Nephi said, “That I might more fully persuade [my brethren] to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah” (1 Nephi 19:23). Isaiah is quoted more extensively in these chapters than in any other part of the Book of Mormon. Isaiah had seen the Savior (see 2 Nephi 11:2), so his was an important witness for Nephi to add to his own (see 2 Nephi 11:3–4). Of all the principles of the gospel taught by Isaiah, the most important is his testimony of Jesus Christ and of the Savior’s role in the plan of salvation (see 2 Nephi 11:5–6).
In 2 Nephi 11, Nephi introduces the thirteen chapters of Isaiah’s writings that follow. Here he explains why he delights in and quotes from Isaiah. He also gives some keys to understanding Isaiah’s writings and adds the important teaching that “all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of [Jesus Christ]” (2 Nephi 11:4; see also Moses 6:63). Chapters 12–24 correspond to Isaiah 2–14 and contain many types and shadows of the Savior. (For more help with understanding Isaiah, see Elder Bruce R. McConkie’s article “Ten Keys to Understanding Isaiah,” Ensign, Oct. 1973, 78–83.)
Wickedness and worldliness bring the punishment of God. The scattering of Israel and the destructions of the Second Coming are examples of this punishment (see 2 Nephi 12:5–14:1; 15:1–25; 18:19–22; 20:1–6; 23:6–22).
During the Millennium the righteous will experience peace, happiness, and rest from Satan’s influences. The Savior will rule as King on David’s throne (see 2 Nephi 14:2–6; 19:6–7; 21:6–9; 22).
God works with His children through prophets. Prophets teach, testify, and prophesy of Jesus Christ (see 2 Nephi 16:1–17:16; see also Amos 3:7; Jacob 7:11).
Lucifer, a son of the morning, was cast out of heaven and became the devil because he wanted to exalt himself to the status of God (see 2 Nephi 24:12–23; see also Revelation 12:7–11).
Additional Resources
Book of Mormon Student Manual: Religion 121 and 122, pp. 31–35.
Suggestions for Teaching
2 Nephi 11:2–8. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is essential to the plan of salvation.
(15–20 minutes)
Bring a paper bag to class. Put something unique or valuable in the bag (such as a rare book, a letter from the First Presidency, a letter from some famous person, an engagement ring, or a valued item from the past). Show the bag but not its contents to the class. Describe the object, and ask how many students believe that you have that object in the bag. Write the number of believers on the board.
Choose a student to look into the bag and describe its contents for the class. Ask how many students believe now, and write the new number on the board (the number of believing students should increase). Invite a second student to look into the bag and describe its contents. Ask how many students believe now, and write that number on the board.
Discuss with the class why it is easier to believe something when there is more than one witness. Have a student read Doctrine and Covenants 6:28 and describe the gospel principle it teaches. Have students list some examples they can think of where the Lord has used two or three witnesses to establish the truth. (These might include the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, missionaries going two-by-two, or the fact that two witnesses are required at baptisms.)
Explain to students that 2 Nephi 11 is Nephi’s introduction to the thirteen chapters of Isaiah’s writings he quotes in 2 Nephi 12–24. Invite students to read 2 Nephi 11:2–7 and underline the phrase “my soul delighteth” each time they see it. Ask: What did Nephi delight in? Have students circle all the references to the Lord (names, titles, and pronouns) they can find in these same verses. Then ask:
How many references to the Lord did you find in these verses?
What plan does Nephi refer to in verse 5? (The plan of salvation.)
According to verses 6–7, what would happen to the plan if Jesus Christ were not part of it?
Read verse 8. Which word in this verse means the same thing as “delighteth”?
If Nephi delights in talking of Christ, and Nephi believes that reading these words will cause us to rejoice or delight, what do you think the Isaiah chapters will focus on? (Jesus Christ.)
