How Should I Approach Isaiah?

Isaiah is hard. Nephi said that “Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand.”¹ Elder Boyd K. Packer acknowledged how difficult it can be:

For the most part, [the Book of Mormon] is in easy-flowing New Testament language . . . . [M]ost teenagers readily understand the narrative of the Book of Mormon.

Then, just as you settle in to move comfortably along, you will meet a barrier. . . . For, interspersed in the narrative, are chapters reciting the prophecies of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. They loom as a barrier, like a roadblock or a checkpoint beyond which the casual reader, one with idle curiosity, generally will not go.²

Yeah, Isaiah is hard. But it’s worth it. The Savior himself praised Isaiah, saying, “great are the words of Isaiah.”³ So we should study it, even if we struggle to understand. The effort is worth it. But how should we approach it?

There are a lot of resources that can help us better understand Isaiah. But we can also benefit just by jumping in and reading.

You don’t have to be a scholar to love Isaiah

We don’t have to be a scholar to find joy in Isaiah, and we don’t have to spend a lifetime trying to understand it. There are a few ways to find joy in Isaiah without needing to become an expert.

Just read, and look for verses that speak to you

The first, and simplest approach, is to just read. Jump into it. Even if you don’t understand a lot of it, even if most of it sounds like gibberish, just read it. You will find verses that touch your heart and bring you closer to the Savior.

The first time Nephi read Isaiah to his brothers, he said, “that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.”⁴

To “liken” the scripture means that we read it as if it’s written for us. We think of the context of our lives, and read the scripture as if it is teaching us about those circumstances. This strategy doesn’t require us to know anything about Isaiah. We don’t need to know the cultural context. We don’t need to research the meaning of the words from the earliest Hebrew manuscripts. We just read it, asking the Lord to teach us through the Spirit. As we do that, we will find meaning in individual passages.

Here are a few scriptures from Isaiah that don’t need any context to help us feel the Savior’s love:

• Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
• Isaiah 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
• Isaiah 49:14-16, “But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.”

There are powerful messages in Isaiah. He testifies of Jesus Christ, and the peace that we can have when we focus our lives on Him. We can hear and feel that message in distinct, individual verses, without understanding the context.

Even if all you can give is to just read, then just do it. By simply reading the words without doing anything more, you will learn truths that will help you gain a greater appreciation for the Savior and His role as your Savior and Redeemer.

Read Isaiah and listen to music inspired by his words

Isaiah is one of the most quoted prophets who has ever written. His writings are poetic, and so they have been set to beautiful music. One way to approach Isaiah is to listen to his words that have been set to music.

The following are some examples:

• Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
  • Handel’s Messiah, “For Unto Us a Child Is Born.”
• Isaiah 40:5, “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”
  • Handel’s Messiah, “And the Glory of the Lord.”
• Isaiah 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
  • Hymns, #85, “How Firm a Foundation.”
• Isaiah 53:4, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”
  • Hymns for Home and Church, #1065, “Isaiah Said.”

The LDS Hymnbook has a table in its index that allows us to look up a scripture, then see a hymn that pertains to the topic of that scripture. The references to Isaiah are extensive. I’ve created links to the scriptures and the hymns, and I’ve also found recordings on YouTube so you can listen to the Tabernacle Choir or other groups perform those hymns.

If you are looking for an approach to Isaiah, you could read the scripture, read through the hymn, then listen to the recording. Studying Isaiah through music can be a powerful approach to appreciate the beauty of Isaiah’s words, without needing any historical or cultural context.

Studying Isaiah through music offers a unique way to experience his words. This can help us feel a connection to the Savior, and we can experience the power of Isaiah’s words.

Studying scholarly and other resources can enhance your understanding of Isaiah

Just jumping in, or reading along with the music, can be great starting points. But there is a lot to learn in Isaiah if you’re willing to give a little more time.

Isaiah can be difficult to understand because he makes so many references to people, places, or events. Nephi said he understood Isaiah better than his children because he “dwelt at Jerusalem,” and he knew “concerning the regions round about.”⁵ This simple statement shows that Isaiah used places in his teachings in ways that transcend mere geography.

Consider this example: In Isaiah 1, Isaiah introduces his message to “Judah and Jerusalem,”⁶ and he says, “Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.”⁷ I think anyone familiar with the Bible understands that Sodom and Gomorrah are symbols of wickedness. By referring to those places, Isaiah is calling out their wickedness, and we have an early understanding that the Jews in Jerusalem were wicked, and Isaiah was calling them to repentance. That is only one example, and there are much deeper and more obscure references.

