A kind friend not of my faith shared two verses from Isaiah recently that I felt to study deeply.

“Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour (Isaiah 43:10-11).”

These are lovely verses, with so much power in them.  But they are not quoted as frequently as they perhaps should be in my faith tradition of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The reason is probably explained by Jacob in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

“Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God (Jacob 4:8).”

To be wise and not despise the revelations of God, what has been revealed about Him?  I was drawn to continue my study with the revelation of Stephen, at his martyrdom.

“But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God (Acts 7:55–56).”

It is interesting to me that all three members of the Godhead are present for this revelation: the Holy Ghost who enables Stephen to see God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. This experience hearkens to the founding vision for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by Joseph Smith, a fourteen-year-old boy searching for the truth about God in 1820.

“I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! (Joseph Smith–History 1:16–19)”

Joseph asked which church he should join.  In response, the Savior quoted Isaiah 29:13. That made me wonder what would it have been like if the God had quoted Isaiah 43:10–11 to Stephen during his vision?  As I read it, I imagined the feelings it might have evoked if He had done so.

“Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord.”  God certainly could have said that to Stephen in that moment.  What a witness Stephen was!  “And my servant whom I have chosen.”  Again, what a servant!  And how comforting to Stephen to know at that moment he was chosen in spite of the mob’s actions.  “That ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he.”  Yes, there is no doubt that was God’s purpose in giving Stephen this vision, and allowing him to bear witness of these things as a chosen vessel at the moment of his martyrdom.

And like in Joseph Smith’s First Vision, I can imagine God the Father declaring who he was, saying, “before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.”  That is right.  To us there is no other God besides God the Father.  And then again like in Joseph’s vision, God the Father’s Only Begotten Son could have added, “I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.”

Such sentiments accord completely with the revelation of Jesus Christ known as the Book of Mormon.  For example: 

“And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent (Mosiah 3:17).”

There is no Savior besides Jesus Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.  As another Book of Mormon prophet testifies of the first of the Ten Commandments, there are no other God’s besides God the Father. “I am the Lord thy God, who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other God before me (Mosiah 12:34–25).”

Again, as Joseph Smith wrote, “For, behold, the mystery of godliness, how great is it!” (D&C 19:10) The first prophet of the Book of Mormon, Nephi, after a revelation to him about the nature of the Godhead including hearing the voice of God the Father and Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost, closed with similar sentiments to Isaiah about the centrality of Jesus Christ role.

“And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen (2 Nephi 31:21).”

In fact, perhaps Joseph Smith’s greatest testimony of God the Father and Jesus Christ (along with Sydney Rigdon) is recorded in D&C 76:22–24:

“And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.”

Interestingly enough, this section begins with these verses, which echo Isaiah strongly:

“Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is no Savior. Great is his wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doings none can find out” (D&C 76:1–2).

What wonderful verses Isaiah has given us. I appreciate my friend prompting me to study those verses so much more deeply, for my friends the missionaries helping me do so over numerous dinners, and for the freedom of my country allowing me to express my beliefs so clearly. As the Savior said, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them (Matthew 7:20).”