© 2024 by Kip M. Twitchell. All rights reserved.

Abstract

By using of Isaiah 2–14 to foreshadow the major events of Nephite history, Nephi provides a pattern for finding events of the Restoration and modern history in the Isaiah 24–35. Likening these verses to the modern day, one can see the Great Apostacy, the Reformation, the founding and growth of the United States, the Restoration, the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, the Civil War, World War II, and the growth of the modern Church, all in chronological order.

Introduction

Nephi invites his readers to “liken” Isaiah to themselves in his first and last quotations of Isaiah (1 Nephi 19:23–24; 2 Nephi 11:2, 8). In my own experience of “likening” the scriptures to myself, I have been surprised when a passage speaks to my situation so clearly.

In a separate paper, I presented evidence that Nephi clearly likened Isaiah chapters 2–14 to his descendants and to Nephite history.[i] Nephi’s example of how to liken Isaiah increases our ability to do so, making Isaiah much more understandable. This paper shows how it can do the same thing for another passage of Isaiah.

Inspired by the events of his time, Isaiah recorded patterns of God’s dealings with the house of Israel, but the Old Testament events which inspired Isaiah’s record are familiar to few today. The Savior testified that Isaiah “spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel” (3 Nephi 23:2), which would surely include God’s latter-day people. Seeing these patterns of God’s dealings with His people may be easier for modern-day readers by likening them to modern-day history.

While one cannot “prove” that a passage in Isaiah was intended to describe a specific event, attempting to find such connections deepens the meaning of Isaiah’s words.

An Anchor and Starting Boundary

My discovery of Nephite history in Isaiah’s chapters started by finding a possible connection between Isaiah’s words and an event in Nephite history. That connection proved to be an anchor from which the rest of Isaiah’s text could be analyzed. Similarly, Isaiah 29 provides a possible anchor for the events of the Restoration, based upon 2 Nephi 27. In this chapter, Nephi clearly connects Isaiah with Joseph Smith’s experience in translating the Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 27:6–26, Isaiah 29:11–12, and Joseph Smith–History 1:63–65).

After locating an anchor, it is helpful to identify the story’s potential starting boundary. Again, Nephi’s provides an example of how to do this: Nephi respected the structure of Isaiah, selecting two clearly designated “sections” of Isaiah, starting with the “word” of the Lord given to Jerusalem in Isaiah 2:1 and continuing through the “burden” given to Babylon in Isaiah 13:1 through chapter 14.[ii] Looking for a similar possible starting point prior to Isaiah 29 points to Isaiah 24, immediately after the end of Isaiah’s country-specific warnings in Isaiah 23.

Summary in Prominent Verses

A rapid reading of these chapters highlights numerous verses which resonate with the Restoration storyline, the earliest of which sets the stage for the Restoration more than a millennium earlier.

The Great Apostacy is foreshadowed in Isaiah 24:1, 5, and 22: “Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste . . . and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. . . . The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. . . . And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison.”

The renaissances are perhaps alluded to in 25:6–7: “The Lord of hosts [shall] make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy . . . the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations.”

The founding of the United States is suggested in 26:2 and 15: “Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. . . . Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord, . . . thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.”

The growth of the US is described in 27:6, 12–13: “He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. . . . And ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. . . . They shall come which were ready to perish.”

Joseph Smith’s and others’ preparation is visible in 28:2, 9–10: “Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one. . . . Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, . . . line upon line, . . . here a little, and there a little.”

The Book of Mormon and the First Vision are clearly pictured in 29:12–13: “And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.”

The martyrdom of Joseph Smith can be seen in 30:9–10: “This is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.”

The gathering of the Saints in the west is foretold in 32:15–18: “Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.. . . . And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation . . . and in quiet resting places.”

The growth of the Church is prefigured in 33:20: “Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.”

The atomic warfare of the last days is hinted at in 34:2 and 4: “For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. . . . And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.”

The continued gathering of Israel is implied in 35:1, 3, 8, and 10: “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. . . . And an highway shall be there. . . . And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

Detailed Theme Analysis

The following are less prominent but supporting themes that might be likened to the Restoration.

The Great Apostacy, Dark Ages, and Reformation (Isaiah 24–25)

The first chapter describes an utterly cheerless time. “The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh” (Isaiah 24:7), and this is true for all peoples (vv. 2, 21), who are shut up in this prison “many days” (v. 22).

The theme turns hopeful with prayers the reformers might have offered. “O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things. . . . For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress” (Isaiah 25:1, 4). The people have “waited” for the “feast of fat things,” deeply contrasting with the prior centuries (vv. 9, 6). “And he will destroy . . . the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations” (v. 7).

The Age of Exploration, Revolutionary War, and Founding of America (Isaiah 26–27)

As noted above, the “gates” are opened for a new nation, “which keepeth the truth” (Isaiah 26:2, 15). The birth of it is with attendant pains, “like as a woman with child . . . . is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O Lord” (vv. 17–18). In fact, the founding generation “lives,” perhaps in extended memory, for years (v. 19), in contrast to those who fought against it (vv. 13–14).

The theme of growth of the country in comparison to the Old World decline continues in Isaiah 27. The “strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent” (v. 1) and the old-world’s “defenced city shall be desolate” (v. 10) as children are gathered “one by one” (v. 12) and the new world blossoms (v. 6).

