asylum. A place where God dwells. The ‘he’ in Isaiah 8:14 should be capitalized since it is referring to the Lord. He is consecrated to be a spiritual refuge for the faithful, and he will be a “stone of stumbling” and a “rock of offence” to the rest. (Miller, Isaiah: A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 81-82)
C.S Lewis: “Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to?
The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” ( C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, pp 175-176)
A “gin” denotes the use of a noose or snare. A “snare” is designed for the victim to ensnare himself. Israel will ensnare themselves in their disobedience of the Lord Jesus Christ. By seeking support from Assyria, against the prophet’s direction to the contrary, they were caught in the snare of their own making. (Miller, Isaiah: A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 82)
Using five verbs in this verse [Isaiah 8:15] there develops a "downward" pattern. Isaiah describes the downward results befalling those who reject the Lord. They stumble (they falter in their faith); they fall (they commit sins); they are broken (they suffer consequences for their transgressions); they are snared (they are enticed by Satan's temptations); they are taken (they are captured). This is a promise to both of the divided tribes of Israel, Ephraim and Judah. They stumbled on the teachings of the Lord and His prophets and were offended by the calls to repent. It is the same principle for Israel today: those who choose to ensnare themselves with wickedness will stumble, fall and be broken.” (Miller, Isaiah: A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 82)
"This verse [Isaiah 9:2] surprisingly predicts that the least likely area of Israel, the far northern section that was the most militarily oppressed and most influenced by pagans, will in some way be honored by God when he sends a new "light" in the future” (Smith, The American New Commentary, Volume 15A Isaiah 40-66, p. 238).
“‘Harvest’ and ‘spoil’ express the idea of two different types of joy, and joy in its completeness. Joy in the harvest is a divine gift given by God through nature. Joy in the spoil is a divine gift allowed by winning a contest of some sort. Divine gifts are given fully when the Messiah comes and delivers all from adversity (including sin and death) and gives a fullness of joy” (Miller, Isaiah – A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 87).
Isaiah testifies there is peace in Christ.
How do you reject Christ’s peace? Why would you do that?
How can I increase peace in my life today?
Two hundred years after its capture, Xenophon's Ten Thousand marched over the mounds that had been Nineveh, and never suspected that these were the site of the ancient metropolis that had ruled half the world. Not a stone remained visible of all the temples with which Assyria's pious warriors had sought to beautify their greatest capital. Even Ashur, the everlasting god, was dead." (Will Durant, Our Oriental Heritage, pgs. 283, 284).
"In Sennacherib's day the wall around Nineveh was 40 to 50 feet high. It extended for 4 kilometers along the Tigris River and for 13 kilometers around the inner city. The city wall had 15 main gates, 5 of which have been excavated. Each of the gates was guarded by stone bull statues. Both inside and outside the walls, Sennacherib created parks, a botanical garden, and a zoo. He built a water-system containing the oldest aqueduct in history at Jerwan, across the Gomel River." (Nelson's Bible Dictionary, pg. 760).
A famous oracle had been given that "Nineveh should never be taken until the river became its enemy." After a three-month siege, "rain fell in such abundance that the waters of the Tigris inundated part of the city and overturned one of its walls for a distance of twenty stades. Then the King, convinced that the oracle was accomplished and despairing of any means of escape, to avoid falling alive into the enemy's hands constructed in his palace an immense funeral pyre, placed on it his gold and silver and his royal robes, and then, shutting himself up with his wives and eunuchs in a chamber formed in the midst of the pile, disappeared in the flames. Nineveh opened its gates to the besiegers, but this tardy submission did not save the proud city. It was pillaged and burned, and then razed to the ground so completely as to evidence the implacable hatred enkindled in the minds of subject nations by the fierce and cruel Assyrian government." (Lenormant and E. Chevallier, The Rise and Fall of Assyria).
Destruction of Assyria and Parallels to 2nd Coming of Christ
Isaiah’s Promise of Hope in Isaiah 10
“Our analysis showed that the longer adolescents are exposed to a parent’s smoking when the parent is addicted to nicotine, the more likely they are to begin smoking and to become regular smokers in the future,” said lead author Darren Mays.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-teen-smoking-parents/the-longer-parents-smoke-the-more-likely-their-kids-will-too-study-idUSKBN0DT1QV20140513#KtpaG8Vk3bcgtfAp.97
The sooner parents stop smoking, the more likely their kids will not smoke.
“Our results suggest that for parents who are addicted smokers (quitting) may also reduce the likelihood that their children will go on to become smokers in the future,” he told Reuters Health.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-teen-smoking-parents/the-longer-parents-smoke-the-more-likely-their-kids-will-too-study-idUSKBN0DT1QV20140513#KtpaG8Vk3bcgtfAp.97
The more a parent reads to their child:
•Improved language abilities.
