Isaiah prophesied of the Great Apostasy and the Restoration of the gospel, including the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. He prophesied that the Book of Mormon would correct false doctrine and bring joy to those who read and live by its teachings.
Write on the board the following key statement of doctrine, which is found in Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2018), 8.4: Through family history and temple service, we can make the ordinances and covenants of the gospel available to our ancestors.
Invite students to turn to Malachi 4:5–6. Ask a student to read the passage aloud, and invite the class to follow along, looking for how this passage helps teach the key statement of doctrine written on the board.
How does Malachi 4:5–6 help teach this key statement of doctrine?
How can we remember that Malachi 4:5–6 helps teach the importance of family history and temple service for our ancestors?
Show students two wooden boards of equal length. Place one of the boards on top of the other, and nail them together at one end so the boards can swivel. Explain that the single nail represents the Bible, the bottom board represents the doctrine of Christ, and the top board represents how some people interpret the Bible. Move the top board to various positions.
Why are there so many different Christian churches if they all believe in the Bible? (Christian denominations interpret the Bible and Christ’s doctrine differently.)
How can you know the Lord’s true doctrine when there are so many ways to interpret the Bible?
Invite students to look for truths as they study Isaiah 29 that can help them know the Lord’s true doctrine.
Summarize Isaiah 29:1–8 by explaining that Isaiah prophesied of the destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred because of the people’s wickedness. He also referred to the Nephite nation, which would also be destroyed because of wickedness. Point out the phrase “thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust” (verse 4). Explain that this prophecy refers to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, which was translated from plates hidden in the ground by Moroni. The voice of the Nephite people speaks to us today from that book. Explain that Isaiah also spoke of the conditions of the latter days (see verses 5–10).
Invite a student to read Isaiah 29:9–10 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what Isaiah prophesied would happen after the Lord’s people fell to their enemies.
According to verse 10, what would happen after the Lord’s people fell to their enemies? (People would experience “the spirit of deep sleep,” and the prophets and seers would be “covered,” or removed from the people.)
Explain that with the loss of the prophets and the straying of the Lord’s people from the truth, the world would fall into a state of spiritual darkness. This falling away from truth is called apostasy.
Write the phrase the Great Apostasy on the board. Explain that Isaiah’s words in verses 9–10 refer to a period known as the Great Apostasy, which occurred after the death of the Savior and His Apostles. Over time, people changed many gospel principles and ordinances and altered the organization of the Savior’s Church. Consequently, the Lord withdrew the authority and keys of His priesthood from the earth. Many of the “plain and precious” parts of the Bible were also corrupted or lost, and the people no longer had an accurate understanding of God (see 1 Nephi 13:26–29). Eventually many churches were established, but they did not have the authority to perform priesthood ordinances or to properly interpret the Bible.
Write the following doctrine on the board: During a period of great apostasy, people were without divine direction from living prophets and apostles.
How does the object lesson with the boards relate to the Great Apostasy?
Explain that Isaiah also prophesied of events in the last days that would help end the Great Apostasy.
Provide students with copies of the following chart, or copy it on the board before class.
The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon
The subject of one of Isaiah’s prophecies
Isaiah’s prophecy of what the person or people would do
Divide students into pairs. Ask each pair to read the references in the chart together and to summarize Isaiah’s prophecies and their latter-day fulfillment in the center column. (You may want to explain that Nephi also recorded Isaiah’s account and that this record is found in 2 Nephi 27:6–10, 15–20. Nephi’s account provides more detail than Isaiah’s account in the Bible.) After sufficient time, ask:
Who delivered the copied characters of the Book of Mormon to the “one that [was] learned” (Isaiah 29:11)?
Who was the learned man who said, “I cannot [read it]; for it is sealed” (verse 11)?
Remind students that a portion of the golden plates was sealed, and the Prophet Joseph Smith was commanded not to translate this portion.
Why might someone with little formal education, like Joseph Smith, be a better choice to translate the Book of Mormon than a scholar like Charles Anthon?
Invite a student to read Isaiah 29:13 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what the Lord said people would do during the Great Apostasy.
What do you think it means that people “draw near [the Lord] with their mouth, … but have removed their heart far from [Him]”?
Explain that the phrase “their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men” means that people’s worship of God would be corrupted by false teachings.
Invite a student to read Isaiah 29:14 aloud. Ask the class to follow along and look for what the Lord said He would do to overcome the effects of the Apostasy.
What did the Lord say He would do to overcome the effects of the Apostasy?
What is the “marvellous work and a wonder” Isaiah prophesied about?
Invite a student to read aloud the following statement by President Russell M. Nelson. Ask the class to listen for what President Nelson said is the marvelous work and wonder.
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Russell M. Nelson
“Isaiah foresaw that God would do ‘a marvellous work and a wonder’ in the latter days (Isaiah 29:14). … That marvelous work would include the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the Restoration of the gospel” (Russell M. Nelson, “Scriptural Witnesses,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 46, note 26).
According to verse 14, what effect will the Restoration and the Book of Mormon have on “the wisdom of … wise men,” or the wisdom of the world?
Write the following incomplete statement on the board: The Restoration of the gospel, including the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, is …
According to verses 13–14, how could we complete this truth? (Students may give many correct responses, but make sure they identify the following truth: The Restoration of the gospel, including the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, is a marvelous work and a wonder. Using students’ words, complete the statement on the board.)
What does verse 14 help us understand about the impact the Book of Mormon would have on the world? (It would correct false teachings and counter the wisdom of the world.)