The Second Great Awakening and Restoration (Isaiah 28–29)

As noted, there is “a mighty and strong one” (Isaiah 28:2) being prepared line upon line (vv. 9–10), but the others of “Ephraim” who are gathered to the US are not supportive of the Lord’s work, wearing instead a “crown of pride” (v. 3). The contrast between those preparing for the Restoration and those not is stark (vv. 5–8), like the contrast in the First Vision and the moments before (see also vv. 14–22). The Lord, who is “excellent in working,” carefully cultivates the field in preparation for the Restoration (vv. 23–29).

Not only does Isaiah 29 document the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, but it also contains the one verse quoted by the Savior in the First Vision. The Restoration helps those “that erred in spirit [who] shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine” (Isaiah 29:24).

The Martyrdom of Joseph Smith, Westward Migration, Civil War, and Manifesto (Isaiah 30–32)

The results of the Martyrdom upon the nation are evident starting in Isaiah 30.1: “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me. . . . that they may add sin to sin.” The “lying children” reject the prophets, as noted above (vv. 9–10), foreshadowing the coming judgement of the Civil War: “Because ye despise this word, . . . this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall . . . suddenly at an instant” (vv. 12–13).

This contrasts with those who are guided by the Lord to know where to go. “And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you. . . . Blessed are all they that wait for him. For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more . . . though the Lord give you the bread of adversity . . . but thine eyes shall see thy teachers [and] hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (vv. 18–21)

Then Isaiah returns back to God’s punishment. “Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire: And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck.” And with waves of battles “will he fight with it” (Isaiah 30:27–28, 32; also see footnote 32a).

The Egyptians—to the south of Israel—and the Assyrians—to the north—both suffer (Isaiah 31:1–3, 8–9; see also 30:31). This “place of burning” has been prepared for a king (Isaiah 30:33; see footnote 33a) who “shall reign in righteousness,” perhaps like Abraham Lincoln (Isaiah 32:1).

Trouble over plural marriage can be seen in mean-spirited people who “speak villany” and “work iniquity.” They “practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord” (v. 6). “And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest (v. 2),” while women are troubled “many days and years . . . . until the spirit be poured upon us from on high” (vv. 9–15), perhaps like the Manifesto. The trouble resolves into “peace” and “quietness.” “And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places” (vv. 17–18), perhaps prompted by the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple.

International Troubles, Growth of Zion, WWII and Blossoming of the Church (Isaiah 33–35)

International trouble follows: “At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered. . . . Their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man” (Isaiah 33:3, 7–9).

Modern warfare may be suggested as the people “conceive chaff” and “bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you. And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire” (vv. 11, 12).

At the same time, the Church grows, as noted above, and “no stakes thereof shall ever be removed (v. 20). “The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure” (vv. 5, 6).

Perhaps war comes again, “For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcasses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood” (Isaiah 34: 2–3).

The description sounds similar to atomic war: “And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll. . . . For my sword shall be bathed in heaven. . . . The sword of the Lord is filled with blood. . . . For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. . . . And the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever” (vv. 4–6, 8–10).

The wilderness—the Church—continues to blossom “as the rose” (Isaiah 35:1). “It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing. . . . Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. . . . And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. . . . And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness” (Isaiah 35:2, 5, 7, 8).

There are no major themes in these chapters which do not support this narrative of events in chronological order, which, as Welch notes, was important to Nephi’s likening of Isaiah.[iii]

Ending Boundary

Isaiah 36 begins a new thematic section—a narrative of his interaction with King Hezekiah over threats from Assyria—which continues through chapter 39. The tone of the text is very, very different. It resonates in many respects with the Cold War, as many national leaders and advisors struggle to avoid mutually assured destruction. But determining the end of these events is not obvious.

Isaiah 40 marks the beginning of the next section with another change in tone, opening almost immediately with the very familiar “voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3), perhaps signaling a reset in chronology.

Alternatively, the chronology of the Restoration might end in Isaiah 35, with the repeating pattern of increasing wickedness and contention alongside increasing righteousness and the gathering of Israel.[iv]

Conclusion

As I have attempted to draw meaning out of Isaiah, particularly in these middle chapters of Isaiah (which, for the most part, are not quoted in the Book of Mormon), I have struggled to pay attention. But likening them to events of the Restoration and modern history increases my understanding of Isaiah’s message dramatically. Nephi’s example in how to liken Isaiah to our own lives is very instructive.

---

[i] Kip M. Twitchell, “Discovering how Isaiah 2–14 Foreshadows Nephite History,” published on-line at https://virtuewheel.com/nephi-isaiah/, March 2024.

[ii] John Gee, “‘Choose the Things That Please Me’: On the Selection of the Isaiah Sections in

the Book of Mormon,” in Donald W. Parry and John W. Welch, eds., Isaiah in the Book of Mormon (1998) Maxwell Institute Publications, 43.

[iii] John W. Welch, “Getting through Isaiah with the Help of the Nephite Prophetic View,” in Donald W. Parry and John W. Welch, eds., Isaiah in the Book of Mormon (1998) Maxwell Institute Publications, 43, p. 23.

[iv] Like the Second Coming type in the Book of Mormon, this pattern may not necessarily be chronological. The events foreshadowed by destruction of the Nephites at the end of the Book of Mormon will happen at the same time as those foreshadowed by destruction of the wicked at the death of the Savior in 3 Nephi, both of which will be concurrent with the salvation of the righteous. (The destruction of the Jaredites in the book of Ether presents another foreshadowing of this same time.)