•Improved literacy.
•A strong predictor of children’s brain development and
•Later academic achievement.
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/141/4/e20172675
The Lord told Joseph Smith that the individual that Isaiah spoke of as the “rod” in verse one “is a servant in the hands of Christ, who is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom there is laid much power” (D&C 113:4). Bruce R. McConkie said, “Are we amiss in saying that the prophet here mentioned is Joseph Smith, to whom the priesthood came, who received the keys of the kingdom, and who raised the ensign for the gathering of the Lord’s people in our dispensation?” (The Millennial Messiah, pp.339 ‑ 340).
The roots represent the stability, support, and the origin of all life that comes from Christ. Even though a branch or the trunk of the tree may be cut down, there is still life and hope arising from the roots. (Miller, “Isaiah A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 110)
The angel Moroni stated that [Isaiah 11:1] was ‘soon to be fulfilled’ when he spoke in 1823. In the next ten years, the rod grew as Joseph Smith was called as a prophet, and was given from the stem (Christ) the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom so that he would be an instrument in the hands of the God to restore the ensign of the nations, and to gather the Lord’s people in the last days. The church is like a branch that grew out of the roots (Christ). Even though a rod may be cut off (martyrdom of Joseph Smith), the church would remain strong and rooted in Christ. There is nothing between the roots and the branch. There is nothing that stands between Christ, and His Church; Between Him and His prophet (Miller, “Isaiah A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 110).
The Spirit of the Lord will give strengths that will bless us, our children, and our grandchildren. Through Christ, His Servants and His church, we are given ‘generational strengths. Isaiah 11 helps us to understand some of these strengths that are possible.
The Spirit of the Lord will give us:
•Wisdom – the application of knowledge (see 1 Cor 1:30, Eph 1:17) (Isaiah 11:2).
•Understanding – discernment, and discrimination; the power to see at the heart of issues (Isaiah 11:2).
•Counsel – the faculty of forming counsels (Isaiah 11:2).
•Might – in this verse, it is a power associated with counsels. There is power in family counsel (Isaiah 11:2).
•Knowledge – of the things of God. In other words, the truths given by God give us true knowledge (see Eph 1:17) (Isaiah 11:2).
•Fear of the Lord – reverential, obedient fear. The first step towards true "knowledge" (Job 28:28, Psalm 111:10) (Isaiah 11:3).
•Quick understanding – literally "quick-scented in the fear of Jehovah." Those with the Spirit of God can quickly sense (or ‘smell’) what leads or entices them towards God (Mor 7:16; 10:5) (Isaiah 11:3).
The Lord will help us:
•Ensign – “In that day (last days) … God will raise an ensign or establish the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Isaiah 11:10).
•Gathering Israel (Isaiah 11:11-12, 16).
•Strength in Righteousness – righteousness will be ‘the girdle’ and is symbolic of ‘readiness for action’ (Isaiah 11:5).
•To act in Faithfulness (Isaiah 11:5).
The Lord will:
•Help us cut out our pride.
•Increase our wisdom, understanding, ability to counsel, power, and knowledge.
•Strengthen us and our families through His Church and His servants.
•Gather Israel on both sides of the veil.
•Enable us to act in faithfulness and righteousness.
First Presidency: “Inspirational music is an essential part of our church meetings. The hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a feeling of reverence, unify us as members, and provide a way for us to offer praises to the Lord.
“Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns. Hymns move us to repentance and good works, build testimony and faith, comfort the weary, console the mourning, and inspire us to endure to the end.” (First Presidency Preface to Hymns)
"Chapter six started with the call of Isaiah as a prophet. In chapter 7, Isaiah warned about the coming war but gave hope to Judah in the knowledge of Christ’s birth. In chapter 8, Isaiah warned Judah’s leaders not to align themselves with foreign powers, but to trust on the LORD of hosts. Chapters 9 and 10 reminded Israel that even though they may reject God, his arms are ‘stretched out still’ waiting for them to return to God. At the end of chapter 10, God himself will save Judah from Assyria, just as God himself will save Israel in the last days from destruction. Chapter 11 focuses on Christ’s triumphant return and His reign on the earth. The phrase ‘in that day’ in chapter 12 (verses 1, 4) refers to the day when Christ will reign personally on the earth. This chapter is a bookend to what Isaiah has been teaching in chapters 6-11 and its purpose is to provide hope to all that God does fulfill all of his promises. All of them. (Miller, “Isaiah A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 110).
Hymns
1.Invite the Spirit of the Lord.
2.Create a feeling of reverence.
3.Unify us as members.
