Labels: Adversaries, charity, forgiveness, Peacemakers, Resurrection

// posted by John Fisher @ October 11, 2026 0 Comments

He Hath Carried Our Sorrows. (Image created by ChatGPT)

Come, Follow Me study notes for October 5–11, 2026
Isaiah 50–57

Isaiah’s promised Deliverer does not conquer in the way the world expects. He comes as a servant—despised, wounded, and acquainted with grief. He saves His people by entering their suffering, bearing their burdens, and opening the way home. This is the central message of the official lesson for October 5–11.  

Summary

Isaiah 50–57 offers one of the Old Testament’s clearest testimonies of Jesus Christ. These chapters begin with people in darkness and captivity, yet the Lord repeatedly calls them to awaken, rise from the dust, put on strength, and trust Him. Their suffering is real, but it is not the end of their story.

Isaiah 52–53 reveals the unexpected nature of the Messiah. Instead of an admired earthly conqueror, Isaiah sees a suffering Servant who is rejected, oppressed, and brought like a lamb to the slaughter. Although innocent, He bears the sins, griefs, and sorrows of others. His wounds become the means by which we can be healed.  

The chapters that follow explain what Christ’s sacrifice makes possible:

• Isaiah 54 promises gathering, mercy, and a covenant of peace that will not be removed.
• Isaiah 55 invites everyone who thirsts to come freely to the waters of life, seek the Lord, and trust His higher ways.
• Isaiah 56 teaches that all who love the Lord and take hold of His covenant are welcomed into His house.
• Isaiah 57 promises that the high and holy God also dwells with the humble and contrite. He sees, leads, comforts, and heals those who return to Him.  

Together, these chapters teach that Jesus Christ does more than remove punishment. He understands suffering personally, carries what overwhelms us, restores what appears ruined, and gathers people who fear they do not belong. His invitation is not merely to admire His sacrifice but to come, trust, repent, receive His covenant, and help publish His peace.

Memorable Verses to Mark

Isaiah 50:4 — Speak hope to the weary

The promised Servant knows how to speak “a word in season to him that is weary.” Christ understands exhausted hearts. This verse also challenges me to make my words timely, compassionate, and strengthening.

Isaiah 50:10 — Trust when light is absent

Isaiah describes a faithful person who may still walk in darkness and have no visible light. Faith does not always mean seeing the outcome; sometimes it means continuing to trust God while the path remains unclear.  

Isaiah 51:3, 11 — God can transform desolation

The Lord can make Zion’s wilderness “like Eden.” The redeemed return with joy, while sorrow and mourning flee. God does not merely help His people survive devastation; He can create new life in places that looked permanently barren.  

Isaiah 52:2 — Rise from the dust

“Shake thyself from the dust” is both a command and a promise. Through Christ, captivity does not have to become identity. Repentance includes accepting the dignity, freedom, and new beginning the Redeemer offers.

Isaiah 52:7 — Publish peace

Those who bring good tidings and proclaim salvation are described as beautiful. Sharing the gospel can include formal missionary work, but it also includes offering hope, reconciliation, testimony, and peace in ordinary relationships.  

Isaiah 53:3–5 — Christ knows grief personally

The Savior is “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” He has borne our griefs, and through His wounds we can be healed. He understands sin, loss, loneliness, fear, illness, rejection, and pain—not as a distant observer, but as the One who carried them.

Isaiah 53:6 — He came for wanderers

“All we like sheep have gone astray.” The verse removes any basis for pride while also giving hope. Every person needs the Shepherd, and the Lord placed the burden of our iniquity upon Christ.  

Isaiah 54:2—Strengthen thy stakes

Isaiah 54:7–10 — Everlasting kindness

Even when the Lord seems distant, His gathering mercy is greater than the moment of separation. His kindness will not depart, and His covenant of peace will not be removed. Temporary feelings of abandonment do not cancel eternal promises.  

Isaiah 55:1–3 — Come to the waters

The Lord offers what the soul needs “without money and without price.” Grace cannot be purchased, but it must be received. I come to the water by listening, repenting, worshipping, making covenants, and allowing Christ to nourish my soul.

Isaiah 55:6–9 — Seek and trust

“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found.” His ways are higher than mine. This does not mean His purposes are indifferent or unknowable; it means His wisdom and mercy extend beyond my limited view.  

