(3 Ne.16:17–20; 20:11–12; Morm. 8:23)
Isaiah spoke to scattered Israel and the Gentiles throughout many centuries, not just to the Israelites of his time (3 Ne. 23:2). Thus, any one group of people (such as Latter-day Saints) in a particular time might not easily understand how his message would apply directly to them. Many of his prophecies had double or even triple fulfillment in later generations.
(Victor L. Ludlow, Unlocking the Old Testament [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1981], 151.)
The Savior’s exhortation to “search” Isaiah’s writings “diligently” is instructive. His choice of words suggests that more than a casual reading of the text is required to best comprehend and be blessed by the prophet’s message. Rather than a quick and superficial “frisk” of text, the Lord is asking for a thorough and careful investigation, looking for clues, insights, and evidences that will edify and enhance our understanding.
(Terry Ball, Thy People Shall Be My People and Thy God My God: The 22nd Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1994], 17.)
When the Savior commands us to read Isaiah, we should respond. But to understand it, we must read the Book of Mormon along with it, for that volume opens our eyes to the genuine meaning in his words. And further, we must look to the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who also provides valuable background for those ancient prophecies.
It is sad indeed to read the efforts of both Jewish and Gentile scholars as they try to interpret some of Isaiah’s words… .
Isaiah is definitely for today. His dealings with the ancient kings of Judah and his confrontations with them over the attacks of the Assyrians and the Babylonians are all in the past. Reference to them is strictly historical and has little relevance for us.
But his writings concerning Christ, the restoration of the gospel, the gathering of the Twelve Tribes, and the second coming of the Lord are all relevant—very much so. In them he writes both about us and to us who live right now. He not only tells much about the restoration of the gospel that has already taken place, such as the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, but he also foretells the signs of the coming of Christ. The signs of the times are now all about us. Shall we not give heed to them?
(Mark E. Petersen, Isaiah for Today [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1981], 6–8.)
Not only are Isaiah’s writings distinctive but the man himself seems to stand out as an anomaly when compared with other prophets of his dispensation. When we think of an Old Testament prophet, we may picture a humble, simple man, one living in the wilderness and being fed by ravens like Elijah the Tishbite (1 Kgs. 17:3–4), or perhaps a gatherer of sycamore fruit and a herdsman like Amos (Amos 7:14). Isaiah seems to have been a man of relatively high social station who could find audience with kings (see, for example, Isa. 37:1–73; 38:1). Josephus proposes that King Hezekiah was actually Isaiah’s son-in-law. Moreover, the complexity and beauty of his writings, complete with all the poetic elements of metaphor, parallelism, and elevated language, reflect his station as a well-educated man. Furthermore, Isaiah enjoyed exceptional longevity as an Old Testament prophet, serving half a century from about 740 b.c. to about 690 b.c. under four different kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (Isa. 1:1)… .
A pseudepigraphic work known as the Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah records that Isaiah’s life ended when he was sawn in half by King Hezekiah’s wicked son Manasseh, a claim supported by Josephus. See “Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah,” in The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, ed. James H. Charlesworth (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1985), 163. See also Ginsberg, Legends of the Jews, 4:279. The circumstances surrounding the martyrdom are different in the Josephus account, but both accounts identify Manasseh as the one responsible for Isaiah’s tragic death.
(Terry B. Ball, Voices of Old Testament Prophets:The 26th Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 47, 57–58.)
Isaiah, when facing a difficult teaching situation, did not use the parable as a tool; instead, he veiled his message in clouds of symbolism, poetry, and complex terminology. In other words, instead of speaking at a simple level and letting his listeners build upon that foundation, Isaiah spoke at a high intellectual and spiritual level, thus challenging or even forcing his listeners to attain that level before they could begin to understand his words. Isaiah was not only difficult, he was deliberately difficult. We must study his words, wrestle with them, and ponder them at great length before his powerful, sublime teachings begin to emerge and inspire us. Because of this, it is easy to become discouraged and give up before we begin to understand his message. However, through serious and prayerful study, when we finally grasp the language and ideas of a particular chapter until they not only make sense, but enlighten and inspire as well, we realize that we have arrived at a profound level of understanding.
(Victor L. Ludlow, Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], 134–35)