Invite students to read the commentary in the “Understanding the Scriptures” section for 2 Nephi 11:4 in the student study guide. Ask: Why would Nephi teach that “all things which have been given of God” are types of Jesus Christ just before quoting thirteen chapters of Isaiah? (One reason might be that Isaiah often speaks of the Savior in symbolic terms.) Help students understand that much of what Isaiah prophesied has more than one fulfillment. Many passages apply both to Isaiah’s day and to the Savior (see 2 Nephi 18:18; 2 Nephi 20 heading). Encourage students as they study these chapters of Isaiah to watch for types of Jesus Christ.
Write the following phrases on pieces of poster board and display the posters in the room. Refer to them periodically as you study 2 Nephi 12–24.
The Scattering of Israel
The Gathering of Israel
The Millennium
Prophecies about Jesus Christ
Show students these four phrases. Explain that Isaiah wrote about many topics and often jumps quickly from one to another. But in 2 Nephi 12–24 he frequently returns to these four major topics. Ask students to watch for how often these topics are taught and what Isaiah says about them.
2 Nephi 12:5–14:1; 15:1–25; 18:19–22; 20:1–6; 23:6–22. Wickedness and worldliness bring the punishment of God. The scattering of Israel and the destructions of the Second Coming are examples of this punishment.
(45–50 minutes)
Drop a ball on the floor in front of the class. Put your fingers in water. Dry your hands and then turn off the classroom lights. Ask:
Why did the ball move toward the floor when I let go of it?
Why did my fingers get wet when I put them in the water?
Why did the lights go out when I flipped the switch?
What do all of these have in common? (They are natural consequences.)
What is a natural consequence? (The natural result of an action.)
Write the following question on the board and discuss it with students: What are the natural consequences of sin? Explain that the prophet Isaiah repeatedly taught about the consequences of sin.
(If you taught the overview of 2 Nephi 12–24, refer to the poster you made with the phrase “The Scattering of Israel,” and explain that you will now spend some time studying that topic.)
Write on the board the headings Sins of the People and Consequences of Sin. Divide the class into two groups. Have the first group study the following scriptures and look for specific sins the people committed: 2 Nephi 12:5–9; 13:5, 8–9, 15–16; 15:11–12, 20–23; 18:19, 21; 19:13, 15–17; 20:1–2. As they find the different sins, list them on the board under Sins of the People.
Invite a student to stand and read the allegory found in 2 Nephi 15:1–7. Ask students:
What should have been the natural consequence of finding fertile ground, fencing it for protection, gathering out the stones, and planting? (It should have produced good crops.)
What grew instead?
How do the wild grapes relate to the sins listed on the board?
What consequence did the Lord promise would come because of the “wild grapes”?
What ordinances do temples offer that are necessary for salvation?
Write the following questions on the board:
What symbolic meanings are associated with mountains?
When was 2 Nephi 12:2 fulfilled, or when will it be fulfilled?
Invite a student to read the commentary for 2 Nephi 12:1–4 in Book of Mormon Student Manual: Religion 121 and 122 (p. 31), and have the class listen for answers to the questions on the board. Share also this statement by Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “All of the temples now built or that may be built in the high mountains of America also do or will fulfill this prophetic word” (The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man [1982], 276).
Invite students to read 2 Nephi 15:26, and ask them what the word ensign means. (An ensign is a flag or standard used to identify or gather a group of people.) Have students read 2 Nephi 29:1–2 and look for what we have in the Church that serves as a vital part of the latter-day ensign. Ask:
Where can we find the words of Lehi’s and Nephi’s descendants?
How is the Book of Mormon a good gathering tool?
Share with students the following statement by President Ezra Taft Benson:
“A missionary who is inspired by the Spirit of the Lord must be led by that Spirit to choose the proper approach to be effective. We must not forget that the Lord Himself provided the Book of Mormon as His chief witness. The Book of Mormon is still our most powerful missionary tool. Let us use it” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], 204).
(If you taught the overview of 2 Nephi 12–24, refer to the poster you made with the phrase “The Gathering of Israel” and explain that you will now spend some time studying that topic.)
