1 Nephi 19-21

 1 Nephi 19

This chapter is full of prophecies and testimony about the coming of Christ (still nearly 600 years away). Some of my favorite verses:

 7 For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words—they set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels.

 8 And behold he cometh, according to the words of the angel, in six hundred years from the time my father left Jerusalem.

 9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.

And these verses are a great insight into why Nephi is writing this record. Everything he does is to draw people to Jesus Christ:

 18 And I, Nephi, have written these things unto my people, that perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer.

 23 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.

1 Nephi 20-21 (Isaiah Chapters)

As Nephi said in the previous chapter that he “did read unto [his people] that which was written by the prophet Isaiah,” the next two chapters are direct inserts or transcriptions of the writings of Isaiah that Nephi had on the plates of brass. Nephi felt very strongly that the writings of Isaiah were powerful and important teachings of Jesus Christ, so you will find more full chapters of Isaiah writings in the 2^nd book of Nephi as well.

When it comes to Isaiah writings, they are very symbolic, heavy, and full of Jewish cultural and historical allusions which makes it very hard for most modern Americans and Britts to understand. If I tried to explain all that was going on in these two chapters, this blog post would be monstrous! Plus… let’s be honest, I don’t understand it all anyway. So I recommend reading over the chapter and just look for snippets that speak to you—especially verses that are teaching or prophesying something about Jesus Christ. These are some of my favorites:

21:14 But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me—but he will show that he hath not. 15 For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.

20:18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments—then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.