Old Testament # 39
“How Beautiful upon the Mountains”
Isaiah 50–53
Introduction
I’m quite envious that Kara gets to teach this lesson which contains some of the most well-known and oft-quoted chapters from the Book of Isaiah in which the Lord’s might and majesty are contrasted with His willingness to reach out to each one of His lowly creatures. And yet “we like sheep . . . .”
But then I get to talk about the Millennium. Have you looked ahead to next year’s curriculum--Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families(New Testament)is already available in the Gospel Library app, and for Kara and for me, Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School,will mirror what you are doing in your homes. Since Sunday School will only happen twice a month, we will probably pick from the content of those two weeks’ lessons. But the focus will be on what you have learned and hopefully help us all in our Christ-centered home learning.
But back to these wonderful Isaiah chapters. Having had foot surgery twice in the past 18 months, I really appreciate how much our feet do and how lost we would be without them. The symbolism used by Isaiah has more to do with the message brought by those feet upon the mountains than the actual feet themselves. However, even though someone once told me I had the ugliest feet he had ever seen! I find what they do beautiful: they walk alongside the iron rod so that I can hold on to it, the Savior guides them, with them I step one step into the darkness. My favorite poem/song is “Jerusalem” by William Blake which asks the question, “And did those feet in ancient times/Walk upon England’s mountains green?” Referring to the possible visit of the Savior as a child accompanying his purported uncle, Joseph of Arimathea.[1]And it is those feet of the Savior that bear the nail marks as a testimony to us of His Atonement. So feet are an important symbol.
It is also interesting that it is Abinadi who quotes Isaiah 53 in the Book of Mormon. This poignant chapter that encapsulates the Savior’s life, death, resurrection, and eternal glory must have been the beacon of hope to Abinadi as he boldly sealed his testimony with his life, trusting in the power of the Savior’s Atonement.
If you look to references to Isaiah 53 in General Conference addresses, you will see that all afflictions we, as humans, suffer, have been Atoned for by the Savior. There is nothing that he cannot help us with and through, from His personal experience of exactly what we are experiencing. With regard to sin, Elder Holland said:
Most people in trouble end up crying, “What was I thinking?” Well, whatever they were thinking, they weren’t thinking of Christ. Yet, as members of His Church, we pledge every Sunday of our lives to take upon ourselves His name and promise to “always remember him.” So let us work a little harder at remembering Him—especially that He has “borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows …, [that] he was bruised for our iniquities … ; and with his stripes we are healed.” Surely it would guide our actions in a dramatic way if we remembered that every time we transgress, we hurt not only those we love, but we also hurt Him, who so dearly loves us. But if we do sin, however serious that sin may be, we can be rescued by that same majestic figure, He who bears the only name given under heaven whereby anyman or woman can be saved. When confronting our transgressions and our souls are harrowed up with true pain, may we all echo the repentant Alma and utter his life-changing cry: “O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me.”[2]
With regard to challenges, Elder Oaks said:
Our Savior experienced and suffered the fulness of all mortal challenges “according to the flesh” so He could know “according to the flesh” how to “succor [which means to give relief or aid to] his people according to their infirmities.” He therefore knows our struggles, our heartaches, our temptations, and our suffering, for He willingly experienced them all as an essential part of His Atonement. And because of this, His Atonement empowers Him to succor us—to give us the strength to bear it all.[3]
Finally, getting back to feet, the Word of Wisdom tells us that we might “run and not be weary; . . . walk and not faint” (D&C 89:20). For that—which surely has to do with spreading the Gospel—we need our feet, symbolically made strong and capable by the nails in His feet, the covenants we make in the Temple, and our faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Additional Material
The Institute Manual has an enrichment section on Isaiah, here
BYU Professor Don Parry put out a book called Visualizing Isaiahwhich you can read here
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