Another example is in Isaiah 43:2, which says, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

This verse contains allusions to three distinct events. First, Exodus refers to the parting of the Red Sea as waters: “And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.”⁸ Second, when the children of Israel entered the promised land, they crossed over the river Jordan in a similar way as they crossed the Red Sea: “And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan . . . And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.”⁹ The third is a prophecy of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who were cast into the “burning fiery furnace,” and were seen “walking in the midst of the fire.”¹⁰

In this short verse, we have references to three significant stories from the history of Israel. Each story demonstrates the power of God, and His ability to deliver us.

In these two examples (Isaiah 1:10 and 43:2), we see that recognizing Isaiah’s references can provide a deep, rich experience. There are many ways to approach this, and many different methods to learn to recognize the more obscure references in Isaiah.

The Come, Follow Me manual

The Come, Follow Me manual for the Old Testament provides brief contexts for passages of Isaiah. For example, in discussing Isaiah 7-9, the Come, Follow Me manual states, “During Isaiah’s ministry, Israel formed an alliance with Syria to defend itself against Assyria. Israel and Syria wanted to force Ahaz, the king of Judah, to join them. But Isaiah prophesied that the alliance would fail and counseled Ahaz to trust in the Lord (Isaiah 7:7–9; 8:12–13)).¹¹ This simple explanation places the passage in the context of Isaiah’s day, and can help us see deeper meaning. The Come, Follow Me manual is a perfect way to explore Isaiah and understand more about his writings.

The Scripture Helps

This is a relatively new resource available in the Gospel Library App. It’s under the “scriptures” tab, and is simply called, “Scripture Helps: Old Testament.” It follows the same course of study contained in the Come, Follow Me manual, but its explanations are more comprehensive.

For example, it says, “Many of Isaiah’s prophecies are dualistic in the sense that his messages were fulfilled in his own day, but they were also types or shadows of events to take place at a much later time.”¹² It then gives information about the circumstances of Isaiah’s day, and prophecies of future events, showing what it means that Isaiah’s prophecies are “dualistic.”

This resource is tremendous, and is a perfect study companion to the Come, Follow Me.

The Institute Manual

I love the Old Testament Institute Manual. It has more resources and explanations than the new Scripture Helps resource. For example, it has an entire section about Understanding Isaiah. Among the many things discussed in this section, it talks about the “manner of prophesying of the Jews,” and says, “This manner of prophesying includes several elements. . . . The Law of Moses. . . . Imagery and figurative language. . . . Dualism and esoteric terms.”¹³ It provides quite a bit of detail about each of those elements.

The Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants

The Book of Mormon quotes Isaiah extensively:

There are sixty-six chapters in the book of Isaiah, making a total of 1,292 verses. The prophets in the Book of Mormon quoted 414 of those verses (32 percent of the book of Isaiah). They paraphrased at least another 34 verses (3 percent). The Nephite prophets considered Isaiah’s writings to be of such great worth that they put approximately 35 percent of the book of Isaiah in the valuable space they had on the plates.¹⁴

The writers of the Book of Mormon not only quoted from Isaiah, they often provided commentary. My favorite example is 2 Nephi 25, which comes after the extensive “Isaiah chapters” in 2 Nephi, and in that chapter, Nephi begins by saying, “I, Nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words which I have written, which have been spoken by the mouth of Isaiah.”¹⁵ Reading 2 Nephi 25 through 33 can provide insight and understanding to the chapters of Isaiah quoted in 2 Nephi 12 through 24.

As another example, Abinadi was asked by the wicked priests of King Noah, “What meaneth the words which are written, and which have been taught by our fathers, saying: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth.”¹⁶ This is a direct quote from Isaiah 52:7. Abinadi answers their questions throughout the next several chapters, culminating in Mosiah 16. Abinadi’s teachings are a commentary and explanation of Isaiah 52:7.

But the Book of Mormon does not just comment on Isaiah. Some distinct wording in its quotes can help clarify Isaiah’s meaning. For example, Isaiah 48:1 says, “Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.” But that same passage, quoted in 1 Nephi 20:1, says, “Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, or out of the waters of baptism, who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, yet they swear not in truth nor in righteousness.” The additional language in the passage quoted by Nephi gives us some remarkable insights into Isaiah.

Doctrine and Covenants 113 is a full section that interprets Isaiah, specifically addressing Isaiah 11 and 52.

The Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants contain remarkable insights into Isaiah.

Third-party sources

There are a lot of third-party sources that talk about Isaiah. It may be hyperbole, but I imagine that entire libraries could be filled with books that talk about Isaiah. But I have a personal preference for a type of book that I like to read.

I don’t read “commentaries.” I don’t want other people telling me what Isaiah means. I want to figure it out for myself. However, I need a lot of help understanding the history, so I love books that provide details regarding the society in which the story takes place.

There are two that I love, and that can help find the story of Isaiah.