Read 2 Nephi 15:27–30 and ask: How will people be gathered as a result of the Book of Mormon? To help answer this question, share with students the commentary for 2 Nephi 15:26–30 in Book of Mormon Student Manual: Religion 121 and 122 (p. 32).
Invite students to read 2 Nephi 20 chapter heading and verses 20–22, and ask:
How many people will be left after the destruction at the Second Coming?
What word in verses 21–22 can mean “gather”?
Who will be gathered?
Have students read 2 Nephi 21:10–16, and ask: Who is the “root of Jesse” in verse 10? (see D&C 113:5–6). Elder 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? … Those whose ears are attuned to the whisperings of the Infinite will know the meaning of these things” (The Millennial Messiah, 339–40).
Ask:
In verse 10, who will “seek” for the “ensign” that is to be raised?
What words in verses 11–12 could mean “gather”? (“Recover,” “assemble.”)
From what parts of the world will the Lord gather Israel?
Who will be able to stand against Israel in that day?
Write the accompanying chart on the board. Have students read the scripture and fill in the blanks with the letters of the phrases that complete the statements.
Would you rather be a part of Israel when it is scattered or when it is gathered? Why?
What are ways you can be a part of the gathering effort of the Lord in the last days?
Encourage students to be determined to stand for what is right in these last days. Share the following statement by Elder Neal A. Maxwell, then a member of the Presidency of the Seventy:
“President Brigham Young noted … that as the Church extended and expanded into the nations of the world … , so in like manner and simultaneously would the power of the adversary rise. …
“In such dramatic circumstances you will need those virtues which President George Q. Cannon ascribed to those of the latter days: courage, determination, and ‘obedience to God under all circumstances.’ (Journal of Discourses 11:230.) …
“… All the easy things the Church has had to do have been done. From now on it is high adventure!” (Wherefore, Ye Must Press Forward [1977], 81–84).
2 Nephi 12:16. The Book of Mormon adds to our understanding of Isaiah.
(10–15 minutes)
Bring a simple jigsaw puzzle to class, or make one by cutting up a picture. Remove some of the pieces. Ask for a few volunteers, and invite them to work together to assemble the remaining pieces. When they have done all they can, ask:
Why weren’t you able to complete the puzzle?
What would it take to have the “whole picture”?
Choose a student to read 2 Nephi 12:16. Invite half the class to follow along in their copies of the Book of Mormon and the other half to follow along in Isaiah 2:16. Ask the second half what was different between the two accounts. Display the first two columns of the accompanying chart on an overhead projector or write them on the board.
Explain that the Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Old Testament that was made in the third and second centuries B.C. (see Bible Dictionary, “Septuagint,” p. 771). Tell students it is a good translation but is sometimes different from our King James Version. Display the last column of the chart, and ask:
What part of Isaiah 2:16 is missing from the Septuagint?
What part of the scripture is missing from the King James Version of the Bible?
Which is the only book with both phrases?
What does this illustrate about the Book of Mormon?
Note: The Book of Mormon does not restore all the discrepancies in the King James Version or the Septuagint.
Share the following statement by Elder Hartman Rector Jr., then a member of the Seventy:
“The nicest gift that you can give to nonmember friends or acquaintances is to share the gospel with them. This is probably most easily done by having a copy of the Book of Mormon delivered to them by the missionaries. Why the Book of Mormon? Because it is, in the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith, ‘the most correct … book on earth’ (History of the Church, 4:461). Why is the Book of Mormon so great? Probably because the ‘plain and precious’ truths that were lost or taken from the Bible were put back or restored in the Book of Mormon (see 1 Nephi 13:40). In my opinion, a man can learn more about Jesus Christ by reading the Book of Mormon than any other book” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1990, 99; or Ensign, Nov. 1990, 77).
Bear your testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.
