Isaiah saw our day.

     I have been doing some searching and studying about Isaiah.  I want to understand the words better and I can't do it alone.  One of the things I found was in order to understand Isaiah, you need to understand that Isaiah is mostly talking to and about the Covenant people in our day.  He is talking to and about Jesus Christ's Church which was restored to this earth through Joseph Smith, whom I blogged about here.  So in order to understand Isaiah better, you need to understand The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka Mormon or LDS Church) and to understand the Covenants made by the members of this church.  It is also important to note, the members of the LDS church are descendants of  the house of Israel: Jacob, Abraham, Isaac. 
    He (Isaiah) also prophesies of the gathering of Israel.  The gathering of Israel has began and those of us who are members of the LDS Church have been found, gathered, and have received the knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ so that we may also make Covenants and receive the blessings promised to our Fathers for us, but the gathering is not over.  It is just beginning, and this is also what Isaiah saw and prophesy's about!!

Book of Mormon:  2 Nephi 14

     So in 2 Nephi 13, Isaiah talks to the Covenant women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and let's them know what will happen if they are more obsessed with looks more than inner beauty.  Chapter 14 focuses more on the Latter Day Saint Women when they do focus on inner beauty instead of just their outward appearance.  

 1 ^aAnd in that day, seven women shall take hold of one man, saying: We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name to take away our ^breproach.

      What happens when a woman gets married?  The woman takes om the name of the man and makes promises with that man to stay true to him.  Well in this scripture (verse 1) this is what the women are doing with the Lord.  When we make Covenants with our Savior, we promise to be true to those covenants and we take His name upon us.  

      For example, when I turned 8, I was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I promised to take His name upon me and to pattern my life after the way He lived His.  

 2 In that day shall the ^abranch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious; the fruit of the earth excellent and comely to them that are escaped of Israel.

     When we take His name upon us, we become pleasant people.

 3 And it shall come to pass, they that are ^aleft in Zion and remain in Jerusalem shall be called holy, every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem—

     So I read the footnote for "left" and it talked about how the Lord was going to come and destroy all the filthy parts of the House of Israel and all that would be left would be the beautiful parts, or in other words: wicked people would be destroyed and the righteous would be preserved and experience great joy in that day.  Then the righteous people who are left will be Holy people and will live that way for 1000 years.   

     To understand these words I have had to dig deep, but I am loving Isaiah more and more!!

Love,
    Becky joy

The Headings Help...A lot.

Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 13

     Well it's official, I have caught something.  Tonight I am experiencing aches all over my body with a sore throat as it's accompanist.  BOO! I can't be sick, I have to take care of babies!!  But I suppose life happens.
     Tonight while I was reading chapter 13 of 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon, I felt pretty confused.  I still need to take time and study it better and maybe find some sources to help me understand the deeper meaning to Isaiah's writings, but for now all I have is some sort of nasty sickness and the scripture heading which helps me a lot.  So apparently these scriptures are talking about the Jews, but what really matter is if I liken the words to myself.  I will study these scriptures better tomorrow (hopefully), but for now I am going to bed.

Good night.

Love,
   Becky joy

Search these things.

Book of Mormon; 2 Nephi 11

 2 And now I, Nephi, write ^amore of the words of ^bIsaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily ^csaw my ^dRedeemer, even as I have seen him.

     Tonight as I read and reread chapter 11 of 2nd Nephi, I find it interesting how important the words of Isaiah were to Nephi.  Today when anyone mentions Isaiah, everyone gets scared and confused, so why did Nephi like him so much?  
     I looked at the footnote for the word Isaiah in MY Book of Mormon and it lead me to the scripture 3 Nephi 23:1 which reads:
     1  And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.

     I am excited to search the words of Isaiah diligently!    I invite you to do it with me.  If Nephi thought he needed to be quoted so much and if the Redeemer appeared to him, his words, as confusing as they are, must be vital for me to have throughout my life.

Love,
    Becky joy

Teachings from Isaiah.

Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 8: 1-4

 1 Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness. Look unto the rock from whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit from whence ye are digged.

     What the Lord is asking here is look to where you came from, or look back to Adam and Eve or Abraham and Sarah.  I love reading about Abraham because he was promised so many things: his children would number like the stars in the sky, his children would be kings and queens, and inherit promised lands.
     Well we are his children.  We will receive these promises made to Abraham as we "follow after righteousness".

2 Look unto Abraham, your father, and unto Sarah, she that bare you; for I called him alone, and blessed him.
     
     Here He is again, repeating His instruction but this time in a more obvious way.  I have found that is how the Lord works when I am given personal instruction through blessings.  He will often tell me something, giving me time to think about it myself.  The funny thing is, I usually miss the mark completely and then I am told exactly what He meant through another priesthood blessing given later.  

 3 For the Lord shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

     Think about the garden of Eden, how wonderful it was described.  Everything was perfect and peaceful.  Now it doesn't say he will change our circumstances, but instead "he will make her wilderness like Eden", or in other words while we are in the middle of trials, we will feel like we are in the wonderful peaceful garden.  He will lift our burdens but not take them away.  That is of course if we look unto our Father Abraham who was a model of obedience and live righteously.  

 4 Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation; for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light for the people.

   Heavenly Father gives us commandments, not to bind us or keep us from living, but instead to be light for us.  So we can see our way back to Him.  So we can see how to live a full life full of joy and rest.  But of course only if we keep His law will we have the light to guide us.

Love,
    Becky joy