Chapter 23

Jesus will come again to the earth.  This time he will be coming in glory.  When he comes, the wicked people on the earth will be destroyed.  Their spirits will go to the spirit world to be taught and nurtured by a loving but just God.  They will suffer the consequences of their sins but will not remain in hell forever.  God is a loving person who will eventually rescue their souls.  Meanwhile, the righteous sons and daughters of God who remain on the earth will enjoy the fruits of their righteousness.  We will carry on the work of salvation.  We will live our lives free of Satan’s temptations and power.  We will not experience death.  Our wives will not suffer in child bearing.  It will be a thousand years of peace and joy.  We can have this happiness now.  We can choose the right way. The right way is to follow Jesus, keep his commandments, and walk in holiness day to day.   

Chapter 22

Feeling grateful and giving thanks to our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ is important to spirituality and well being.  Gratitude swells within us. We let go of fear and feel the presence of a Loving Father.    

Chapter 21

D&C 113 gives some answers about who the “rod,” “stem,” and “root,” of Jesse are.  Suffice it to say Jesus is the Stem and Joseph Smith is the Root.  The identity of the rod is not stated.  The glorious peace of the Millennium is described by Isaiah.  Little children will grow up without fear!  Faith will flourish.  We must try to eliminate fear from our lives now.    

Chapter 20

Regarding our ability to function without God, he asks, “Shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it?”  

Chapter 19

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”  Can you hear it?  Handel’s pen has engraved it upon our hearts.  Do you believe it?  Jesus is the Christ; he will take care of us forever.

Chapter 18

Isaiah’s two sons were named by the Lord.  “Things are going to get very bad” and “Things are going to get a lot better,” were the two names…really.  My interpretations are pretty close.  One name, Maher-shalal-hash-baz, is named for the destruction and captivity of Israel by Assyria.  The other name, Shearjashub, is named for when Israel is freed from bondage and gathered in.  We have named our children after our parents, close friends, or because we just liked the name.  We love each of our children and grandchildren and we honor their sacred names. 

Chapter 17

This chapter reminds me of Handel’s Messiah because of vs. 14: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign—Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”  According to Stefan Zweig, author of Decisive Moments in History, the 21^st of August, 1741, Handel received the lyrics for the Messiah from his lyricist, Jennens, the poet who had written the words for two previous oratorios by Handel. The music descended from the heavens into Handel’s pen as a rushing of many waters. After three short weeks wherein Handel hardly ate, drank, or slept, the work was completed.  Handel put down his pen on September 14^th (Zweig, pp. 63-83). I especially love this book because my friend, Lowell Bangerter, translated it from German into English.