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2 Nephi 14:2–6; 19:6–7; 21:6–9; 22. During the Millennium the righteous will experience peace, happiness, and rest from Satan’s influences. The Savior will govern as King of Kings on David’s throne.
(20–25 minutes)
Write the following words on separate pieces of paper or poster board: door locks, prisons, hospitals, morticians, cemeteries, Satan, security systems, a strong military, national elections, poverty, pornography. Choose several students to hold up the posters. Invite the class to play “Twenty Questions.” In this game, students can ask up to twenty yes-or-no questions to help them guess what the words have in common (they are all things we may not have during the Millennium). When they discover the answer, ask: How would you like to live in such a society?
(If you taught the overview of 2 Nephi 12–24, refer to the poster you made with the phrase “The Millennium” and explain that you will now spend some time studying that topic.)
Invite students to read 2 Nephi 14:2–6 looking for the conditions that will exist during the Millennium. Ask:
How does Isaiah describe the fruits of the earth in that day? (see v. 2).
What word in verse 3 describes the condition of the people? (“Holy.”)
How many will be “holy” or righteous? (“Every one.”)
In verse 4, what does having our filth washed away symbolize? (Being spiritually cleansed.)
What changes will occur in animals during the Millennium?
Why will the lamb be able to dwell safely with the wolf?
How might this affect man’s relationship with animals?
According to verse 9, what is the source of this change?
Have students read the chapter heading for 2 Nephi 22 and identify what time period Isaiah prophesied about in this chapter. Have students silently read verses 1–6 and underline all the verbs. Ask them how studying the verbs helps us better understand this chapter. Ask: How do you think people will feel about living in the Millennium? Discuss their answers.
2 Nephi 16:1–13; 17:1–9. God works with His children through prophets. Prophets teach, testify, and prophesy of Jesus Christ.
Show the class a tree or other plant with a single trunk or stem. Draw the accompanying diagram on the board, leaving off the words in parentheses. Ask students to read the verses and identify those parts of the plant.
Ask:
How do the roots of a tree help the branches?
If the roots are symbolic of Jesus Christ, and the branches represent us, what might the trunk or main stem represent? (The prophet; see Amos 3:7.)
What is the source of the prophet’s revelation?
How is that like a tree receiving nourishment from the roots?
In what ways does the prophet transmit knowledge from the Lord to you?
How has your life been blessed as a result of being nourished by a prophet?
Explain that several prophets have expressed how inadequate they felt when they received their calls. President Spencer W. Kimball described the telephone call in which President J. Reuben Clark Jr. of the First Presidency informed him that he had been called to the Quorum of the Twelve:
“‘Oh, Brother Clark! Not me? You don’t mean me? There must be some mistake. I surely couldn’t have heard you right.’ This as I sank past the chair to the floor. …
“‘Oh, Brother Clark! It seems so impossible. I am so weak and small and limited and incapable.’” (Edward L. Kimball and Andrew E. Kimball Jr., Spencer W. Kimball: Twelfth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [1977], 189).
Elder Ezra Taft Benson described a similar scene when he was informed by President Heber J. Grant of his call to the Twelve:
“The announcement seemed unbelievable and overwhelming. … For several minutes [I] could say only, ‘Oh, President Grant, that can’t be!’ which I must have repeated several times before I was able to collect my [thoughts] enough to realize what had happened. …
“I felt so utterly weak and unworthy” (Sheri L. Dew, Ezra Taft Benson: A Biography [1987], 174).
Invite students to read Moses 6:31 to learn how Enoch felt when he was called to be a prophet. Explain that 2 Nephi 16 describes another prophet who felt unworthy to serve.
Ask students to list some prophets who have seen the Lord (these might include Moses, Lehi, Nephi, and Joseph Smith). Read 2 Nephi 16:1–10 and ask:
Read 2 Nephi 17:1–2 and have a student summarize what happened. Draw the accompanying map on the board and ask students to use their Bible maps to identify the cities where the following kings ruled:
Ahaz, king of Judah (in the capital city of Jerusalem)
Rezin, king of Syria (in the capital city of Damascus)
Pekah, king of Israel, which was also called Ephraim or Samaria (in the capital city of Samaria)
Label the map on the board as they find the answers.