4.Provide a way for us to offer praises to the Lord.
5.Move us to repentance and good works.
6.Build testimony and faith.
7.Comfort the weary.
8.Console the mourning.
9.Inspire us to endure to the end.
10.Influence families toward greater spirituality and devotion to the gospel.
11.Bring families a spirit of beauty and peace and can inspire love and unity among family members.
12.Build faith and testimony in your young ones.
13.Can lift our spirits.
14.Give us courage.
15.Move us to righteous action.
16.Fill our souls with heavenly thoughts and bring us a spirit of peace.
17.Help us withstand the temptations of the adversary.
First Presidency: “We hope to see an increase of hymn singing in our congregations. We encourage all members, whether musically inclined or not, to join with us in singing the hymns. We hope leaders, teachers, and members who are called on to speak will turn often to the hymnbook to find sermons presented powerfully and beautifully in verse.
“We encourage you to memorize your favorite hymns and study the scriptures that relate to them. Then, if unworthy thoughts enter your mind, sing a hymn to yourself, crowding out the evil with the good.
“Brothers and sisters, let us use the hymns to invite the Spirit of the Lord into our congregations, our homes, and our personal lives. Let us memorize and ponder them, recite and sing them, and partake of their spiritual nourishment. Know that the song of the righteous is a prayer unto our Father in Heaven, “and it shall be answered with a blessing upon [your] heads.” (First Presidency Preface to Hymns)
“Songs Sung, and Unsung” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw8N9UGpdNc
Some Book of Mormon Scriptures on the Relevance and Applicability of Isaiah
- 1 Nephi 19:23-24
- 2 Nephi 11:8
- 2 Nephi 25:7–8
- 3 Nephi 20:11–12
- 3 Ne. 23:1
Historical Background (Isaiah 1:1)
King Uzziah (792-740 B.C.)
King Jotham (740-734 B.C.)
King Ahaz (734-728 B.C.)
King Hezekiah (728-697 B.C.)
King Manasseh (697-642 B.C.)
“Oliver Cowdery referred to thirteen passages from Isaiah which the angel Moroni told Joseph Smith were being fulfilled in these latter days: Isaiah 1:7, 23–26; 2:1, 3–4; 4:5–6; 11:14, 16; 13:10, 13; 24:21; 28:21; and 29:11–14” (Cowdery, Messenger and Advocate, February 1835, 79–80; April 1835, 109–112).
Theme 1: In times of spiritual peril, God promises He will help us remain on the covenant path.
"Isaiah compares the sins of a nation to being scarlet (Heb. towla’) in color. In Isaiah’s time, scarlet dye was made from the dried body of the female scarlet worm called “coccus ilicis.”
"When the female of the scarlet worm species was ready to give birth to her young, she would attach her body to the trunk of a tree, fixing herself so firmly and permanently that she would never leave again. The eggs eposited beneath her body were thus protected until the larvae were hatched and able to leave and enter their own life cycle. As the mother died, the crimson fluid stained her body and the surrounding wood. From the dead bodies of such female scarlet worms, the commercial scarlet dyes of antiquity were extracted. (Morris, 73.) (ISAIAH: A PROPHET’S PROPHET, VOLUME 1, p. 24)
Theme 2: In times of spiritual peril, God will teach us of his ways so we can walk on His path.
•Path – “Generally a narrow way or track laid down for walking or made by continual treading.”
•Way – “Any line of passage or travel.”
•Road – “a wide way leading from one place to another, especially one with a specially prepared surface which vehicles can use.”
•Highway – “a main road, especially one connecting major towns or cities.”
•Freeway – “an express highway, especially one with controlled access.”
Lord's Paths
- Lead us to follow the example of Jesus Christ
- Continually treading.
- Take us to new vistas.
- Expand our perspective and help us to see a broader horizon.
- As we walk His paths, they influence us.
- Traversed individually, or with a smaller group.
Way (noun) Dictionary.com
- manner, mode, or fashion.
- characteristic or habitual manner.
- a method, plan, or means for attaining a goal.
- a direction or vicinity.
- passage or progress on a course.
- an old Roman or pre-Roman road.
- any line of passage or travel, used or available.
- space for passing or advancing.
- a habit or custom.
- a course of life, action, or experience.
The Lord's Way:
- The manner, in which we look at life, the way we reply to adversity.
- The characteristic or habitual manner of a disciple.
- The method to attaining a goal of becoming more like Christ.
- A direction that leads us to our Heavenly home.
- The joy of progress on our course.
- Is ancient (pre-Roman).
- Guides us through, and out of the dense woods in life.
- Clears a way for us to pass by selfishness.
- Is a habit or custom.
