Fact: Isaiah Can Sometimes be Hard

President Boyd K. Packer once shared the story of his first attempt at reading the Book of Mormon when he was 10. He said that he started reading the book and began to feel fairly comfortable with the book. Then he hit the section of 2 Nephi where Isaiah is quoted extensively. Because of the difficulty in understanding this section of the text he chose to give up and stop reading. Eventually he did return and managed to make it passed what he called the Isaiah barrier and read through the Book of Mormon. (See: Boyd K. Packer, "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ")

For readers of the Book of Mormon President Packer offers advises, "You, too, may be tempted to stop there (the chapters where Isaiah is quoted), but do not do it! Do not stop reading! Move forward through those difficult-to-understand chapters of Old Testament prophecy, even if you understand very little of it. Move on, if all you do is skim and merely glean an impression here and there. Move on, if all you do is look at the words." ("The Things of my Soul")

Jesus Christ taught us that "Great are the words of Isaiah". (3 Nephi 23:1) In the Book of Mormon we are given a commandment to search the words of Isaiah. (3 Nephi 23:1) Isaiah's words teach us about the Lord's covenants with his children as well as bear powerful testimony of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately Isaiah also wrote things that are harder to understand. Even Nephi knew this when he testified that "Isaiah spake many things which were hard to be understood". (2 Nephi 25:1)

 In order to help us to follow the Savior's command to study the words of Isaiah Elder Bruce R. McConkie gave the following tips to understanding Isaiah: 

"- Gain an Over-All Knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and of God’s Dealings with His Earthly Children...
- Learn the Position and Destiny of the House of Israel in the Lord’s Eternal Scheme of Things...
- Know the Chief Doctrines about Which Isaiah Chose to Write...
- Use the Book of Mormon...
- Use Latter-Day revelation...
- Learn how the New Testament interprets Isaiah...
- Study Isaiah in its Old Testament context...
- Learn the Manner of Prophesying Used among the Jews in Isaiah’s Day...
- Have the Spirit of prophesy...
- Devote yourself to hard, conscientious study..."  (Bruce R. McConkie, "Ten Keys to Understanding Isaiah")

As we carefully study the words of Isaiah we will gain greater insight into what God has done for us and our eternal destiny.