121 & 122 combined

Lesson 121: Isaiah 24–28

Introduction

Isaiah prophesied that the wicked will be destroyed and the righteous will receive great blessings at the Savior’s Second Coming. Isaiah also testified that the Savior is the only sure foundation on which to build our lives.

I. Isaiah 24–27  Isaiah describes the destruction of the wicked and praises the Lord for blessing the righteous

---In the 1970s a professor conducted an experiment in which he showed three- to five-year-old children a marshmallow. He told them that they could eat that one marshmallow right away, or they could get two marshmallows if they waited 20 minutes. (You might consider giving students the same challenge.)

---What do you think most of the children did?

---Do you think you would have waited 20 minutes when you were that age? Why or why not?

            ---What are some things the Lord has asked us to wait for? (Write students’ responses on the board. You will refer to this list later in the lesson.)

---Look for principles as you study Isaiah 24–27 that will help you understand why it is important for you to be patient as you wait for the Lord to deliver the blessings He promises.

---Isaiah 24 records a prophecy of the destruction of the wicked at the Second Coming. Isaiah 25 contains a poetic celebration of the blessings the Lord will give to the righteous.

---Take turns reading aloud from Isaiah 25:1–4 and look for what Isaiah said the Lord had been for the righteous.

---What did Isaiah say the Lord had been for the righteous?

---Isaiah 25:6–12 includes some of Isaiah’s prophecies about the joy the righteous will feel when the Lord comes again.

---Read Isaiah 25:6–8 aloud and look for what the Lord will do when He comes again.

---Invite students to report what they find.

---The symbolic feast described in verse 6 represents the idea that people of all nations will be invited to partake of the blessings of the gospel.

---In what ways is a feast a good representation of the blessings that people who accept the gospel can receive?

---Notice the phrase “he will destroy … the veil that is spread over all nations” in verse 7. This prophecy refers to the time in which we live (see Moses 7:60–61). The “veil” of darkness that covers the earth refers to widespread lack of knowledge about God and His gospel and lack of faith in Him. This darkness is dispelled by the light of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which will eventually penetrate all nations (see D&C 101:23).

---According to Isaiah 25:8, what will the Lord do for His people in the Millennium?

---How did the Savior “swallow up death in victory”?

---What do you think it means that the Lord “will wipe away tears from off all faces”?

---Read Isaiah 25:9 silently, looking for what the Lord’s people will say in the Millennium.

---What will the Lord’s people say in the Millennium?

            ---What principle can we learn from this verse? 
            If we wait for the Lord, then we can receive His salvation and rejoice. 
---Mark the phrases in verse 9 that teach this truth.

---Isaiah’s prophecy can also apply to waiting on the Lord for promised blessings.

---What does it mean for us to wait for the Lord?

---Read the quote by Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and look for what it means to wait for the Lord:

“In the scriptures, the word wait means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust. To hope and trust in the Lord requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long-suffering, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end” (“Waiting upon the Lord: Thy Will Be Done,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 72).

---Refer to the list on the board of things the Lord has asked us to wait for.

---What are some additional things we may need to wait for the Lord to bless us with? 
(Possible answers include faith, answers to prayers, revelation, help in overcoming temptation, forgiveness, marriage, children, physical or spiritual healing, testimony, and answers to questions we struggle with.)

---When have you needed to wait for the Lord before receiving a blessing? What did the Lord require from you before He blessed you?

---Why was the blessing you received worth the wait?

---Write on the back of the statement by Elder Hales or on another piece of paper a goal that states how you will more faithfully wait for the Lord now so that you can rejoice in the blessings that will come later. 
---Take the paper home and put it somewhere where you will see it often to remind you of your goal.

---In Isaiah 26–27 Isaiah testified that we can trust in the Lord forever.

---Mark Isaiah 26:4, which teaches about the importance of trusting in the Lord. Isaiah also used the imagery of a vineyard to show how the Lord cares for His people.

II. Isaiah 28  Isaiah prophesies of the destruction of Ephraim and testifies that Christ is the sure foundation

---Display a ladder, a stone, a clod of dirt, and a seed. 
---Look for how these items relate to gospel principles as we study Isaiah 28.

---Imagine trying to climb the ladder by skipping four rungs at a time.