- Is a course of life, action, or experience.
In the Temple, We Learn the Lord’s Way
- The eternal perspective in which we may look at life, the way we reply to adversity.
- The characteristic or habitual manner of a disciple.
- The method to attaining a goal of becoming more like Christ.
- God’s plan that leads us to our Heavenly home.
- The joy of progress of our eternal course.
- His plan for happiness that the ancients found comfort in.
- Helps and guide us through periods of difficulties in our lives.
- Clears a way for us to pass by selfishness.
- Is a habit or custom.
- Is a course of life, action, or experience.
President Russell M. Nelson: "Each temple is a beacon of light and hope. The temple, the House of the Lord, stands as a symbol of our faith in life after death and as a stepping stone to eternal life for us and our families. The temple is a sacred and essential part of God’s plan for our happiness, now and forever.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/inside-temples)
Theme 3: In times of spiritual peril, God warns us not to add ‘dross’ to our lives.
So if God wants to “purely bpurge away thy dross,” what adds ‘dross’ to our lives?
- 2:12 – pride
- 3:5 – “…oppressed, everyone by his neighbor”
- 3:8 – “…their tongue and their doings”
- 3:9 – “…they declare their sins…”
Theme 4: In times of spiritual peril, God reminds us often that it will work out for the righteous.
Elder David A. Bednar: “… trends of the world frequently promote a false individuality that is nothing more than a superficial and curious outward conformity. True individuality is the product of spirituality and is not a function of trinkets or ornaments attached to or hanging from parts of our body.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2001/09/ye-are-the-temple-of-god?lang=eng
Theme 5: In times of spiritual peril, God gives us lasting bravery to endure our days ‘well.’
True [lasting] Bravery comes from:
- Trust God that “it will be well with” us (Isaiah 3:10)
- Becoming united with a community of saints (Isaiah 3:10; 2:2-3)
- Have an eternal perspective. (Isaiah 3:13)
- Think less of yourself and your trinkets (Isaiah 3:18) and more on Israel (Isaiah 4:2).
President Russel M. Nelson: “With the help of two Hebrew scholars, I learned that one of the Hebraic meanings of the word Israel is “let God prevail.”4 Thus the very name of Israel refers to a person who is willing to let God prevail in his or her life. That concept stirs my soul!” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/46nelson?lang=eng)
President Russel M. Nelson: “When your greatest desire is to let God prevail, to be part of Israel, so many decisions become easier - so many issues become non-issues.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/46nelson?lang=eng)
Winston Churchill: Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities... because it is the quality which guarantees all others. (1931 June 27, Collier's, Unlucky Alfonso, p. 49).
Theme 6: In times of spiritual peril, God wants, and will help Israel to prevail.
"Here is how you could read this verse applying the symbolism to us in our day. “And the Lord [Jesus Christ] will create upon every dwelling place [home] of mount Zion [Church], and upon her assemblies [wards and stakes], a cloud and smoke [the visible presence and protection of God] by day, and the shining of a flaming fire [presence and protection of God] by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence [to each saint in Zion]. And there shall be a tabernacle [temple] for a shadow in the daytime from the heat [a place of comfort], and for a place of refuge, and for a covert [protection] from storm [personal difficulties] and from rain.” (ISAIAH: A PROPHET’S PROPHET, VOLUME 1, p. 61)
Isaiah verses five and six of this chapter were quoted by the Angel Moroni to Joseph Smith. Moroni said that these verses “were soon to be fulfilled.” (Messenger and Advocate, April 1835, p. 110)
Theme 7: In times of spiritual peril, God gives us knowledge to help us prevail.
Joseph Smith: “The … happiness of any community goes hand in hand with the knowledge possessed by the people” (“Knowledge Is Power,” an editorial published in Times and Seasons, Aug. 15, 1842, pp. 889–90).
Isaiah 5 contains warnings to Israel so that they can avoid captivity.
1. Greed is a poison that leads to ignorance (Isaiah 5:8).
“We make poor and irrational decisions if our decision is motivated by greediness: greed for monetary gain; greed that results in a conflict of interest; desire for power, titles, and recognition of men” (Bishop Robert D. Hales, CR, October 1988).
2. A passion for pleasure promotes ignorance (Isaiah 5:11-12)
"When the passion for pleasure has become uppermost in a person’s life, passion for God and his truth and his ways are squeezed out" (Smith, The American New Commentary, Volume 15A Isaiah 40-66, p. 174).
3. Cords of vanity choke knowledge (Isaiah 5:18)
"The truest characters of ignorance are vanity and pride and arrogance." Samuel Butler
4. Sign seeking blinds us to new knowledge (Isaiah 5:19).
The sign-seeker tells God to hustle (‘make speed’) and get His job done (‘hasten his work’) as a prerequisite for their belief (that we may know it) (see Isaiah 5:19).
