Isaiah 1–12: Lesson 115

Isaiah 5

“Woe unto Them Who Call Evil Good, and Good Evil”

Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord warned Israel against their sinful choices, including calling “evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). Today, there are many destructive ideas and practices that appear to be good. This lesson can increase students’ ability to discern between good and evil.

Student preparation: Invite students to come to class prepared to share an example of something that was assumed to be harmless, or even good, that eventually was shown to be harmful.

Possible Learning Activities

Spiritually dangerous ideas and actions

Consider beginning class by displaying a picture of a camouflaged cheetah, like the one at the start of this lesson. Then, you could ask the following question and display the statement by Elder David A. Bednar.

• What makes a cheetah dangerous to its prey?

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles compared cheetahs to dangerous ideas and actions.

To me, cheetahs are sleek, alluring, and captivating creatures. A cheetah’s yellowish-tan to greyish-white coat with black spots acts as a beautiful disguise that makes these animals almost invisible as they stalk their prey in the African grasslands.

In a similar way, spiritually dangerous ideas and actions frequently can appear to be attractive, desirable, or pleasurable. Thus, in our contemporary world, each of us needs to be aware of beguiling bad that pretends to be good. (“Watchful unto Prayer Continually,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 33)

• What are some examples of “spiritually dangerous ideas and actions” that “can appear to be attractive, desirable, or pleasurable”?

  It will be helpful to write students’ responses on the board. Students might say things such as, “It’s my body. I can do what I want with it” or “It’s fine as long as you don’t get caught.” You will refer to these ideas on the board later in the lesson.

• Why is it important for you to recognize beguiling bad pretending to be good?

The following explanation and invitation can help students begin to see how what they will study in this lesson is important in their lives.

It can be hard to recognize these deceptive ideas and actions, particularly when we may be influenced by them. Each of us thinks or acts in ways that are not fully aligned with the teachings of Jesus Christ (see Romans 3:23). Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will help us recognize this in ourselves as we seek Their help through the Holy Ghost. As you study today, pay close attention to how the Holy Ghost may be helping you discern truth from error.

Camouflaged deceptions

Summarize the following paragraph to introduce students to the overall message of Isaiah 5.

In Isaiah 5, the Lord taught the Israelites about His love for them and the consequences of their sinful choices through the analogy of a vineyard. Even though the Lord tried to help them grow, the Israelites’ sinful choices led them to become “wild grapes” (see Isaiah 5:2), a symbol for their corruption and bitter character. Because they chose to “cast away” and despise the Lord and His teachings (see Isaiah 5:24), they would be left without the Lord’s help.

You could invite students to glance through Isaiah 5:8–23 and count the number of times the Lord used the word “woe” (six times). Explain that “woe” means intense sorrow or suffering. The Lord tried to teach the Israelites that their sinful choices were turning them away from Him and leading to sorrow and suffering.

While there are many truths this lesson could focus on, the rest of this lesson will focus on the doctrinal mastery passage Isaiah 5:20.

Isaiah 5:20 is a doctrinal mastery passage. Consider inviting students to consider marking doctrinal mastery passages in a distinctive way, so they can locate them easily.

Read Isaiah 5:20, looking for what brings woe, or sadness and suffering.

• What did you find?

Help students identify a truth, such as If we call evil good and good evil, we will eventually experience sorrow and suffering. You might invite students to consider marking the three pairs in the verse, evil and good, darkness and light, and bitter and sweet. Explain that Isaiah often provided multiple examples to help bring greater clarity to his teachings.

• How is it that calling evil good and good evil eventually leads to sorrow and suffering?

Acknowledging the difficulty in identifying these deceptions can help students feel understood, recognize obstacles, and see their need for God.

Refer to the list of “spiritually dangerous ideas and actions” on the board, and ask the following question.

• What can make it difficult to identify these spiritually dangerous ideas and actions?

Think if there are any spiritually dangerous ideas or actions you might see as attractive, desirable, or pleasurable.

Jesus Christ is the truth

After identifying difficulties, help students see Jesus Christ as the solution.

Read John 14:6, looking for what Jesus said about who He is.

• What do you think Jesus means when He says that He is the truth?

• What have Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ given to help us recognize the deceptive ideas and actions we listed earlier?

Although this is not a comprehensive list, students might share some things like the following:

• The Spirit (see Doctrine and Covenants 11:12–13)

• The Light of Christ (see Moroni 7:16–19)

• Prophets (see Doctrine and Covenants 21:1, 4–6)

• Scriptures (see 2 Timothy 3:15–17)

If you perceive a need in your students, you might read and discuss some of the scriptures provided.

The next activity gives students an opportunity to study the Savior’s teachings to help them recognize His truth. Refer students to the list of spiritually dangerous ideas and actions on the board. Display the following instructions.

To help us discern truth from error, we can turn to the teachings of Jesus Christ and His prophets. One place we can “find the teachings of Jesus Christ and His prophets” is in For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices (“Make Inspired Choices,” For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices [2022]).