Show students a second nail, and explain that it represents the Book of Mormon. Align the boards, and hammer the nail into the end opposite the first nail. Show students that the boards no longer swivel.
How does the Book of Mormon help correct false teachings and counter the wisdom of the world?
Invite students to share with a partner some of the blessings they have received because of the Restoration of the gospel and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
Summarize Isaiah 29:15–17 by explaining that Isaiah prophesied that the Book of Mormon would come forth at a time when people would seek to hide their actions from God and would not acknowledge God’s hand in their lives.
Isaiah prophesies of the positive impact of the restored gospel and the Book of Mormon
Show students a copy of the Book of Mormon.
What would you say to someone to interest him or her in reading the Book of Mormon?
Invite a student to read Isaiah 29:18–19 aloud. Ask the class to follow along and look for what the Book of Mormon can do for those who study it with a sincere desire to understand its teachings. Invite students to consider marking what they find.
What does Isaiah’s imagery in these verses teach about how the Book of Mormon can help us? (Using students’ words, write the following principle on the board: If we study the Book of Mormon, it can help us have joy, revere God, and understand true doctrine.)
Invite a student to read Isaiah 29:22–24 aloud. Ask the class to follow along and look for what Isaiah prophesied the Book of Mormon would do for Jacob’s posterity. Explain that the phrase “the house of Jacob” in verse 22 refers to the Lord’s covenant people.
According to verses 23–24, what would the Book of Mormon do for Jacob’s posterity in the latter days? (List students’ responses on the board.)
Point out the phrase “fear the God of Israel” in verse 23, and explain that it means to have reverential awe and respect for God and His covenants.
Which one of these promises would inspire you to read the Book of Mormon? Why?
Invite students to share with the class how the Book of Mormon has blessed their lives. You may also want to share an experience.
Encourage students to commit to read the Book of Mormon so they can receive these blessings in their lives. Consider challenging them to give a copy of the Book of Mormon to a family member or friend and to explain the blessings Isaiah promised would come from studying this book. Conclude by sharing your testimony of the Book of Mormon and its truthfulness and power in your life.
Elder LeGrand Richards (1886–1983) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about the dualism of Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 29:1–4:
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LeGrand Richards
“If you will read [Isaiah 29:1–2] thoughtfully, you will know that [Isaiah] not only saw the destruction of Jerusalem, but he saw the destruction of another great center like unto Jerusalem. Then he adds:
“‘And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust’ [Isaiah 29:4].
“Nobody in this world could explain that intelligently or know what people Isaiah saw like unto Jerusalem without the Book of Mormon [see 2 Nephi 26:15–17]. …
“How could Joseph Smith have known these things when the Book of Mormon was published even before this Church was organized, except for the fact that the Book of Mormon is the promised record that God said he would bring forth and join to the record of Judah. How could anyone understand this prophecy of Isaiah without the explanation contained in the Book of Mormon” (LeGrand Richards, in Conference Report, April 1963, 118).
Isaiah 29:4 (2 Nephi 26:15–16). “Thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground”
In the Bible, there are a number of references to those who seek to communicate with the spirits of people who have died. This practice is referred to as seeking or having a “familiar spirit” and is specifically forbidden by the Lord (see Leviticus 20:27; 1 Chronicles 10:13). However, in Isaiah 29:4, Isaiah used the imagery of a familiar spirit to teach that the Book of Mormon would speak to us “as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground.” Or, as Nephi wrote, “Those who shall be destroyed shall speak unto them out of the ground, and their speech shall be low out of the dust, and their voice shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit” (2 Nephi 26:16). In one sense, the Nephites, “who have slumbered in the dust” (2 Nephi 27:9) for centuries, are now whispering “out of the dust” (Isaiah 29:4) through the Book of Mormon.
President Russell M. Nelson explained why the Book of Mormon would be “familiar” to many in our day:
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Russell M. Nelson
“Isaiah described the spirit of the Book of Mormon as ‘familiar’ [Isaiah 29:4]. It resonates with people who know the Old Testament, especially those who are conversant with its Hebrew language. The Book of Mormon is rich with Hebraisms—traditions, symbolisms, idioms, and literary forms. It is familiar because more than 80 percent of its pages came from the same time frame as parts of the Old Testament” (Russell M. Nelson, “The Exodus Repeated,” Ensign, July 1999, 10).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles described the role the Book of Mormon plays in the Restoration of the gospel in the latter days:
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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 modern times than this: Is the Book of Mormon the mind and will and voice of God to all men? For if it is, then Joseph Smith was a prophet, the testimony of Jesus he gave is true, and the plan of salvation of the Great God is in full operation” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man [1982], 159, 170, 179–80).
Emma Smith (1804–79), who assisted her husband Joseph Smith (1805–44) at times in the translation of the Book of Mormon by acting as a scribe, bore this testimony:
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Emma Smith
“Joseph … could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter; let alone dictating a book like the Book of Mormon. And, though I was an active participant in the scenes that transpired, … it is marvelous to me, ‘a marvel and a wonder,’ as much so as to any one else. …
“I am satisfied that no man could have dictated the writing of the manuscripts unless he was inspired; for, when [I acted] as his scribe, [Joseph] would dictate to me hour after hour; and when returning after meals, or after interruptions, he would at once begin where he had left off, without either seeing the manuscript or having any portion of it read to him. … It would have been improbable that a learned man could do this; and, for one so … unlearned as he was, it was simply impossible” (“Last Testimony of Sister Emma,” Saints’ Herald, Oct. 1, 1879, 290).
