Busy week? Me too. LDS Living is here to catch you up and get you ready for discussions on Sunday. Here’s a nugget of wisdom from this week’s Come, Follow Me study of 2 Nephi 11–19.
According to the Old Testament Institute manual, about one-third of Isaiah is quoted during the Book of Mormon. This week we start into the longest continuous stretch where another prophet is referenced in the Book of Mormon, and as with much of Isaiah’s prophecies, they center on Christ.
The Ancient Temple
In my first year of seminary in high school we studied the Doctrine and Covenants, and I remember from that first lesson that Doctrine and Covenants Section 1 was written and added later as an intro to the book. This week on the Sunday on Monday podcast we learned from Tammy and Hebrew and Egyptian scholar Kerry Muhlestein that the first chapter of Isaiah may have been added later in a similar way. So when Nephi starts this part of his writings with Isaiah 2, that could be why.
So how does Isaiah 2 start? It’s with the temple of the Lord.
2 Nephi 12:2 (also Isaiah 2:2)
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s chouse shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
It is exciting to see almost weekly updates on temple construction and how these houses of the Lord are going up in the tops of the mountains all over the world. But Isaiah’s thoughts on the temple don’t end with them just being established.
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2 Nephi 18:14 (also Isaiah 8:14) talks about the Lord being a sanctuary. And the physical sanctuary for the people in Isaiah’s day, with its literal walls of protection, would have been the temple. But Isaiah compares that location which they understood to be safe with how it feels to be with Christ. And we can draw on that similarity too.
When I go to the temple now, it is not to avoid the traps and snares of my enemies, but it is to escape (even just for an hour) the biggest trap I face: an endless scroll on social media. As with many things in life, a little Instagram or TikTok isn’t bad, but its code is designed to make you spend more than a little time on it. It can become a modern-day “gin and snare,” like is mentioned in 2 Nephi 18, but the Lord and His house can also be like a sanctuary. The temple is the only place left in my life where I leave my phone at the door, literally. It stays in my car before I walk in the doors and I can feel the relief.
Online self-control (or lack thereof) is maybe the lowest-stakes trap that the temple can save us from. It can also stand as a beacon and reminder that God is here for us. It can teach us we are all alike before God. It can serve as inspiration when we feel like heaven is too far away.
Isaiah’s writings are full of anticipation for the Lord to come to His people. We are now in a time where we are waiting for Him to come again. And the temple has always been a place where we can put that in focus.
So that was my takeaway this week. To hear more takeaways from other Latter-day Saints on this block of scripture, join our study group on Facebook and Instagram.
Sunday on Monday is a Come, Follow Me podcast hosted by Tammy Uzelac Hall that is released every Monday to guide you through the scripture readings for the week. This week covers 2 Nephi 11–19 and our podcast guest was Kerry Muhlestein. You can listen to full episodes on Deseret Bookshelf Plus and find out more at ldsliving.com/sundayonmonday.