Isaiah 56:6–8 — A covenant for all people

The Lord calls His temple “an house of prayer for all people.” No sincere seeker needs to believe that he or she is permanently outside God’s concern. The gathering of Israel is an expanding invitation to belong to Christ.  

Isaiah 57:15, 18–19 — The Holy One heals the contrite

Although God inhabits eternity, He also dwells with those of a contrite and humble spirit. He promises to heal, lead, and restore comfort. Divine majesty and intimate compassion are perfectly united in Him.  

What This Means to Me

These chapters help me understand that Jesus Christ is not simply aware of my burdens. He has entered the full reality of mortal suffering and carried it. When I feel grief, regret, exhaustion, rejection, or fear, I do not have to persuade Him to understand. He already does.

Isaiah 53 also reminds me that Christ’s healing came at an immeasurable cost. I should not treat repentance casually, but neither should I believe that I am beyond repair. The Savior did not suffer so that I would remain trapped in shame. He suffered so that I could turn, be forgiven, become clean, and move forward with greater humility and compassion.

The invitation to rise from the dust is especially meaningful to me. Difficult experiences and past mistakes can influence my life, but they do not have the authority to define my eternal identity. Through Christ, I can loosen spiritual chains, recover hope, and accept a future that looks different from the past.

I am also struck by the wideness of the Lord’s invitation. Everyone who thirsts may come. The stranger is not to say, “The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people.” God’s covenant creates belonging while also asking for commitment. If I take hold of that covenant, I should help other people feel that there is a place for them too.

Finally, Isaiah invites me to become a publisher of peace. Because Christ has carried me, I can help carry others. I can speak a timely word to someone who is weary, remove stumbling blocks rather than create them, and help people see that the road back to God remains open.

Questions for Reflection and Application

1. What grief, fear, regret, or burden do I need to place more fully in the Savior’s care?
2. When have I felt the Lord sustain me even though I was still walking through darkness?
3. Is shame keeping me in the dust after Christ has invited me to rise?
4. What am I spending time or effort on that does not truly satisfy my soul?
5. Where might the Lord’s higher way require me to trust beyond what I presently understand?
6. Who around me may feel separated or uncertain that there is a place for them?
7. What “word in season” could I offer someone who is weary this week?
8. How can I publish peace through my speech, teaching, service, or relationships?

Image Caption

He Hath Carried Our Sorrows — Jesus Christ lifts a weary traveler’s burden beside living water, showing that the Savior enters our suffering, heals the contrite, and leads all who will come toward peace and home.

Keywords

Jesus Christ, Atonement, healing, covenant, homecoming

Further Reading

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (2026). “October 5–11: ‘He Hath Borne Our Griefs, and Carried Our Sorrows’. Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026.
• Isaiah 50–57, beginning with Isaiah 50 in the online scriptures.
• Soares, U. (2021, April). “Jesus Christ: The Caregiver of Our Soul”. General conference. Elder Soares teaches that Christ offers relief, comfort, and strength because He personally experienced mortal pain and weakness.  
• Uchtdorf, D. F. (2016, April). “He Will Place You on His Shoulders and Carry You Home”. General conference.  
• Kearon, P. (2024, April). “God’s Intent Is to Bring You Home”. General conference.  

What is the origin of the LDS organizational units called wards and stakes?

Labels: atonement, covenant, healing, homecoming, Jesus Christ, stakes, wards

// posted by John Fisher @ October 11, 2026 0 Comments

Come, Follow Me Study Notes | Isaiah 40–49 | September 28–October 4, 2026

Summary

Isaiah 40 begins with a dramatic change in tone: “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people.” After chapters filled with warnings of judgment, captivity, and destruction, Isaiah turns toward hope.

Israel would experience defeat and captivity. Jerusalem would fall. To people who might wonder whether God had abandoned them, Isaiah gives a powerful answer: He has not forgotten you.

These chapters repeatedly remind us who God is. He is the Creator who does not grow weary. He strengthens those who have no strength. He holds His people by the hand. He calls them by name. He walks with them through fire and water. He forgives sin, redeems His people, and promises that He will never forget them.

The central message of Isaiah 40–49 can be summarized simply:

God remembers us even when circumstances make us wonder whether He does.

