And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.Now you all know just how much I LOVE the scriptures... or if you don't, you don't really know me at all. haha But whereas many members of the church shy away from studying the Bible, and even the Isaiah chapters in the Book of Mormon, I find that those are some of my favorite parts! It of course helps that I know the history, culture, geography, etc. of the ancient near east. I relish all the interesting cultural tidbits, and the rich descriptions of the land. But I also understand that those details can feel like wading through a quagmire for people who don't already have an appreciation and understanding of the setting and background of the region.
That being said, it's not impossible to gain an understanding and appreciation of these contexts. So if you are one of those that avoids studying the Bible because it it too hard for you to understand, I invite you to reconsider! Make it a matter of prayer. Find some basic references that can help paint a better picture of what's going on. If all else fails, google it! haha But seriously. The Bible, however many errors it might contain, is STILL the Word of God. And He is a God of Mercy, which is made more clear to me in the Bible than in any other book of scripture.
While preparing my talk I rediscovered this Mormon Message, which I LOVE on so many different levels. And since I can't actually show it for my talk on Sunday, I thought I'd at least share it here.
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