Prepare your mind and heart to learn. Remove any potential distractions. Try to be calm and put all worries and troubles aside. This will help you invite the Holy Ghost to help you learn.
Begin your study with prayer.
Think about what the Savior has done for all of us. How has your life been blessed because of your testimony of the Savior?
Watch and listen as President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) testifies of the Savior and of the joy that can come to us as we gain a testimony of Jesus Christ.
What worries or concerns might you have if you were called on a mission and assigned to serve among wicked people?
We read in Isaiah 6 about Isaiah’s call to preach to wicked people. As you study this chapter, look for truths that can help us to obey the Lord, even if what He asks us to do is difficult.
Read Isaiah 6:1–8, looking for what Isaiah saw in his vision. “Seraphim” (verse 2) are angelic beings that minister in the courts of God (see Bible Dictionary, “Seraphim”). The wings of the seraphim “are a representation of power, to move, to act” (D&C 77:4).
Quiz 1
According to verses 1–2, who did Isaiah see? Select all that apply.
King Uzziah
A dragon with seven heads
Seraphim
The Lord Jesus Christ
How did Isaiah feel when he was in the presence of God? (See verse 5.)
He was thankful that he had always kept himself pure and clean.
He felt an assurance that he was truly a covenant child of God.
He was overwhelmed because of his sins and the sins of the people.
In verse 6, which of the following could be a symbol of cleansing?
The hand of the seraphim
The flight of the seraphim
The coal being taken from the altar
True or false: According to verse 7, the seraphim told Isaiah that his sins had been forgiven.
In Isaiah’s vision, the seraphim took a live coal from the altar and placed it on Isaiah’s mouth. This symbolized Isaiah’s sins being forgiven. (See Isaiah 6:6–7.)
Take a minute to consider this: How would you feel if a messenger from the Lord pronounced you clean from your sins?
Notice that after Isaiah was cleansed from his sins, he willingly accepted the Lord’s invitation to serve (see verse 8).
From what you learned about Isaiah in this account, how can being cleansed from our sins affect our desire to do what God asks of us?
Isaiah 6:9–10 describes the people to whom Isaiah was called to preach. The Lord said that the people would reject Isaiah’s message and thereby harden their hearts (“make the heart of this people fat”) and become spiritually deaf (“make their ears heavy”) and blind (“shut their eyes”). This doesn’t mean that the Lord wanted the people to harden their hearts and become spiritually deaf and blind. Rather, the Lord’s words in verse 10 describe the people’s response to Isaiah’s preaching—they would choose not to listen.
Isaiah 7–9 contains Isaiah’s prophecies about conflict between Judah, Israel, Syria, and Assyria. When Israel and Syria threatened to attack Judah, Ahaz, king of Judah, looked to Assyria for protection. Isaiah encouraged King Ahaz and the people of Judah to rely on the Lord for deliverance and not to seek help from Assyria.
Isaiah’s name means “Jehovah is salvation.” Isaiah named his sons Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which means “to speed the destruction,” and Shear-jashub, which means “a remnant shall return.”
Isaiah’s and his sons’ names were symbolic of the great things the Lord would do for Israel. Their names represent three themes that are prevalent in Isaiah’s writings: (1) the destruction the people would face if they persisted in wickedness, (2) the eventual gathering of Israel back to the promised land and God’s covenant, and (3) the power of Jesus Christ to save His people.
Quiz 2
Match the scripture passage on the left to the theme it relates to on the right.
Isaiah 7 records that Isaiah told King Ahaz not to trust in Assyria for strength but rather to trust in the Lord. To encourage Ahaz, Isaiah told him the Lord would give him a sign.
Read Isaiah 7:14–16, looking for the prophecy foretold to King Ahaz. The name Immanuel (verse 14) means “God with us” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Immanuel,” scriptures.lds.org).
One principle we can identify from the sign given to King Ahaz is the following: If we always put our trust in the Lord, He will be with us during times of difficulty.
1. Answer two of the following questions:
What are some difficult situations teenagers face today where remembering and applying this principle could be helpful?
How has the Lord been with you or with someone you know during a difficult time?
What is one way you can trust in the Lord right now?
Isaiah 9 contains another prophecy of Jesus Christ that mentions various names of the Savior.
Read Isaiah 9:6–7, looking for names of Jesus Christ.
What truth do these names teach about Jesus Christ?
A Testimony of Jesus Christ
We can learn from Isaiah 9:6–7 that Jesus Christ is the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.
President M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained why Jesus Christ is sometimes referred to as both the Father and the Son:
Image
M. Russell Ballard
“How can Jesus Christ be both the Father and the Son? It really isn’t as complicated as it sounds. Though He is the Son of God, He is the head of the Church, which is the family of believers. When we are spiritually born again, we are adopted into His family. He becomes our Father or leader. …
“In no way does this doctrine denigrate the role of God the Father. Rather, we believe it enhances our understanding of the role of God the Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. God our Heavenly Father is the Father of our spirits; we speak of God the Son as the Father of the righteous. He is regarded as the ‘Father’ because of the relationship between Him and those who accept His gospel, thereby becoming heirs of eternal life” (M. Russell Ballard, “Building Bridges of Understanding,” Ensign, June 1998, 66–67).
Watch the video “World’s Largest Virtual #Hallelujah Chorus” (4:23), which is available on LDS.org.
2. Complete the following:
Choose one of the names of Jesus Christ that stands out to you, and explain why you chose it.
Reflect for a moment on your feelings about Jesus Christ. Write some of your thoughts. If you have a testimony of the Savior, please include it.
Review Genesis 39:9 and the following key statement of doctrine from paragraph 8.2 in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document: The sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between a man and a woman who have been lawfully wedded as husband and wife.
Say this key statement of doctrine aloud, along with the reference to Genesis 39:9. You might also consider writing a few phrases from the key statement of doctrine such as “sacred powers of procreation,” “lawfully wedded,” and “husband and wife” on a piece of paper to help you remember it. Place this paper where you can see it often.
3. Choose one of the pictures you see here, and explain how you would use it to teach this key statement of doctrine: The sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between a man and a woman who have been lawfully wedded as husband and wife.
