It
should be exhilarating for every member of the Church to read of Isaiah’s prophecy
of the gathering of the House of Israel in the last days. Chapter 29 of Isaiah
in particular, because it authenticates the greatest treasure in our possession
which is the key component of this gathering, the Book of Mormon.
Modern
day historians are yet to discover the meaning of the ‘sealed’ book that Isaiah
spoke of in verses 11-12 which was to begin a ‘marvellous work and a wonder’ (v 14) being the restoration of the
priesthood, Christ’s Church, the ordinances and the gospel truths (see also The
Old Testament Student Manual Book 2 p 165).
It
is a wonder why the Lord used an uneducated man such as Joseph Smith to
translate the Book of Mormon rather than an educated one who would no doubt
have had more clout amongst the academia of the world and would successfully validate
the translation of the plates as an authentic record of an American civilisation
that once was.
I
strongly suspect if this was the case, the world would not recognise the Lord
as the one to who was responsible for this “marvellous work and a wonder” but
would lay the credit to the intellect of man instead. Joseph’s education was
very ordinary attained in the country schools in the vicinity in which he had
lived. He could read and write a little yet he did not, like Professor Anthon
of New York City, refuse to read a ‘sealed book’. When the book was delivered
to him and he was requested to read it, he replied: “ I am not learned” yet
that did not stop him from being a willing instrument in God’s hands to
translate the record.
I
am astounded that anyone could read the Book of Mormon that was translated by
an uneducated man and not believe in its authenticity and the power of God that
made it so.
Isaiah
spoke of the spiritual blindness being lifted from the people who will come to ‘hear’
the words of ‘a sacred book’ before Lebanon shall be turned into a ‘fruitful
field’ (vs 17-19):
“Where
is that book? It is one of the signs of the times. Not only did the prophets
predict its appearance, but Isaiah set a limit on the time of its publication.
That time limit was related to the period when fertility would return to
Palestine. Isaiah said that the book would come forth first, and then added
that in ‘a very little while….Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and
the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest’ (v 17).
“The
time has expired. This new volume of scripture must have come forth before now
or Isaiah was not a true prophet, for Palestine is fruitful again.” (Elder Mark
E. Petersen, in Conference Report, Oct. 1965, p 61)
And
here is the proof that the Book of Mormon is indeed the book Isaiah spoke of.
Isaiah did not only see the destruction of Jerusalem (vs 1-3), he also saw the
destruction of a people on the American continent whose speech ‘shall be low
out of the dust’ through the words of
the book that was brought forth ‘out of the ground’ (v 4).
American
prophet Nephi spoke of the destruction of his people when he said that they
shall write the things which shall be done among them, ‘and they shall be written
and sealed up in a book’ and yet they shall be brought down low in the dust and
they shall speak out of the ground (2 Nephi 26:15-17).
“How
could Joseph Smith have known these things when the Book of Mormon was
published even before this Church was organized, except for the fact that the
Book of Mormon is the promised record that God said he would bring forth and
join to the record of Judah. How could anyone understand this prophecy of
Isaiah without the explanation contained in the Book of Mormon?” (Elder LeGrand
Richards, in Conference Report April 1963, p 118)
The
book Isaiah spoke of was taken from the ground, just as Isaiah prophesied, by
the hand of the angel Moroni and delivered to Joseph Smith on 22 September 1827.
The book stands as a second witness of Jesus Christ, that He lived, was
crucified and that He was resurrected. It contains the fulness of the gospel of
Jesus Christ (D&C 20:8-12; 42:12), is the keystone of our religion and is
central to the Gathering of Israel.
“The
coming forth of the Book of Mormon is a sign to the entire world that the Lord
has commenced to gather Israel and fulfill covenants He made to Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob….the Book of Mormon is central to this work. It declares the doctrine
of the gathering. It causes people to learn about Jesus Christ, to believe His
gospel, and to join His Church. In fact, if there were no Book of Mormon, the
promised gathering of Israel would not occur.”
(President Russell M. Nelson, “The Book of Mormon, the Gathering of
Israel, and the Second Coming”, Ensign, November 2006, 80).
The
publication of the Book of Mormon has topped 200 million copies worldwide
according to the official Church news release in April 2024.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