The official Come, Follow Me lesson identifies several major themes: Jesus Christ gives comfort and hope; we can serve as His witnesses; God’s power is greater than worldly power; and the Lord can refine us through affliction. (Church of Jesus Christ)

Memorable Verses to Mark

Isaiah 40:11

“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom.”

God’s power is not merely the power of a king. Isaiah describes the Almighty God tenderly carrying His people like a shepherd carrying lambs.

Isaiah 40:29

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.”

God does not demand that we first become strong enough to deserve His help. He gives strength precisely because we lack it.

Isaiah 40:31

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.”

Waiting upon the Lord is not passive resignation. It is continuing in faith while trusting God’s timing.

Isaiah 41:10

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee.”

This may be one of the clearest summaries of these chapters. The Lord does not merely say that frightening circumstances will disappear. He promises something greater: His presence within them.

Isaiah 41:13

“I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

This is a remarkably personal image. The God who created the heavens describes Himself as taking us by the hand.

Isaiah 43:1

“Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.”

We are not anonymous to God. He knows His children individually.

Isaiah 43:2

“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee.”

Notice that the promise is not that we will never encounter deep water or fire. The promise is: “I will be with thee.”

Isaiah 43:10–11

“Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord.”

Those who have experienced God’s goodness have a responsibility to testify of Him.

Isaiah 44:22

“Return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”

Repentance is not simply turning away from sin. It is returning to Someone who already wants us back.

Isaiah 46:4

“Even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you.”

God’s care is lifelong. He does not abandon His children when they become weak, old, discouraged, or dependent.

Isaiah 48:10

“I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.”

Trials can become places of refinement. God can use experiences we would never choose to shape us into something greater.

Isaiah 48:18

“Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.”

Obedience produces something deeper than momentary happiness. Isaiah describes covenant peace as something continuous and flowing.

Isaiah 49:15–16

“Can a woman forget her sucking child? … yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.”

This is perhaps the most memorable promise in the entire week’s reading:

The Lord has not forgotten me.

Lessons I Learned

1. God Is Much Bigger Than Whatever Frightens Me

Isaiah repeatedly contrasts God’s power with earthly kingdoms, rulers, idols, and nations.

Babylon appeared overwhelmingly powerful to Israel. Yet from God’s perspective, even the nations are temporary.

That raises a useful question:

What is my “Babylon”?

What circumstance seems so large that I have begun treating it as though it were larger than God?

Isaiah invites me to change my perspective. My problem may genuinely be difficult, but it is not beyond God’s power.

2. “Fear Not” Does Not Mean Nothing Bad Will Happen

Isaiah does not promise a trouble-free life.

He says:

When you pass through the waters.

When you walk through the fire.

The gospel promise is not:

You will never experience difficulty.

The promise is:

“I will be with thee.” — Isaiah 43:2

That changes how I understand faith. Faith is not confidence that everything will happen the way I want. It is confidence that God will remain with me regardless of what happens.

3. God Gives Strength to Tired People

Isaiah 40:28–31 is especially meaningful because it acknowledges exhaustion.

Even strong people become tired.

Even young people stumble.

But God “fainteth not, neither is weary.”

When my own strength is depleted, I am not limited to my own resources. I can draw strength from Someone whose strength is inexhaustible.

Sometimes the miracle may be that God removes a burden.

At other times the miracle may be that He increases my ability to carry it.

4. I Am Called to Be a Witness

Isaiah 43:10 says:

“Ye are my witnesses.”

A witness does not need to know everything.

A witness simply tells what he or she knows and has experienced.

I can ask:

What evidence have I personally seen that Jesus Christ lives, helps, strengthens, forgives, or guides?

Those experiences constitute my testimony.

The Come, Follow Me manual suggests imagining ourselves on a witness stand and considering what evidence from our own lives we could offer in support of Christ’s claim that He is the Savior. (Church of Jesus Christ)

That is a powerful way to think about testimony.

5. Affliction Can Become Refinement

Isaiah writes:

“I have refined thee … I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” — Isaiah 48:10

A furnace is uncomfortable precisely because it is hot enough to change something.

Some experiences in life reshape us:

• disappointment
• illness
• failure
• loss
• uncertainty
• difficult relationships
• professional challenges
• unanswered prayers

The question may not always be:

“How do I get out of this?”

Sometimes a better spiritual question is:

“What is God trying to develop in me while I am here?”

