Below are the quotes that were used in the video.
Some Book of Mormon Scriptures on the Relevance and Applicability of Isaiah
The longer parents smoke, the more likely their kids will, too.
“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
3 ‘D’s of Babylon
1.“For all nations … and the kings of the earth … and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies” (Revelation 18:3).
2.“And the kings of the earth … lived deliciously with her …” (Revelation 18:9).
3.“… and all things which were dainty and goodly …” (Revelation 18:14).
Babylon
•World class literature.
•World famous building and architecture.
•World renowned mathematicians and academics.
•Destination for world travelers.
•Abundance of delicacies.
•Lived deliciously.
•Things were dainty.
“The burden of Babylon (Isaiah 13:1) refers to the weighty or mournful prophecies that Isaiah had seen. The rise and destruction of Babylon are identified as a type for the destruction of the wicked on the earth at the second coming of Jesus Christ. Babylon represents all governments and their citizenries which oppose or fight against the kingdom of God. The finery and glitter of Babylon are fundamental elements of Satan’s great blueprint of his evil designs and practices” (Miller, Isaiah, A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 120).
In scripture, Babylon:
•Merchandise included “slaves and the souls of men” (Rev 18:13).
•Made rich at the expense of others (see Rev. 18:15).
•Focused on carnality, sensuality.
•Marketed and sold sex.
•Known as center of iniquity and worldliness.
•In opposition to righteousness.
Events leading to the Fall of Babylon:
•Unpopular king.
•Inhabitants focused on themselves.
•Defenses looks good on paper…
•Internally divided.
Isaiah foretold the Destruction of Babylon:
•Banner raised to gather the righteous to flee Babylon (13:2).
•Lord of Hosts mustereth (gather) ‘the hosts of the battle’ (13:4).
•Wicked will be “afraid” and have “pains and sorrows” (13:8).
•“Stars of heaven … not give their light” (13:10).
•“Sun shall be darkened” (13:10).
•“I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease.” (13:11).
•No protection, no escape for wicked (13:14-16).
Both the Babylonian Chronicles and the Cyrus Cylinder describe Babylon being taken "without battle", whereas the Greek historians Herodotus and Xenophon report that the city was besieged. The Book of Daniel implies that Babylon was taken in one night and that Belshazzar was killed.
Destruction of Babylon and Parallels to 2nd Coming of Christ
•Before 2nd coming, ensign raised to gather the righteous to flee Babylon (13:2).
•Lord of Hosts himself will gather ‘the hosts of the battle’ (13:4).
•Wicked will be “afraid” and have “pains and sorrows” (13:8).
•“Stars of heaven … not give their light” (13:10).
•“Sun shall be darkened” (13:10).
•God “will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease.” (13:11).
•No protection, no escape for wicked (13:14-16).
•Wicked will be in a state of wars, internal conflicts, civil wars (D&C 45:26, 68; 63:32-33).
•Destruction of the wicked will be very quick.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie:
1.As the Jews were carried as captives into Babylon, so the Church and kingdom set up by the Lord Jesus was overcome by the world.
2.As false prophets arose in Israel to cry peace and safety and to announce, falsely, that the Jews "could soon be free from Babylonian bondage, so false ministers in an apostate Christendom profess to make salvation available to men on terms and conditions of their own.
3.As the Jews came out of Babylon, freed from captivity, so the call goes forth today to flee from Babylon and the chains of worldliness and to come into that liberty wherewith Christ hath made men free.
4.As Babylon "was destroyed with violence, never to rise again, so shall it soon be with spiritual Babylon; she too shall be swept from the earth, and hell will be filled with her municipals. (The Millennial Messiah, p.424-429)
Alexander the Great
•Made Babylon his capital before he died in Babylon in 323 B.C.
•Went through a gradual degradation until 20 B.C.
•Major reason - New Capital founded - SELEUCIA, the new Greek
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "Since all who are living at least a terrestrial law--the law of honesty, uprightness, and integrity--will be able to abide the day of our Lord's coming, there will be non-members of the Church on earth during the millennium. (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, pp. 86-87; vol. 3. pp. 63-64.) Honest and upright people who have been deceived by the false religions and false philosophies of the world will not have their free agency abridged. They will continue to believe their false doctrines until they voluntarily elect to receive the gospel light. Speaking of the millennial period, Micah said, `All people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.' (Micah 4:5) (Mormon Doctrine, p. 498)
Satan
•Satan = “to accuse or attack,” “to slander” (see Rev 12:10).
•Lucifer = (Heb. heylel) - "light bearer“ or “shining one.”
•Was called “Perdition” - “Loss or destruction” (see D&C 76:26).
•A “son of the morning” (Isaiah 14:12, D&C 76:27).
•In spirit world he is “weak as” other spirits (14:10).
•“thou art fallen from heaven.” (Isaiah 14:10). (CR Rev 12:7-9, D&C 76:26-29).