5. Deception keeps us in ignorance’s prison (Isaiah 5:20).
Deception blinds us to the light that illuminates our understanding and obfuscates the truth from our minds.
Without absolute truth, deception, especially self-deception, along with uncontrolled passion result in the rationalization and justification of almost any act. (see Smith, The American New Commentary, Volume 15A Isaiah 40-66, p. 178).
6. Intellectual wannabees (Isaiah 5:21).
“For decades it has been popular in America for the cynical intellectuals to sneer and scoff at that which they do not understand, or want to understand.” (President David O. McKay said, CR, October 1966).
7. Justification entrenches ignorance (Isaiah 5:22-23).
"A man who cannot admit his mistakes will soon justify his ignorance." Hryhorii Skovoroda
Isaiah promises God’s help in our day in Isaiah 5:25-26.
- “His hand is stretched out still (v. 25).
- Establish an ‘Ensign’ (v. 26) or His Church.
- Feeding His lambs (v. 17).
- ‘…sanctified in righteousness’ (v. 16).
President Gordon B. Hinckley: “When the Brethren stood on the summit, they looked over this valley to the south of them. It was largely barren, except for the willows and rushes that grew along the streams that carried water from the mountains to the lake. There was no building of any kind, but Brigham Young had said the previous Saturday, ‘This is the place.’
“The summit where they stood was named Ensign Peak out of reference to these great prophetic words of Isaiah: ‘And he [speaking of God] will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly’ (Isaiah 5:26.) (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1989/11/an-ensign-to-the-nations?lang=eng
“This Church is the standard which Isaiah said the Lord would set up for the people in the latter day.”(Marion G. Romney C.R. Apr. 1961, p.19)
King Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria (reigned 745-727 BCE): “I flayed as many nobles as had rebelled against me and draped their skins over the pile of corpses; some I spread out within the pile, some I erected on stakes upon the pile...I flayed many right through my land and draped their skins over the walls.”
"With their blood I dyed the mountain red like red wool, and the rest of them the ravines and torrents of the mountain swallowed. I carried off captives and possessions from them. I cut off the heads of their fighters and built with the heads a tower before their city. I burnt their adolescent boys and girls."
The early stages of the war are described in 2 Chronicles 28 and “indicate that God gave Ahaz into the hand of Syria … thereby allowing them to defeat Judah's army in battle and take prisoners (2 Chr 28:5). Israel's army also inflicted heavy casualties on Judah, killing 120,000 troops, the king's son, and the person who was second in command to the king (2 Chr 28:6-8). Nevertheless, the two armies of Syria and Israel were never able to defeat the city of Jerusalem” (Smith, The American New Commentary, Volume 15A Isaiah 40-66, p. 206).
“The upper pool is located today about 700 yards from the Jaffa Gate and is on the highway leading to the fullers' field. It was in a position near water for washing of the cloth previous to drying and bleaching and was probably alongside the aqueduct. These are two interesting images in this verse: fuller “to make white” and the spring. The fuller makes the ordinary cloth white (pure) and the spring provides water essential for life in Jerusalem. In other words, there is a source that can purify us and lead us to life eternal” (Miller, Isaiah: A Prophet’s Prophet).
“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” NIV Bible translation - Isaiah 7:9
When difficult times arise, God encourages:
- To stand firm in the faith or “you will not stand at all.”
- Be careful.
- Keep calm.
- Don’t be afraid.
- Don’t lose heart.
- God is the source of hope and life.
But if you reject God and His word:
- You will lose God’s protection.
- With arrows and with bows shall men come (Isaiah 7:14).
- All the land shall become briers and thorns (Isaiah 7:14).
"Have the moral courage to stand firm in obeying God's will, even if you have to stand alone." Ulisses Soares.
“In 734 B.C. Tiglath-pileser marched through Israel and Philistia to the Egyptian border and cut off any potential aid from the Egyptians. The next year (733 B.C.) Israel lost the Galilee and the Trans-Jordan Area (see 2 Kings 15:29). Damascus falls to Assyria the next year in 732 B.C. and Isaiah’s prophecy will be fulfilled” (Miller, A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 79).
The army of Assyria is compared to “…the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria and all his glory; and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks. And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land” (Isaiah 8:7-8).
This type of punishment was “viewed as the rightful chastisement of a rebellious subject … and was practiced specifically to dissuade opposition to Assyrian rule by setting an example form which other potential rebels should draw the appropriate conclusions” (Healy, The Ancient Assyrians, p. 8).
