Avraham’s Mailbox

Question: In what ways is the fulness of gospel different from the basic principles of the gospel? Answer: After we define the gospel’s basic principles as faith in Jesus Christ, repentance of transgressions, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost—the latter […]

Question: Does Isaiah say anything about the return from exile of Israel’s Ten Lost Tribes who were taken captive into Assyria? Answer: The short answer to the Ten Tribes’ return from exile is that just as they went captive into ancient Assyria in Isaiah’s day (circa 722 B.C.), so they will return from exile out

Question: If the prophecies of Isaiah are about the end of the world, where does he speak about America, and what does he predict for this nation? Answer: To answer that question, a quick review of exactly how Isaiah prophesies the end of the world is warranted, followed by what he prophesies of end-time America.

Question: What is so important about understanding the words of Isaiah that the Savior makes it a commandment to search them diligently (3 Nephi 23:1)? Also, why does he call them “great”? Aren’t the words of other prophets great also, including the words of modern prophets? Answer: The fact that only one prophet appears in

Question: In a class discussion, the question arose as to when Gentiles become numbered among those of the house of Israel. Many have the belief that when they are baptized and make a covenant with the Lord they are adopted into the house of Israel. And yet the scriptures indicate that collectively we are a

Question: If we are living in the last days, how should we account for the apparent discrepancy between how Isaiah severely censures God’s people and today’s faithful members of the church? Answer: By the “last days,” do you mean (1) since the time the gospel was restored; (2) the present time; or (3) the time

Question: Will members of the church be saved from major calamities and caught up in the air to meet the Savior? Answer: Isaiah predicts that the Lord comes as Savior only to those who repent of worldliness and idolatry. To the remainder of humanity, he comes “as a thief in the night” (cf. 2 Peter

Question: Would not the spiritual kings and queens of the Gentiles who gather God’s “sons” and “daughters” of the house of Israel (Isaiah 49:22–23) be themselves of the house of Israel? Answer: Hosea’s prophecy that “Ephraim has assimilated among the nations (hitboleil ba’amim); Ephraim is an unturned pancake” (Hosea 7:8) affirms Jacob’s birthright blessing on

Question: What does Isaiah teach about how to live through the time when his prophecies are starting to be fulfilled, especially as it concerns members of the church? Answer: While the words of Isaiah spell out ahead of time how the end of the world is going to unfold, they indeed also reveal what pulls

Question: How can you tell the difference between when Isaiah is speaking about the Lord and when he is speaking about the servant? Answer: Whereas the Lord identifies himself as the God of Israel, the servant does not. Each refers to the other as a different person than himself. Yet, both suffer in the course

Question: On one hand Nephi says that in order to understand the things of the prophets one must understand “the manner of the things of the Jews” (2 Nephi 25:5). On the other hand he says, “I have not taught them many things concerning the manner of the Jews; for their works were works of

Question: How is the law translated beings observe different from that of other celestial people? Answer: While all celestial persons such as God’s elect keep a celestial law, some do so on a higher spiritual level than others. What set the three Nephite disciples of Jesus who inherited the Father’s kingdom apart from the nine