Affliction itself is not automatically sanctifying. But when we turn toward God within affliction, He can transform suffering into refinement.

6. God Has Not Forgotten Me

Israel says:

“The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.” — Isaiah 49:14

God answers with one of scripture’s most tender metaphors.

Could a mother forget her nursing child?

Even if such a thing happened, God says:

“Yet will I not forget thee.”

Then He adds:

“I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.”

For Christians, it is difficult to read those words without thinking of the wounds in the Savior’s hands.

The marks of Christ’s sacrifice become an eternal reminder of His love and redemption.

When I feel forgotten, Isaiah teaches me that my feelings are real—but they are not necessarily an accurate description of God’s relationship with me.

What This Means to Me

The message I take from Isaiah 40–49 is that discipleship does not mean that life will always feel secure.

Israel experienced captivity.

People became discouraged.

Some wondered whether God’s promises had failed.

Yet God had not changed.

That is important because sometimes I judge God’s faithfulness according to what is happening around me.

Isaiah asks me to reverse that reasoning.

Instead of interpreting God through my circumstances, I should interpret my circumstances through what I know about God.

He knows me.

He calls me by name.

He gives strength when I am tired.

He holds my hand when I am afraid.

He walks with me through fire and water.

He can refine suffering into growth.

And above all:

He does not forget His children.

Questions for Personal Reflection

1. What situation in my life currently requires me to hear the words “Fear not; for I am with thee”?
2. Where have I seen God strengthen me when my own strength was insufficient?
3. What experience from my life could I offer as a witness that Jesus Christ lives?
4. What might God be teaching or developing in me through my present “furnace of affliction”?
5. Is there something I need to stop trying to control and instead “wait upon the Lord”?
6. Who around me may currently feel forgotten, discouraged, or overwhelmed?
7. How could I become part of God’s answer to Isaiah’s command: “Comfort ye my people”?

One Thought to Remember This Week

God never promises that I will avoid every deep water or fiery trial. He promises something better: “I will be with thee.”

And when I wonder whether He has forgotten me, Isaiah gives God’s answer:

“Yet will I not forget thee.” — Isaiah 49:15

Additional Study

Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026 — Isaiah 40–49
The official lesson includes passages emphasizing comfort, witnessing of Christ, God’s superiority to worldly powers, and refinement through affliction. (Church of Jesus Christ)

1 Nephi 22
The Come, Follow Me lesson recommends reading 1 Nephi 22 to see how Nephi interpreted and applied Isaiah 48–49 to his people and to the latter days. (Church of Jesus Christ)

Patrick Kearon, “He Is Risen with Healing in His Wings: We Can Be More Than Conquerors”
The official study guide recommends Elder Kearon’s April 2022 general conference message as supplemental reading on Christ’s healing and redemptive power. (Church of Jesus Christ)

Come, Follow Me lesson: Come, Follow Me — Isaiah 40–49

Keywords

Isaiah, comfort, Jesus Christ, redemption, hope

A particularly strong theme for this week’s study is “The Lord will never forget me.” It would also make an effective focus for an accompanying blog image—Christ as the Good Shepherd with a person walking through dark water toward light, visually tying together Isaiah 40:11, 43:2, and 49:15–16.

Labels: comfort, hope, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, redemption

// posted by John Fisher @ September 29, 2026 0 Comments

Trusting Jesus Christ to Lead Us Safely Through Life’s Hidden Dangers 

Image created by ChatGPT.

Introduction

Life rarely comes with a map showing every danger ahead. Some challenges are easy to recognize, while others remain hidden until we encounter them. In his April 2026 general conference address, Elder Edward B. Rowe uses his experience traveling through a former war zone filled with land mines to teach a simple but powerful principle: we need a guide.

For Elder Rowe, that experience became a metaphor for discipleship. Just as he depended on an experienced guide to lead him safely through dangerous terrain, we can choose Jesus Christ as our guide through the uncertainties, temptations, mistakes, and difficulties of life. (Church of Jesus Christ)

Summary

As a young lawyer, Elder Rowe worked on resolving a border dispute between countries that had recently been at war. Thousands of land mines had been planted throughout the region, and not all of them had been located. Traveling through the area therefore required extraordinary care.