“Thus, the purpose of this policy was psychological, its principal object being to engender terror so as to convey a sense of powerlessness in the face of Assyrian arms” (Healy, The Ancient Assyrians, p. 9).
“We chose between the soft peaceful waters of Shiloah, and the flood waters of sin. We should not walk the walk of the unfaithful but have hope. Those who are on the Lord’s errand look for opportunities to build faith in Jesus Christ and deepen the conversion of His disciples. Our ministry is to ‘attest to’ or become a witness to the Law of the Gospel. Testimonies of Christ and the gospel lead us to a sanctuary where we can draw closer to God and deepen our relationship with Him.” (Miller, A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 113).
Sanctuary (Heb. miqdâsh) is a consecrated thing or place not necessarily an asylum. A place where God dwells. The ‘he’ in Isaiah 8:14 should be capitalized since it is referring to the Lord. He is consecrated to be a spiritual refuge for the faithful, and he will be a “stone of stumbling” and a “rock of offence” to the rest. (Miller, Isaiah: A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 81-82)
C.S Lewis: “Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to?
The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” ( C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, pp 175-176)
A “gin” denotes the use of a noose or snare. A “snare” is designed for the victim to ensnare himself. Israel will ensnare themselves in their disobedience of the Lord Jesus Christ. By seeking support from Assyria, against the prophet’s direction to the contrary, they were caught in the snare of their own making. (Miller, Isaiah: A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 82)
Using five verbs in this verse [Isaiah 8:15] there develops a "downward" pattern. Isaiah describes the downward results befalling those who reject the Lord. They stumble (they falter in their faith); they fall (they commit sins); they are broken (they suffer consequences for their transgressions); they are snared (they are enticed by Satan's temptations); they are taken (they are captured). This is a promise to both of the divided tribes of Israel, Ephraim and Judah. They stumbled on the teachings of the Lord and His prophets and were offended by the calls to repent. It is the same principle for Israel today: those who choose to ensnare themselves with wickedness will stumble, fall and be broken.” (Miller, Isaiah: A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 82)
"This verse [Isaiah 9:2] surprisingly predicts that the least likely area of Israel, the far northern section that was the most militarily oppressed and most influenced by pagans, will in some way be honored by God when he sends a new "light" in the future” (Smith, The American New Commentary, Volume 15A Isaiah 40-66, p. 238).
“‘Harvest’ and ‘spoil’ express the idea of two different types of joy, and joy in its completeness. Joy in the harvest is a divine gift given by God through nature. Joy in the spoil is a divine gift allowed by winning a contest of some sort. Divine gifts are given fully when the Messiah comes and delivers all from adversity (including sin and death) and gives a fullness of joy” (Miller, Isaiah – A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 87).
Isaiah testifies there is peace in Christ.
- 9:6 Christ is the “Prince of Peace”
- 9:7 …the increase of his … peace there shall be no end.”
- 26:3 “perfect peace”
- 26:12 He will “ordain peace for us”
- 32:17 …the work of righteousness shall be peace…”
- 48:18 The peace of the righteous is compared to a river.
- 48:22 No peace for the wicked. See also 57:21, 59:8
- 52:7 “Publish peace”
- 54:10 “The covenant of my peace”
- 54:13 “…and great shall be the peace of thy children.”
- 55:12 “For ye shall go out with joy and led forth with peace…”
- 57:2 When the righteous die, they “enter into peace…”
How do you reject Christ’s peace? Why would you do that?
- Pride or stoutness heart (9-10).
- Turn not to, nor seek the Lord (13).
- Leadership cause people to err (16).
- Be a hypocrite, an evildoer, and speak folly (17).
- Disunity, civil unrest and strife (20-21).
How can I increase peace in my life today?
- Humility (9-10).
- Turn to, seek the Lord (13).
- Leadership leading others towards God (16).
- Personal righteousness (17).
- Unity (20-21).
- God’s hand is stretched out still… (12, 17, 21).
Two hundred years after its capture, Xenophon's Ten Thousand marched over the mounds that had been Nineveh, and never suspected that these were the site of the ancient metropolis that had ruled half the world. Not a stone remained visible of all the temples with which Assyria's pious warriors had sought to beautify their greatest capital. Even Ashur, the everlasting god, was dead." (Will Durant, Our Oriental Heritage, pgs. 283, 284).
"In Sennacherib's day the wall around Nineveh was 40 to 50 feet high. It extended for 4 kilometers along the Tigris River and for 13 kilometers around the inner city. The city wall had 15 main gates, 5 of which have been excavated. Each of the gates was guarded by stone bull statues. Both inside and outside the walls, Sennacherib created parks, a botanical garden, and a zoo. He built a water-system containing the oldest aqueduct in history at Jerwan, across the Gomel River." (Nelson's Bible Dictionary, pg. 760).