---Why would it be difficult to climb a ladder by skipping four rungs at a time?

---In Isaiah 28 we read that Isaiah taught a truth that the wicked Northern Kingdom of Israel needed to understand.

---Take turns reading aloud from Isaiah 28:9–10, 13 looking for a principle we can learn about receiving knowledge and understanding from the Lord.

---To help students better understand the content of these verses, direct them to also read the information in Isaiah 28:9, footnote b, and Isaiah 28:13, footnote b.

---What principle can we learn from these verses about how the Lord reveals truth? 
The Lord reveals truth to us precept upon precept and line upon line. 
---Mark the phrases in verses 10 and 13 that teach this truth.

---What are precepts? (Laws or teachings.)

---What does it mean that the Lord reveals truth “precept upon precept” and “line upon line”?

---How does this truth relate to the ladder? (The Lord reveals truth to us one step at a time.)

Isaiah 28:10, 13. “Line upon line”

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles clarified the Lord’s pattern for giving us spiritual knowledge:

“I believe many of us unknowingly accept a faulty assumption about the Lord’s pattern. And this faulty assumption then produces erroneous expectations about how we receive spiritual knowledge. And that faulty assumption and our misinformed expectations ultimately hinder our ability to recognize and respond to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Let me suggest that many of us typically assume we will receive an answer or a prompting to our earnest prayers and pleadings. And we also frequently expect that such an answer or a prompting will come immediately and all at once. Thus, we tend to believe the Lord will give us A BIG ANSWER QUICKLY AND ALL AT ONE TIME. However, the pattern repeatedly described in the scriptures suggests we receive ‘line upon line, precept upon precept,’ or in other words, many small answers over a period of time. Recognizing and understanding this pattern is an important key to obtaining inspiration and help from the Holy Ghost” 

---Read the following statement by the Prophet Joseph Smith looking for reasons why the Lord reveals truth line upon line.

“It is not wisdom that we should have all knowledge at once presented before us; but that we should have a little at a time; then we can comprehend it.

“When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel—you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 268).

---Why do you think the Lord reveals truth to us one step at a time?

---Isaiah 28:14–15 says that the people did not think they needed the word of the Lord because they believed other things would save them from the problems they would experience.

---Show students the stone.

             ---Why did the builders use stone in the foundations of buildings?

---Read Isaiah 28:16 aloud and look for how Isaiah described the stone that Zion, or the Church, would be built on.

---How did Isaiah describe the stone?

---In what ways is the stone a representation of the Savior? 
 The Savior is the only sure foundation upon which to build our lives.

---In Isaiah 28:17–20 we read that the Lord told the inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom of Israel that they would be swept away because they believed they could build on something other than the Savior.

---Show students the dirt clod.

---Read Isaiah 28:24–26 aloud and look for what Isaiah said about dirt clods.

---According to verses 24–25, why does the plowman plow his fields? (To break the dirt clods and prepare the soil for the seeds.)

---As a plowman breaks apart clods of dirt to soften the soil before planting seeds, the Lord often gives us experiences that will help soften our hearts to prepare us to receive His word.

---Show students the seed.

---Read Isaiah 28:27–29 aloud and look for what Isaiah said about seeds. 
---Fitches, cumin, and bread corn (wheat) are types of seeds and that threshing is a process of removing the seed from its pod or stalk.

---What did Isaiah say about how the fitches and cumin seeds are threshed? (They are not threshed with a threshing instrument; rather, they are beaten out with a staff or rod, which is a more gentle process.)

---Why do you think some seeds need to be threshed in a gentle way?

---What did Isaiah say about how the wheat is threshed? (It can be “bruised,” or crushed, which is a rougher process.)

---This analogy teaches that a farmer knows that different seeds need to be threshed in different ways.

---What principle can we learn from this metaphor about how Heavenly Father works with His children? 
Because the Lord knows each of us individually, He gives us personalized experiences to help us grow.

---Invite students to share experiences they have had that illustrate this principle.

---Consider sharing one of your own experiences.