Jerusalem: The Biography, by Simon Sebag Montefiore is one of my favorite books that has helped me unlock Isaiah. It presents the Bible as a story. It helped me see the Bible as a cohesive story, rather than just a collection of challenging writings. When I began to see the Bible as a story, I started to see Isaiah as part of that story. It is because of this book that I am convinced that learning the story of the Bible will help us unlock Isaiah.

The other book is Jerusalem: The Eternal City, by David B. Galbraith, D. Kelly Ogden, and Andrew C. Skinner. This book also tells the history of Jerusalem as a story, but through the lens of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Use AI to help you understand the history

This suggestion might be surprising, and it should be approached with significant caution. Artificial intelligence can be hazardous, but it can also be a significant blessing, if used properly.

Isaiah makes allusions to the history of the house of Israel. He has significant themes running through his writings. He uses words that are laden with symbolic weight. We can understand Isaiah better when we see those connections. And AI can help us do that.

Recently, I have been using Google to help me find answers to questions, but I only ask it factual questions, not opinion questions, and I also ask for sources to verify the information.

For example, when I start a new chapter, I will sometimes type into Google, “what is the historical context for Isaiah 7” (or whatever chapter I’m about to read). This is quite different than saying “tell me what Isaiah 7 means.” The first question prompts AI to provide historical information, which we can verify by reviewing reliable sources. The second question asks for an opinion from a non-living, manmade creation that is not guided by the Holy Ghost.

Personally, I find it quite ironic that I am even suggesting this, as Isaiah warns about reliance on manmade creations. In his early criticism of “the people of Jacob,” Isaiah says, “Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.”¹⁷ If we use AI to try and understand passages of scripture, we must be very careful to ask factual questions that can be verified through reliable sources.

Some good questions to type into Google would be something like the following:

• “What are the cedars of Lebanon from Isaiah 2:13?”
• “What are Syria and Ephraim from Isaiah 7:2?”
• “What is Ethiopia in Isaiah 18:1?”
• “What is the Hebrew word translated to nail in Isaiah 22:23?”

Again, the approach when using AI must be carefully crafted to obtain verifiable facts, rather than unsubstantiated opinions. And frequently, it helps to ask for the “LDS perspective,” because through modern revelation we have a different understanding of many passages in Isaiah. For example, an interesting Google search would be: “How is the LDS perspective of Isaiah 29:14 different?” The Google response gives several sources from the Book of Mormon and other prominent authors who discuss the interpretation of this verse. This type of search demonstrates that there are many passages where our interpretation will differ from traditional Biblical scholarship.

AI can be a powerful tool. But it can also be dangerous. The way we frame questions can have a significant impact on the trustworthiness of the responses. If you use AI to help with your study of Isaiah, ask only factual questions that you can verify with reliable sources.

Discover your own approach to studying Isaiah

An intensive study of Isaiah can yield great results. This type of study requires a lot of time and additional resources to understand the many intricacies throughout Isaiah’s writings. However, we don’t have to perform this type of study to enjoy Isaiah. If we just jump into it and read, we will find verses that touch our hearts. We can study isolated verses that have been used as the text for beautiful music. However we study, we can learn more about our relationship with Jesus Christ as we make an effort to read Isaiah.

References

1. 2 Nephi 25:1. ↩︎
2. Boyd K. Packer, “The Things of My Soul,” April 1986, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1986/04/the-things-of-my-soul?lang=eng&id=p62-p65#p62. ↩︎
3. 3 Nephi 23:1. ↩︎
4. 1 Nephi 19:23. ↩︎
5. 2 Nephi 25:6. ↩︎
6. Isaiah 1:1. ↩︎
7. Isaiah 1:10. ↩︎
8. Exodus 14:22. ↩︎
9. Joshua 3:14-17. ↩︎
10. Daniel 3:19-25. ↩︎
11. Come, Follow Me-For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, “September 14–20. “God Is My Salvation”: Isaiah 1–12, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/come-follow-me-for-home-and-church-old-testament-2026/38?lang=eng&id=p13#p13. ↩︎
12. Scripture Helps: Old Testament, “Isaiah 1-12,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/scripture-helps-old-testament/36-isaiah-1-12?lang=eng&id=p_rxkVJ#p_rxkVJ. ↩︎
13. Old Testament Student Manual, E-5 Understanding the Manner of Prophesying of the Jews, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/old-testament-student-manual-kings-malachi/enrichment-e?lang=eng&id=title6#title6. ↩︎
14. Old Testament Student Manual, E-1 The Importance of Isasiah’s Writings, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/old-testament-student-manual-kings-malachi/enrichment-e?lang=eng&id=p3#p3. ↩︎
15. 2 Nephi 25:1. ↩︎
16. Mosiah 12:20-21. ↩︎
17. Isaiah 2:8. ↩︎