A famous oracle had been given that "Nineveh should never be taken until the river became its enemy." After a three-month siege, "rain fell in such abundance that the waters of the Tigris inundated part of the city and overturned one of its walls for a distance of twenty stades. Then the King, convinced that the oracle was accomplished and despairing of any means of escape, to avoid falling alive into the enemy's hands constructed in his palace an immense funeral pyre, placed on it his gold and silver and his royal robes, and then, shutting himself up with his wives and eunuchs in a chamber formed in the midst of the pile, disappeared in the flames. Nineveh opened its gates to the besiegers, but this tardy submission did not save the proud city. It was pillaged and burned, and then razed to the ground so completely as to evidence the implacable hatred enkindled in the minds of subject nations by the fierce and cruel Assyrian government." (Lenormant and E. Chevallier, The Rise and Fall of Assyria).
Destruction of Assyria and Parallels to 2nd Coming of Christ
- Internal conflicts / civil wars (D&C 45:26, 68; 63:32-33).
- Destruction of the wicked will be relatively rapid.
- War between nations (Isa 10:5-6, Mormon 4:5).
- Wicked will be prideful and have a “stout heart” (Isa 10:12).
- Treasures/riches of wicked taken away (Isa 10:13-14, Rev 18:11-13).
- An "overflowing flood" will bring an end to the wicked (Nah. 1:8, Moses 7:62).
- Inebriated with wickedness, they will "drunken like drunkards" (Nah. 1:10).
- Satan will leave the wicked unprotected, and work to burn thier defenses (Nah. 3:13).
- Unless they turn to Christ, the wicked will never recover, for their "injury has no healing" (Nah. 3:19).
- The downfall of the wicked will come with remarkable ease (Nah. 3:12).
- Wicked burned by fire (Isa 10:16-17, D&C 101:23-24).
Isaiah’s Promise of Hope in Isaiah 10
- Israel will return to and rely on God (Isa 10:20-21).
- God’s people will dwell in Zion (Isa 10:24, D&C 45:66-71).
- A future day of redemption will come for God’s people (Isa 10:25).
- Burdens and oppression will be removed because of ‘the anointing.” (Isa 10:27)
- You might think that there is no hope for you (see Isa 10:28-34) but your delivery is planned (2 Chron 32, 2 Kings 18:13-19:37).
- God’s hand “is stretched out still!” (Isa 10:4).
“Our analysis showed that the longer adolescents are exposed to a parent’s smoking when the parent is addicted to nicotine, the more likely they are to begin smoking and to become regular smokers in the future,” said lead author Darren Mays.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-teen-smoking-parents/the-longer-parents-smoke-the-more-likely-their-kids-will-too-study-idUSKBN0DT1QV20140513#KtpaG8Vk3bcgtfAp.97
The sooner parents stop smoking, the more likely their kids will not smoke.
“Our results suggest that for parents who are addicted smokers (quitting) may also reduce the likelihood that their children will go on to become smokers in the future,” he told Reuters Health.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-teen-smoking-parents/the-longer-parents-smoke-the-more-likely-their-kids-will-too-study-idUSKBN0DT1QV20140513#KtpaG8Vk3bcgtfAp.97
The more a parent reads to their child:
•Improved language abilities.
•Improved literacy.
•A strong predictor of children’s brain development and
•Later academic achievement.
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/141/4/e20172675
The Lord told Joseph Smith that the individual that Isaiah spoke of as the “rod” in verse one “is a servant in the hands of Christ, who is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom there is laid much power” (D&C 113:4). Bruce R. McConkie said, “Are we amiss in saying that the prophet here mentioned is Joseph Smith, to whom the priesthood came, who received the keys of the kingdom, and who raised the ensign for the gathering of the Lord’s people in our dispensation?” (The Millennial Messiah, pp.339 ‑ 340).
The roots represent the stability, support, and the origin of all life that comes from Christ. Even though a branch or the trunk of the tree may be cut down, there is still life and hope arising from the roots. (Miller, “Isaiah A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 110)
The angel Moroni stated that [Isaiah 11:1] was ‘soon to be fulfilled’ when he spoke in 1823. In the next ten years, the rod grew as Joseph Smith was called as a prophet, and was given from the stem (Christ) the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom so that he would be an instrument in the hands of the God to restore the ensign of the nations, and to gather the Lord’s people in the last days. The church is like a branch that grew out of the roots (Christ). Even though a rod may be cut off (martyrdom of Joseph Smith), the church would remain strong and rooted in Christ. There is nothing between the roots and the branch. There is nothing that stands between Christ, and His Church; Between Him and His prophet (Miller, “Isaiah A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 110).