Elder Rowe was assigned a local guide named Winta who knew the terrain and understood what had happened during the war. His instructions were straightforward: stay behind Winta, go where he went, and step where he stepped. By carefully following his guide, Elder Rowe was able to complete his work and return home safely. Over time, his initial apprehension developed into confidence and trust. (Church of Jesus Christ)

Elder Rowe connects this experience to our relationship with Jesus Christ. Life contains what he calls “spiritual land mines”—temptations, weaknesses, opposition, uncertainty, and choices whose consequences may not be immediately visible. Christ repeatedly invites us to follow Him, walk with Him, and return to Him. His invitation is available to everyone. (Church of Jesus Christ)

Jesus Christ is more than a general guide for humanity. Elder Rowe emphasizes that He is a personal guide. Through His Atonement, Christ understands our individual pains, weaknesses, circumstances, and needs. Following Him involves faith, repentance, covenants, worship, prayer, scripture study, the sacrament, temple worship, and ministering to others. As those practices become part of daily life, our relationship with Christ grows and our character gradually becomes more like His. (Church of Jesus Christ)

The analogy also contains an important warning. Elder Rowe recalls that, after spending several days safely following Winta, he sometimes became less careful. Hearing that others had been injured or killed by mines reminded him why constant vigilance mattered. Likewise, discipleship cannot become merely casual or occasional. Spiritual safety requires continued attention to Christ and His teachings. (Church of Jesus Christ)

Yet the message is not simply about avoiding danger. Elder Rowe teaches that Christ has the power not only to guide us but also to heal us when we misstep. Because everyone falls short, the Savior’s Atonement makes repentance, healing, and return possible. We do not have to abandon the journey because we have made mistakes. We can turn back to Christ and continue walking with Him. (Church of Jesus Christ)

Memorable Quotes

“I need Jesus Christ to be my guide through life’s journey amid its spiritual land mines. All of us do.”

“Jesus Christ denieth none! No one need walk alone!”

“While the Savior’s Atonement is infinite, His invitation is individual.”

“Jesus Christ is thus not only a perfect and personal guide—He is also the resurrected Redeemer and Master Healer!”

“His merciful hand is extended to you even now. Please take it!” (Church of Jesus Christ)

Application

Elder Rowe’s message invites more than simply believing that Jesus Christ is a good guide. It asks us to actually follow His footsteps.

One application is to examine how carefully we are following Christ. It is possible to know the right path but gradually become casual about prayer, scripture study, worship, repentance, or keeping covenants. Elder Rowe’s experience suggests that familiarity should not lead to complacency. Small, consistent acts of discipleship help keep our attention focused on the Savior.

A second application is to trust Christ when we cannot see what lies ahead. Elder Rowe could not identify every land mine himself. He had to trust someone who understood the terrain better than he did. We similarly face decisions and circumstances whose consequences we cannot fully anticipate. Following the teachings and example of Jesus Christ sometimes requires trusting His perspective when our own view is limited.

A third application is to remember that following Christ does not mean we will walk perfectly. Elder Rowe’s message makes an important distinction between a perfect guide and imperfect followers. When we make mistakes, the answer is not to hide from Christ but to return to Him. Repentance is not evidence that the journey has failed; it is one of the ways Christ helps us continue it.

Finally, the message invites us to make discipleship personal. Jesus Christ does not merely guide crowds. Elder Rowe teaches that Christ knows each person individually. The question therefore becomes deeply personal: Am I allowing Jesus Christ to guide my decisions, relationships, priorities, and daily life?

Following Christ does not guarantee that the terrain will always be easy. It does mean that we do not have to navigate it alone.

Keywords: Jesus Christ, discipleship, guidance, repentance, covenant path

Reference

Rowe, E. B. (2026, April). Choose Jesus Christ as your guide. General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2026/04/44rowe?lang=eng

Labels: covenant path, discipleship, guidance, Jesus Christ, repentance

// posted by John Fisher @ September 27, 2026 0 Comments

The journey from Babylon’s pride and destruction to Christ’s healing, living water, renewal, and the peaceful path toward Zion. Image by ChatGPT.

Come, Follow Me study notes for September 21–27, 2026

Isaiah 13–14; 22; 24–30; 35

Summary

Isaiah’s message this week moves between warning and hope. He warned Babylon, Israel, Judah, and the surrounding nations that pride, worldliness, spiritual complacency, and rebellion against God would eventually bring sorrow and destruction. Babylon was once one of the world’s mightiest kingdoms, but its power did not last. In Isaiah’s prophecies, Babylon also becomes a symbol of everything that draws people away from God—pride, greed, false security, and sin.