•Has “I” problems - focused on himself (Isaiah 14:13-14).
•When arriving in Sheol, he is not noticed in the “Sides of the pit” (Isaiah 14:15).
•Compare to a diseased and broken (abominable) branch (Isiah 14:19).
•Will never have a body and never have a burial place (Isaiah 14:20).
Sheol
1.The dead are alive.
2.Sheol is the place where all of the dead live.
3.In Sheol there is personal continuity of personal recognition.
4.Sheol is a place of weakness with loss, not enhancement of earthly powers.
5.The dead wait in Sheol for a fullness, or future enhancement (see Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, p. 143-144).
People
1.The saints (trees) may think that the power of their destruction is in the feller (woodchopper or Satan) (14:8).
2.“Consider” or discern who Satan really is and will marvel “Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake the kingdoms…? (14:16).
3.Understand that Satan has little power (14:17).
4.See his worth as a carcass or a diseased and broken branch (14:19).
President Ezra Taft Benson said, “The Book of Mormon is the instrument that God designed to “sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out [His] elect (Moses 7:62)” (CR, October 1988, p.3).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “Few men on earth, either in or out of the Church, have caught the vision of what the Book of Mormon is all about. Few are they among men who know the part it has played and will yet play in preparing the way for the coming of Him of whom it is a new witness . . . The Book of Mormon shall so affect men that the whole earth and all its peoples will have been influenced and governed by it . . . There is no greater issue ever to confront mankind in modem times than this: Is the Book of Mormon the mind and will and voice of God to all men? We testify that it is.” (The Millennial Messiah, pp. 159, 170, 17)
“The Assyrians in 701 B.C. under Sennacherib‘s leadership faced a revolt of Judah after Ahaz’s death, when Hezekiah, supported by Egypt, refused to pay tribute to Assyria. He invaded Palestine and destroyed a number of cities, but at Jerusalem the Lord did “tred him under foot.” The Lord caused that 185,000 of the Assyrian army died in one night and the king returned home, only to be killed by his sons (see 2 Kings 19:32-37)” (Miller, Isaiah, A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 142).
God
1.“Sweep [the earth] with the besom of destruction” (14:23)
2.Will “break the Assyrian in my land” (14:24).
3.Has a “… purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all nations” (14:26).
- 1 Nephi 19:23-24 - Persuade to believe in Christ, hope.
- 2 Nephi 11:8 - Lift up your hearts, rejoice, liken.
- 2 Nephi 25:7–8 - Great worth, understand, for our day.
- 3 Nephi 20:11–12 Words fulfilled then covenant fulfilled.
- 3 Ne. 23:1 - Search diligently, great are the words of Isaiah
The longer parents smoke, the more likely their kids will, too.
“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
3 ‘D’s of Babylon
1.“For all nations … and the kings of the earth … and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies” (Revelation 18:3).
2.“And the kings of the earth … lived deliciously with her …” (Revelation 18:9).
3.“… and all things which were dainty and goodly …” (Revelation 18:14).
Babylon
•World class literature.
•World famous building and architecture.
•World renowned mathematicians and academics.
•Destination for world travelers.
•Abundance of delicacies.
•Lived deliciously.
•Things were dainty.
“The burden of Babylon (Isaiah 13:1) refers to the weighty or mournful prophecies that Isaiah had seen. The rise and destruction of Babylon are identified as a type for the destruction of the wicked on the earth at the second coming of Jesus Christ. Babylon represents all governments and their citizenries which oppose or fight against the kingdom of God. The finery and glitter of Babylon are fundamental elements of Satan’s great blueprint of his evil designs and practices” (Miller, Isaiah, A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 120).
In scripture, Babylon:
•Merchandise included “slaves and the souls of men” (Rev 18:13).
•Made rich at the expense of others (see Rev. 18:15).
•Focused on carnality, sensuality.
•Marketed and sold sex.
•Known as center of iniquity and worldliness.
•In opposition to righteousness.
Events leading to the Fall of Babylon:
•Unpopular king.
•Inhabitants focused on themselves.
•Defenses looks good on paper…
•Internally divided.
Isaiah foretold the Destruction of Babylon:
•Banner raised to gather the righteous to flee Babylon (13:2).
•Lord of Hosts mustereth (gather) ‘the hosts of the battle’ (13:4).
•Wicked will be “afraid” and have “pains and sorrows” (13:8).
•“Stars of heaven … not give their light” (13:10).
•“Sun shall be darkened” (13:10).
•“I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease.” (13:11).
•No protection, no escape for wicked (13:14-16).
Both the Babylonian Chronicles and the Cyrus Cylinder describe Babylon being taken "without battle", whereas the Greek historians Herodotus and Xenophon report that the city was besieged. The Book of Daniel implies that Babylon was taken in one night and that Belshazzar was killed.