Write Jesus Christ on the board. Ask students to guess the number of times this name appears in the Old Testament. After some guessing, explain that it doesn’t appear at all in the Old Testament as we have it. Ask: Do you think that Jesus Christ is ever talked about in the Old Testament? Read 1 Nephi 19:23 and find why Nephi quoted Isaiah.
(If you taught the overview of 2 Nephi 12–24, refer to the poster you made with the phrase “Prophecies about Jesus Christ” and explain that you will now spend some time studying that topic.)
Give students copies of the following chart without the information in the second column. Have students read 2 Nephi 17:14–15 and fill in the chart with Isaiah’s prophecies about Jesus Christ. (Note: This chart is separated into three sections for convenience while teaching. Combine it into a single chart for the handout.)
Review the information in the last paragraph of the teaching suggestion for 2 Nephi 11:2–8, and remind students about types of Jesus Christ in Isaiah’s writings. Then read 2 Nephi 18:6–8 looking for how Isaiah referred symbolically to the Savior. To guide students in discovering types of the Savior in these verses, ask the following questions:
Read John 7:37–38. How does Jesus refer to Himself in these verses? (As a source of water.)
What word is used to describe the waters in 2 Nephi 18:6? (“Softly.”)
What word is used to describe the waters in verse 7? (“Strong.”)
How did the people react to the water when it ran “softly”?
Why did the Lord send the “strong” waters?
How far do the “strong” waters eventually reach?
How can Jesus be described as both “soft” and “strong”? (One answer is that He came “softly” during His mortal ministry but will come “strongly” at His Second Coming. To reinforce this point, read the words to “Jesus, Once of Humble Birth” [Hymns, no. 196].)
Invite students to add these prophecies to their chart and to continue working through the references up to 2 Nephi 19:5.
At the Second Coming the wicked will be destroyed by fire (see D&C 133:41 to learn about the source of the fire that will destroy the wicked).
If possible, bring to class a recording of Handel’s Messiah. Invite students to read along in 2 Nephi 19:6 as you play “For unto Us a Child Is Born.” Have them add to the chart what they learned about the Savior from this verse, and then have them continue to the end of the chart.
2 Nephi 24:12–23. Lucifer, a son of the morning, was cast out of heaven and became the devil because he wanted to exalt himself to the status of God.
(10–15 minutes)
Show students a university diploma, or draw one on the board (see p. 60). Ask: What is required to receive a diploma? (Answers might include study, perseverance, desire, work, time.) Invite the class to imagine a first-year university student going to the president of the university and demanding a diploma. Ask:
What would you do if you were the president? What would you tell this student?
How would you feel if the student threatened to take over your job if you didn’t provide the diploma?
Read 2 Nephi 24:12–15 and look for who tried to obtain something great without doing the work for it. Ask:
What was Satan’s name in the premortal life?
What was his title? (Son of the morning.)
What pronoun precedes each clause in verses 13–14?
What does that suggest about Satan’s problem?
Write on the board What Satan Wanted (2 Nephi 24:13–14) and What Satan Received (2 Nephi 24:12, 15, 19). Ask students to read verses 13–14 and list the words that describe what he wanted. Then have them read verses 12, 15, and 19 and list the words that describe what he received.
Read Matthew 23:1–12. How does the Savior’s counsel in Matthew relate to these verses in Isaiah?
Read Mark 8:35. What does this verse say we must do to be saved?
How do we “lose” our life? (President Marion G. Romney, who was a member of the First Presidency, said, “We lose our life by serving and lifting others” [in Conference Report, Oct. 1982, 135; or Ensign, Nov. 1982, 93].)
What can you do now to implement these teachings of the Savior in your life?