The Spirit of the Lord will give strengths that will bless us, our children, and our grandchildren. Through Christ, His Servants and His church, we are given ‘generational strengths. Isaiah 11 helps us to understand some of these strengths that are possible.
The Spirit of the Lord will give us:
•Wisdom – the application of knowledge (see 1 Cor 1:30, Eph 1:17) (Isaiah 11:2).
•Understanding – discernment, and discrimination; the power to see at the heart of issues (Isaiah 11:2).
•Counsel – the faculty of forming counsels (Isaiah 11:2).
•Might – in this verse, it is a power associated with counsels. There is power in family counsel (Isaiah 11:2).
•Knowledge – of the things of God. In other words, the truths given by God give us true knowledge (see Eph 1:17) (Isaiah 11:2).
•Fear of the Lord – reverential, obedient fear. The first step towards true "knowledge" (Job 28:28, Psalm 111:10) (Isaiah 11:3).
•Quick understanding – literally "quick-scented in the fear of Jehovah." Those with the Spirit of God can quickly sense (or ‘smell’) what leads or entices them towards God (Mor 7:16; 10:5) (Isaiah 11:3).
The Lord will help us:
•Ensign – “In that day (last days) … God will raise an ensign or establish the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Isaiah 11:10).
•Gathering Israel (Isaiah 11:11-12, 16).
•Strength in Righteousness – righteousness will be ‘the girdle’ and is symbolic of ‘readiness for action’ (Isaiah 11:5).
•To act in Faithfulness (Isaiah 11:5).
The Lord will:
•Help us cut out our pride.
•Increase our wisdom, understanding, ability to counsel, power, and knowledge.
•Strengthen us and our families through His Church and His servants.
•Gather Israel on both sides of the veil.
•Enable us to act in faithfulness and righteousness.
First Presidency: “Inspirational music is an essential part of our church meetings. The hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a feeling of reverence, unify us as members, and provide a way for us to offer praises to the Lord.
“Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns. Hymns move us to repentance and good works, build testimony and faith, comfort the weary, console the mourning, and inspire us to endure to the end.” (First Presidency Preface to Hymns)
"Chapter six started with the call of Isaiah as a prophet. In chapter 7, Isaiah warned about the coming war but gave hope to Judah in the knowledge of Christ’s birth. In chapter 8, Isaiah warned Judah’s leaders not to align themselves with foreign powers, but to trust on the LORD of hosts. Chapters 9 and 10 reminded Israel that even though they may reject God, his arms are ‘stretched out still’ waiting for them to return to God. At the end of chapter 10, God himself will save Judah from Assyria, just as God himself will save Israel in the last days from destruction. Chapter 11 focuses on Christ’s triumphant return and His reign on the earth. The phrase ‘in that day’ in chapter 12 (verses 1, 4) refers to the day when Christ will reign personally on the earth. This chapter is a bookend to what Isaiah has been teaching in chapters 6-11 and its purpose is to provide hope to all that God does fulfill all of his promises. All of them. (Miller, “Isaiah A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 110).
Hymns
1.Invite the Spirit of the Lord.
2.Create a feeling of reverence.
3.Unify us as members.
4.Provide a way for us to offer praises to the Lord.
5.Move us to repentance and good works.
6.Build testimony and faith.
7.Comfort the weary.
8.Console the mourning.
9.Inspire us to endure to the end.
10.Influence families toward greater spirituality and devotion to the gospel.
11.Bring families a spirit of beauty and peace and can inspire love and unity among family members.
12.Build faith and testimony in your young ones.
13.Can lift our spirits.
14.Give us courage.
15.Move us to righteous action.
16.Fill our souls with heavenly thoughts and bring us a spirit of peace.
17.Help us withstand the temptations of the adversary.
First Presidency: “We hope to see an increase of hymn singing in our congregations. We encourage all members, whether musically inclined or not, to join with us in singing the hymns. We hope leaders, teachers, and members who are called on to speak will turn often to the hymnbook to find sermons presented powerfully and beautifully in verse.
“We encourage you to memorize your favorite hymns and study the scriptures that relate to them. Then, if unworthy thoughts enter your mind, sing a hymn to yourself, crowding out the evil with the good.
“Brothers and sisters, let us use the hymns to invite the Spirit of the Lord into our congregations, our homes, and our personal lives. Let us memorize and ponder them, recite and sing them, and partake of their spiritual nourishment. Know that the song of the righteous is a prayer unto our Father in Heaven, “and it shall be answered with a blessing upon [your] heads.” (First Presidency Preface to Hymns)
“Songs Sung, and Unsung” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw8N9UGpdNc