Commentary and Background Information

Isaiah 25:6. “A feast of wines on the lees”

“The word lees in this passage refers to the sediments attending the preparation of wine; thus ‘wine on the lees’ implies a wine that has been preserved for some time and, less the sediments left on the bottom, is ‘well refined’—symbolic therefore of the harvest of abundant and supernal blessings awaiting the faithful and obedient” (Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, Unlocking the Old Testament [2009], 331).

Isaiah 25:9. “We have waited for him”

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared the following account of how President David O. McKay had to wait upon the Lord:

“As a young man, President David O. McKay prayed for a witness of the truthfulness of the gospel. Many years later, while he was serving his mission in Scotland, that witness finally came. Later he wrote, ‘It was an assurance to me that sincere prayer is answered “sometime, somewhere”’ [Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay (2003), xviii].

“We may not know when or how the Lord’s answers will be given, but in His time and His way, I testify, His answers will come. For some answers we may have to wait until the hereafter. This may be true for some promises in our patriarchal blessings and for some blessings for family members. Let us not give up on the Lord. His blessings are eternal, not temporary” (“Waiting upon the Lord: Thy Will Be Done,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 73).

Right margin extras:

 

PowerPoint: Old Testament lesson 121—Isaiah 24–28

 

Line Upon Line (0:51)
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles teaches that in this life, our spiritual development will consist of “small, steady, incremental spiritual improvements.” Consider showing this video to help students understand the following truth: The Lord reveals truth to us precept upon precept and line upon line.

 

Come unto Christ: 2014 Theme Song (4:48)
No matter what we may be struggling with, there is always hope if we come unto Christ. Consider showing this video to help students understand how the Atonement of Jesus Christ can help them in their lives.

Use objects to help students understand gospel principles

Using objects can be an effective way for teachers to help students understand principles of the gospel. Objects can help students visualize, analyze, and understand the scriptures, especially when the objects are used to stimulate a discussion.

Lesson 122: Isaiah 29

Introduction

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.

I. Isaiah 29:1–17  Isaiah prophesies of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the Restoration

---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?

---Look for truths as you study Isaiah 29 that can help you know the Lord’s true doctrine.

---Isaiah 29:1–8 teaches us that Isaiah prophesied of the destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred because of the wickedness of the people who lived there. 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 the pages of that book. Explain that Isaiah also spoke of the conditions of the latter days (see verses 5–10).

---Read Isaiah 29:9–10 aloud looking for what Isaiah prophesied would happen after the Lord’s people fell to their enemies.

---According to verse 10, what did Isaiah say 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.)

---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.

---Isaiah’s words in verses 9–10 refer to a period known as the Great Apostasy, which would occur 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?

---Isaiah also prophesied of events in the last days that would help end the Great Apostasy.

---If possible, provide students with copies of the following chart, or copy it on the board before class.

(click to view larger)

The subject of one of Isaiah’s prophecies	Isaiah’s prophecy of what the person or people would do	The fulfillment of the prophecy
Isaiah 29:11—“men”		Joseph Smith—History 1:63–65
Isaiah 29:11—“one that is learned”		Joseph Smith—History 1:63–65
Isaiah 29:12—“him that is not learned”		Joseph Smith—History 1:59

---Divide students into pairs. Ask each partnership to read the references in the chart together and summarize Isaiah’s prophecies and their latter-day fulfillment in the center column. 
---Nephi also recorded Isaiah’s account 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 learned man?

---Who was the learned man who said he could not read a sealed book?

---Remember 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?

---Read Isaiah 29:13 aloud 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]”?

---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.

---Read Isaiah 29:14 aloud 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 marvelous work and wonder Isaiah prophesied about?

---Read the statement by Elder Russell M. Nelson and listen for what Elder Nelson said is the marvelous work and wonder.

“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” (“Scriptural Witnesses,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 46, endnote 26).

---According to verse 14, what effect will the Restoration and the Book of Mormon have on 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 a marvelous work that …

---According to verses 13–14, how could we complete this truth? 
The Restoration of the gospel, including the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, is a marvelous work that corrects false teachings and counters the wisdom of the world.

---This second nail 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 doctrine and counter the wisdom of the world?

---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.

---In Isaiah 29:15–17 Isaiah prophesied that the Book of Mormon would come forth at a time when people would seek to hide their works from God and would not acknowledge the hand of God in their lives.