Pick one idea or action that is evil pretending to be good or good being portrayed as or labeled evil. Study the For the Strength of Youth guide, looking for the teachings of Jesus Christ and His prophets that can help you choose to follow Jesus Christ instead of the devil’s deceptive messages. Write how the Savior’s teachings correct the false ideas.

Invite students to share what they have found. To do so, a student could choose an idea or action from the board. Ask the class to explain how something they learned shows that idea or action as spiritually destructive. For example, if a student chose “It’s fine as long as you don’t get caught,” students might share something they learned in the section “Truth will make you free” in the For the Strength of Youth guide, such as the paragraphs that begin “Living with integrity means that you love truth will all your heart” or “Love the truth.”

Reflecting on learning

Give students an opportunity to reflect on what they have learned by displaying a question such as the following.

Write an answer to the following question in your study journal:

• What have you learned today that can help you recognize the truth and better follow Jesus Christ?

You could invite students to share their feelings and testimony by sharing what they wrote. Consider testifying of Jesus Christ and His title as the Truth.

Memorize

You may want to help students memorize the doctrinal mastery passage and key scripture phrase during this lesson and review them in future lessons. The key scripture phrase for Isaiah 5:20 is “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil.” Ideas for memorization activities are in the appendix materials under “Doctrinal Mastery Review Activities.”

Additional Resources

What can help me discern good from evil?

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency stated:

When we begin by measuring modern practices and proposals against what we know of God’s plan and the premises given in the word of God and the teachings of His living prophets, … we know that this puts us on safe ground eternally. (“As He Thinketh in His Heart,” [evening with Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Feb. 8, 2013], 5)

See paragraphs 11 and 12 of “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2023).

See “Center Your Life on Jesus Christ” or “Consult Reliable Sources,” found in the Seeking Answers to Questions series in the Topics and Questions section of the Gospel Library.

How are the messages of Heavenly Father and the adversary different?

President Russell M. Nelson taught:

The adversary is clever. For millennia he has been making good look evil and evil look good. His messages tend to be loud, bold, and boastful.

However, messages from our Heavenly Father are strikingly different. He communicates simply, quietly, and with such stunning plainness that we cannot misunderstand Him. (“Hear Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 89)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Extended video option

Students might benefit from hearing Elder Bednar describe what he and his wife noticed during a visit to Africa about the hunting patterns of cheetahs. You could watch a longer portion of his talk, “Watchful unto Prayer Continually,” from time codes 2:13 to 6:07, which include his experience.

“Darkness for light … bitter for sweet” (Isaiah 5:20)

Because some students might not readily label an action or idea as good or evil, you might spend time talking after identifying the bolded truth about the additional examples Isaiah gave: darkness and light, bitter and sweet.

• What are additional examples of spiritually dangerous actions and ideas that might “put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20)?

Although students might not label certain music choices or making fun of someone else as evil, they might share how certain music choices can increase darkness or light or how the way we treat other people can produce bitter or sweet experiences.

How to discern between reliable and unreliable sources

One way we can recognize Satan’s deceptions is by discerning between reliable and unreliable sources. You could help students learn how to do this by using the material found in “Microtraining 3: How to Assess the Reliability of Sources,” found in the Institute course Answering My Gospel Questions Teacher Material. Or you could use the material about consulting reliable sources found in the “Seeking Answers to Questions” resource under Topics and Questions in the Gospel Library.

Isaiah 6: Change through Jesus Christ and His Atonement

You might consider teaching about Jesus Christ through the symbolism used in Isaiah 6. You could display a pair of pictures that show before and after something has happened, such as an image of a car before and after a car wash.

Consider summarizing Isaiah 6:1–4 by explaining that Isaiah had a vision in which he stood before the Lord. Isaiah attempted to describe the power and glory he felt in God’s presence.

Invite students to read Isaiah 6:5 and look for how Isaiah felt in the presence of the Lord.

• In what ways might you have felt similar to Isaiah?

Then students could study Isaiah 6:6–10, looking for images and phrases that teach them about how we are changed through Jesus Christ and His Atonement. They might point out how altar reminds us of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice (see verse 6), how purging of the lips reminds us of Jesus Christ’s purifying power (see verse 7), or how Isaiah’s response in verse 8 reminds us of Jesus Christ’s response to Heavenly Father in the premortal existence (see Abraham 3:27).

As students share what they discovered, help them identify a truth, such as Through Jesus Christ and His Atonement, I can change and become clean.

• How can Isaiah’s experience with Jesus Christ and His Atonement bring hope to someone who might feel unworthy or unqualified?

• Without sharing anything too personal, how have you been changed through Jesus Christ and His Atonement?

You might consider helping students see how personally experiencing Jesus Christ’s atoning power can increase our desire to do His will. Students could contrast Isaiah’s initial feeling in verse 5 (“Woe is me! for I am undone”) with his response to the Lord’s invitation in verse 8 (“Here am I; send me”). Students could share why experiencing Jesus Christ’s atoning power increases our desire to do His will, or they could share examples from scripture or of people they know who illustrate this change in desire.