An eminent danger in following a man rather than Jesus Christ is that people so habituated who become disillusioned with one leader will simply transfer their allegiance to another. As false christs and false prophets will be the order of the day (Matthew 24:24), these will find fertile soil among persons who aren’t grounded in […]
Isaiah’s method of prophesying end-time events based on types or patterns from the past provides a safeguard against counterfeits, which inevitably precede and accompany the real thing. False prophets and messiahs, delusive promises of deliverance, spurious “miracles”—all will test people’s faith in God and their knowledge of the facts. The comforting thing about Isaiah’s prophecies
Patterns from Israel’s Past—A Sure Guideline Read More »
If we apply the scriptures’ bad news to ourselves first, then there is a chance we can qualify for the good news. Those who do the reverse tend to apply the bad news to others, often exhibiting a peculiar inability to believe what the scriptures plainly say. So when we find ourselves nearing the end-time
The claim that the prophet Joseph Smith is God’s servant in the Book of Isaiah has confused many in a day when fake news is supplanting the truth. Touted by some who hop on the servant bandwagon without feeling a need to search diligently, these persons simply appropriate Avraham Gileadi’s decades of discoveries for their
In a day when the iniquity of the world’s inhabitants has reached surfeit and God is preaching his own sermons by pouring out his judgments without measure, do we really believe that turning to the arm of flesh for a solution will remedy things and not indict us even more? So predicts Isaiah in the
Compensatory Measures Read More »
The prophet Isaiah’s going naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and portent against Egypt—the world’s great superpower of his day—contrasts sharply with the comfort zone of Babylon’s high rises that lend a God-like view over the landscape. Isaiah’s extensive literary devices show that ancient Egypt typifies modern America in the world’s end-time
It is no secret that when a person transgresses against God and doesn’t quickly repent, he loses the light he once had. The result is that spiritual blindness sets in, perhaps without the person himself realizing it. Or he may even assume he sees more clearly now—especially the faults of others—as he unconsciously seeks to
Collective Remorse Read More »
I remember a talk by Elder Neal A. Maxwell to the effect that the further a person progresses spiritually, the greater the paradoxes he experiences. Certainly, the descent phase of testing that precedes spiritual ascent on Isaiah’s ladder to heaven increases in intensity so that it matches the spiritual rebirth that follows on the next
As we observe freedoms in our nation being systematically eliminated on a daily basis and political leverage flagrantly overriding law and order—while few in leadership positions evidence willingness to dissent—I am reminded of what brought God’s people together when facing tyranny in scriptural times. Wasn’t it that they “remembered the captivity of their fathers” and
While there exist beliefs we have in common that unite us, many other beliefs exist that divide us. The ten virgins in Jesus’ parable were evidently united in their common beliefs. But when it came to the truth of God and his Holy Spirit, five were not only lacking but were actually “deceived” (Doctrine &
Belief or Unbelief? Read More »
People commonly think of all messianic prophecies as referring to one Messiah. Christians identify that person exclusively with Jesus, while Jews identify him just as exclusively with an endtime David. Neither group appears to allow room for the other’s point of view. While there may indeed be only one Messiah, we nevertheless find that all
The Twofold Nature of Messianic Prophecies Read More »
The Lord’s promise to Joseph in Egypt that he would raise up a “choice seer” out of his lineage (2 Nephi 3:6–7, 11, 14) was supremely fulfilled in the Prophet Joseph Smith. The “work” he would perform, which would be “of great worth” to Joseph’s descendants, consisted in part of bringing forth the Book of
One Like unto Moses Read More »
