While Isaiah taught many precious truths about the life and Atonement of Jesus Christ, his teachings were anything but plain and simple. But what approaches can we take to engage with complex passages of scripture? In “‘Except Some Man Should Guide Me’: Studying Isaiah with Nephi and Jacob,” Ryan Sharp, professor of ancient scripture, outlines the divine role the Book of Mormon prophets play in understanding Isaiah. Nephi wrote, “For I will liken [Isaiah’s] words unto my people” (2 Nephi 11:2). In this episode, Dr. Sharp outlines Nephi and Jacob’s pedagogy, naming their three-step approach as the setup, the passages, and the follow-up. In addition, he explains how to apply the method in our own scripture study. In following this model, our souls may also delight in the words of Isaiah.

Publications:

·      “Helping Students Rely on the Redeemer” (Religious Educator, 13.1, 2012)

·      Meeting Christ in the Book of Mormon (Amazon.com)

·      “Gentiles in the Book of Mormon” (Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, 33, 2019)

·      “Alma, Ambiguity, and the Development of Doctrinal Understanding” (in Give Ear to My Words, Religious Studies Center, 2019)

Click here to learn more about professor Ryan H. Sharp