“Most of us experience some measure of what the scriptures call ‘the furnace of affliction’ (Isaiah 48:10; 1 Nephi 20:10). Some are submerged in service to a disadvantaged family member. Others suffer the death of a loved one or the loss or postponement of a righteous goal like marriage or childbearing. Still others struggle with personal impairments or with feelings of rejection, inadequacy, or depression. Through the justice and mercy of a loving Father in Heaven, the refinement and sanctification possible through such experiences can help us achieve what God desires us to become” (Oaks, “Challenge to Become,” 33–34).
“If the Isaiah verses in the Book of Mormon were removed from their present position and collected into one place, [they] would constitute a book with 592 verses, and be larger than what would remain in 12 of the 15 books in the Book of Mormon. The accompanying graph lists the number of verses in each book. … Books are listed in order of their size, demonstrating that a book of Isaiah verses would be the fourth largest in the Book of Mormon” (Garner, Search These Things Diligently, 68–69).