Nephi Explains Isaiah

Now I, Nephi, will explain some of Isaiah’s words. Many of my people do not understand them very well because they do not understand the way that the Jews prophesied. I have not taught my people much about the Jews because the Jews worked in darkness and sin.

I have written some of Isaiah’s words on my small plates so that my people in this generation and in generations to come will know that God’s judgments will come upon all nations. Because Isaiah’s words are not plain, listen my people who are of the house of Israel. Listen to what I have to say about them.

Isaiah’s words are plain to those who are filled with the spirit of prophecy. I will give you my plain prophecy, for my soul delights to teach in all plainness. My soul delights in Isaiah’s words because like Isaiah, I, too came from Jerusalem. I have seen the Jews’ methods of learning, and I know that by their methods they understand the prophets. No other people understand the prophets the way the Jews do, unless they, too, have learned their methods. I have not taught my children these methods, but I have told them about God’s judgments, prophesied by Isaiah, that have come upon the Jews.

Now I will write my own prophecy plainly so that all may understand:

When Isaiah’s prophecies come to pass, all people will clearly know that his words have been fulfilled. If any of my people feel that Isaiah’s words are not great, I direct my prophecy to them. Isaiah’s words will be of great worth to those who live in the last days because that is when people will understand them. I include Isaiah’s words for the good of those who will live in the last days.

Many generations of Jews have been destroyed at various times, but none were ever destroyed before the Lord’s prophets warned them to repent of their wickedness.

Other prophets warned the Jews just after my father left Jerusalem, but they hardened their hearts. I prophesy that the Jews have been destroyed, except for those captured and taken to Babylon. I know these things because of the Spirit that is in me.

Even though the Jews have been captured, they will return again to possess Jerusalem and the lands of their inheritance. But they will continue to have wars until the Only Begotten of the Father of heaven and earth is born and shows Himself to them in the flesh.

Even then, they will reject Him because of their iniquity, hard hearts, and stubbornness. They will crucify Him, but after three days, He will rise from the dead, and all who believe in His name will be saved in God’s kingdom. My soul delights in prophesying of Him, for I have seen His day. My love for Him causes me to magnify His holy name.

After the Messiah rises from the dead and shows Himself to those who believe in His name, Jerusalem will be destroyed again, for those who fight against God and His church are cursed.

The Jews will be scattered among all nations. The city of Babylon will also be destroyed, so the Jews will be scattered by other nations. The Lord will use these other nations to scatter and persecute the Jews for many generations, until the time comes when the Jews will begin to believe in Christ. And when they begin to believe in Christ, they will believe these prophecies, and the Lord will convert them, setting His hand (servant) a second time to restore His people from their lost and fallen state. To do this, the Lord will begin a marvelous, wonderful work among all people. This marvelous, wonderful work will bring His words to them. These scriptures will judge the house of Israel at the last day because they will come forth to convince them of the true Messiah—that they no longer need to look forward to a Messiah.

If another Messiah should come, he would be a false Messiah, deceiving and flattering the people. But there is only one true Messiah that the prophets spoke of, the one that the Jews will reject when He first comes in the flesh. According to the prophets, the Messiah will come 600 years from the time we left Jerusalem. According to God’s angel, His name will be Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Now, my brothers and sisters, I have spoken plainly so that you cannot misunderstand. As the Lord God lives, and has worked miracles for the children of Israel through His servant, Moses, there is no other name given under heaven except Jesus Christ whereby all can be saved. For this reason, the Lord God promised me that my writings will be preserved and handed down from generation to generation. Through my writings, the promise that He made to Joseph of old—that his descendants will never perish in ignorance of Christ as long as the earth exists—will be fulfilled. This is why my writings will go from generation to generation as long as the earth exists, according to God’s will and pleasure. And the nations who will have my words will be judged by them.

We work diligently to engrave on these plates, to persuade our children and our brothers and sisters to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God. We also know that by His grace we are saved after doing all we can ourselves.

Even though we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, looking forward to Christ until He fulfills the law. We know Christ will fulfill the law of Moses, so the law has become dead to us. We are made alive in Christ because of our faith in Him, yet we keep the law of Moses because of the commandments.

We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write our prophecies. We do this so our children may know to whom they may look for a remission of their sins. We speak about the law of Moses so that our children may know the deadness of it after it has been fulfilled. This knowledge will help them look forward to Christ’s way of life. It will also help them understand why the law of Moses was given, so they will not harden their hearts against Christ as He fulfills the law of Moses. For you, my people, are stubborn. This is why I have spoken so plainly to you—so that you cannot misunderstand. The words I have spoken will stand as a testimony against you because they are enough to teach anyone the right way. The right way is to believe in Christ and not deny Him. By denying Him, you also deny the prophets and the law. Christ is the Holy One of Israel, and you must bow down before Him and worship Him with all your might, mind, and strength—with your whole soul. If you do this, then you will not be cast out. But until Christ comes, you must keep God’s performances and ordinances until the law of Moses is fulfilled.