II. Isaiah 29:18–24  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?

---Write the following phrase on the board:

If we study the Book of Mormon, it can help us to …

---Read Isaiah 29:18–19 aloud and look for what the Book of Mormon can do for those who study it with a sincere desire to understand its teachings.

---Mark what they find.

---What does Isaiah’s imagery in these verses teach about how the Book of Mormon can help us? 
(List students’ responses on the board to complete the principle.)

---Read Isaiah 29:22–24 aloud and look for what Isaiah prophesied the Book of Mormon would do for Jacob’s posterity. 
---The phrase “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.)

---Notice the phrase “fear the God of Israel” in verse 23. It means to have reverential awe and respect for God and His covenants. 

---Ponder the principle about the Book of Mormon on the board.

---Which one of these promises would inspire you to read the Book of Mormon? Why?

---Testify: If we study the Book of Mormon, it can help us to have joy, revere God, and understand true doctrine.

---Does anyone want to share with the class how the Book of Mormon has blessed their lives.

---You may also want to share an experience from your life.

---Make a commitment to read the Book of Mormon so they can receive these blessings in their lives.

---Consider giving 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.

Commentary and Background Information

Isaiah 29:1–4. “Woe to Ariel”

Elder LeGrand Richards of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about the dualism of Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 29:1–4:

“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” (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”

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). The term “familiar spirit” refers to the spirit of a dead person who helps give guidance or comfort to a living person. While this term may sound odd to us today, in the past it commonly conveyed the sense that departed spirits can have an influence beyond the grave. 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.

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained why the Book of Mormon would be “familiar” to many in our day:

“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” (“The Exodus Repeated,” Ensign, July 1999, 10).

Isaiah 29:11–12, 18–24. The Book of Mormon

Elder Bruce R. McConkie 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:

“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” (The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man [1982], 159, 170, 179–80).

Isaiah 29:12. “Him that is not learned”

Emma Smith, who assisted her husband Joseph Smith at times in the translation of the Book of Mormon by acting as a scribe, bore this testimony:

“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.

“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” (“Last Testimony of Sister Emma,” The Saints’ Herald, Oct. 1, 1879, 290).

Supplemental Teaching Ideas

Isaiah 29:18–24. The Restoration and the Book of Mormon help correct false doctrines

To help students understand how the Restoration of the gospel and coming forth of the Book of Mormon help to correct false doctrines, provide students with copies of the following chart. (You could also create your own list and references.) Divide students into pairs, and invite each partnership to work together to complete the chart by reading the passages in the Book of Mormon and writing the correct doctrine in the third column.

False doctrine	Book of Mormon reference that counters the false doctrine	Correct doctrine clarified in the Book of Mormon
Babies who die without having been baptized are lost.	Moroni 8:8–12
Since we are saved by grace, we only need to acknowledge our belief in Jesus Christ to be saved.	2 Nephi 25:23–26
Only the righteous will be resurrected.	Alma 11:42–45
After the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, He became a spirit essence without a physical body.	3 Nephi 11:9–15
Baptism is not essential for salvation.	2 Nephi 31:4–11

Invite students to report what they wrote in the third column of the chart.

How does this activity demonstrate the importance of the Book of Mormon?

Isaiah 29:18–24. Video presentation—“A Marvelous Work and a Wonder”

To help students understand the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, show the video “A Marvelous Work and a Wonder” (3:57). This clip portrays events contributing to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, including Martin Harris’s experience with Charles Anthon. Invite students to look for how Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled. This video is available on LDS.org.

Right margin extras:

 

PowerPoint: Old Testament lesson 122—Isaiah 29

 

A Marvelous Work and a Wonder (5:46)
This video portrays events that occurred prior to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, including Martin Harris’s experience with Charles Anthon. About 2,500 years before Joseph Smith was born, the prophet Isaiah prophesied of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Consider showing this video and inviting students to look for how Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled.

The Book of Mormon—a Book from God (1:50)
Tad R. Callister, general president of the Sunday School, teaches that the Book of Mormon, together with the Bible, is an indispensable witness of the doctrine and divinity of Christ. Consider showing this video from time codes 3:52 to 5:42 to help students understand how the Book of Mormon helps prevent false interpretations of the Bible.