Destruction of Babylon and Parallels to 2nd Coming of Christ
•Before 2nd coming, ensign raised to gather the righteous to flee Babylon (13:2).
•Lord of Hosts himself will gather ‘the hosts of the battle’ (13:4).
•Wicked will be “afraid” and have “pains and sorrows” (13:8).
•“Stars of heaven … not give their light” (13:10).
•“Sun shall be darkened” (13:10).
•God “will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease.” (13:11).
•No protection, no escape for wicked (13:14-16).
•Wicked will be in a state of wars, internal conflicts, civil wars (D&C 45:26, 68; 63:32-33).
•Destruction of the wicked will be very quick.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie:
1.As the Jews were carried as captives into Babylon, so the Church and kingdom set up by the Lord Jesus was overcome by the world.
2.As false prophets arose in Israel to cry peace and safety and to announce, falsely, that the Jews "could soon be free from Babylonian bondage, so false ministers in an apostate Christendom profess to make salvation available to men on terms and conditions of their own.
3.As the Jews came out of Babylon, freed from captivity, so the call goes forth today to flee from Babylon and the chains of worldliness and to come into that liberty wherewith Christ hath made men free.
4.As Babylon "was destroyed with violence, never to rise again, so shall it soon be with spiritual Babylon; she too shall be swept from the earth, and hell will be filled with her municipals. (The Millennial Messiah, p.424-429)
Alexander the Great
•Made Babylon his capital before he died in Babylon in 323 B.C.
•Went through a gradual degradation until 20 B.C.
•Major reason - New Capital founded - SELEUCIA, the new Greek
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "Since all who are living at least a terrestrial law--the law of honesty, uprightness, and integrity--will be able to abide the day of our Lord's coming, there will be non-members of the Church on earth during the millennium. (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, pp. 86-87; vol. 3. pp. 63-64.) Honest and upright people who have been deceived by the false religions and false philosophies of the world will not have their free agency abridged. They will continue to believe their false doctrines until they voluntarily elect to receive the gospel light. Speaking of the millennial period, Micah said, `All people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.' (Micah 4:5) (Mormon Doctrine, p. 498)
Satan
•Satan = “to accuse or attack,” “to slander” (see Rev 12:10).
•Lucifer = (Heb. heylel) - "light bearer“ or “shining one.”
•Was called “Perdition” - “Loss or destruction” (see D&C 76:26).
•A “son of the morning” (Isaiah 14:12, D&C 76:27).
•In spirit world he is “weak as” other spirits (14:10).
•“thou art fallen from heaven.” (Isaiah 14:10). (CR Rev 12:7-9, D&C 76:26-29).
•Has “I” problems - focused on himself (Isaiah 14:13-14).
•When arriving in Sheol, he is not noticed in the “Sides of the pit” (Isaiah 14:15).
•Compare to a diseased and broken (abominable) branch (Isiah 14:19).
•Will never have a body and never have a burial place (Isaiah 14:20).
Sheol
1.The dead are alive.
2.Sheol is the place where all of the dead live.
3.In Sheol there is personal continuity of personal recognition.
4.Sheol is a place of weakness with loss, not enhancement of earthly powers.
5.The dead wait in Sheol for a fullness, or future enhancement (see Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, p. 143-144).
People
1.The saints (trees) may think that the power of their destruction is in the feller (woodchopper or Satan) (14:8).
2.“Consider” or discern who Satan really is and will marvel “Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake the kingdoms…? (14:16).
3.Understand that Satan has little power (14:17).
4.See his worth as a carcass or a diseased and broken branch (14:19).
President Ezra Taft Benson said, “The Book of Mormon is the instrument that God designed to “sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out [His] elect (Moses 7:62)” (CR, October 1988, p.3).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “Few men on earth, either in or out of the Church, have caught the vision of what the Book of Mormon is all about. Few are they among men who know the part it has played and will yet play in preparing the way for the coming of Him of whom it is a new witness . . . The Book of Mormon shall so affect men that the whole earth and all its peoples will have been influenced and governed by it . . . There is no greater issue ever to confront mankind in modem times than this: Is the Book of Mormon the mind and will and voice of God to all men? We testify that it is.” (The Millennial Messiah, pp. 159, 170, 17)
“The Assyrians in 701 B.C. under Sennacherib‘s leadership faced a revolt of Judah after Ahaz’s death, when Hezekiah, supported by Egypt, refused to pay tribute to Assyria. He invaded Palestine and destroyed a number of cities, but at Jerusalem the Lord did “tred him under foot.” The Lord caused that 185,000 of the Assyrian army died in one night and the king returned home, only to be killed by his sons (see 2 Kings 19:32-37)” (Miller, Isaiah, A Prophet’s Prophet, p. 142).
God
1.“Sweep [the earth] with the besom of destruction” (14:23)
2.Will “break the Assyrian in my land” (14:24).
3.Has a “… purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all nations” (14:26).