Yet destruction is not Isaiah’s final message. These chapters consistently point toward Jesus Christ. He is the sure foundation, the One who opens the way to salvation, conquers death, wipes away tears, heals what is broken, and leads the redeemed home. Through Him, a dry wilderness can blossom, weak hands can become strong, and fearful hearts can find courage.

Isaiah 29 also looks forward to “a marvellous work and a wonder.” The coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the Restoration of the gospel show that God continues to speak, gather Israel, and restore truths that had been lost.

Isaiah’s prophecies teach me that the Lord’s warnings are evidence of His mercy. He warns His children because He wants them to turn back before they are hurt. No matter how barren life may feel or how far someone has wandered, Jesus Christ offers a way to return, heal, and begin again.

Memorable Verses to Mark

Pride and worldly power do not last

• Isaiah 14:12–15 — The fall of Lucifer shows where pride and the desire to exalt oneself ultimately lead.
• Isaiah 24:5 — “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof.” This verse identifies broken laws, changed ordinances, and a broken covenant as signs of spiritual decline.
• Isaiah 29:13 — “This people draw near me with their mouth … but have removed their heart far from me.” Outward religion cannot replace genuine devotion.

Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah

• Isaiah 22:22 — “He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” Jesus Christ holds the key to redemption and opens the way back to God.
• Isaiah 25:8 — “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.” Christ’s Resurrection turns death from an ending into a passage toward eternal life.
• Isaiah 26:3 — “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.” Peace comes through keeping my mind centered on the Lord.
• Isaiah 28:16 — “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone.” Jesus Christ is the only completely secure foundation.

The Lord restores and heals

• Isaiah 29:14 — “I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder.” This points to the latter-day Restoration of the gospel.
• Isaiah 30:18 — “Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you.” The Lord is patient and ready to extend mercy.
• Isaiah 30:21 — “This is the way, walk ye in it.” The Lord can guide me when I am willing to listen.
• Isaiah 35:3–4 — “Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.… Be strong, fear not.” Discipleship includes strengthening people who are tired or afraid.
• Isaiah 35:7 — “The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water.” Christ can bring life and hope to places that seem spiritually barren.
• Isaiah 35:10 — “The ransomed of the Lord shall return … and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” The story of God’s covenant people ends in redemption and joy.

What This Means to Me

The contrast between Babylon and Zion invites me to ask what I am building my life upon. Babylon promises influence, comfort, recognition, and control, but none of these can provide lasting peace. If pride makes me unwilling to listen, repent, or accept correction, I am trusting something that will eventually fail. Jesus Christ, by contrast, is the “sure foundation” who remains steady when circumstances change.

Isaiah also helps me see prophetic warnings differently. A warning from the Lord is not proof that He has abandoned His people. It is proof that He still reaches for them. He exposes spiritual danger so that I can change direction. I should therefore respond to prophetic counsel with humility rather than defensiveness and examine whether my worship reaches my heart or exists mostly in words and routines.

The verses about Christ give me the greatest hope. He does more than help me cope with what is broken. Through His Atonement and Resurrection, He can redeem, transform, and ultimately restore it. He can replace fear with peace, spiritual thirst with living water, weakness with strength, and death with victory.

Some healing comes gradually, and some losses will not be made right until the Resurrection, but Isaiah assures me that sorrow does not have the final word.

Finally, the “marvellous work and a wonder” reminds me that the Restoration is still unfolding. I am not merely observing Isaiah’s prophecy from a distance; I can participate in it. I help fulfill it when I study and share the Book of Mormon, gather and strengthen others, serve in the temple, teach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and live so that my discipleship points people toward Him.

Questions for Personal Reflection

1. Is there a form of pride or worldly security that I need to replace with greater trust in Christ?
2. Is my heart as close to the Lord as my words and outward worship suggest?
3. What feels dry, weak, fearful, lost, or broken in my life right now?
4. Which promise in these chapters gives me the greatest hope?
5. What can I do this week to strengthen someone else’s “weak hands” or “feeble knees”?
6. How can I participate more deliberately in the continuing Restoration?

Further Reading

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “September 21–27: ‘A Marvellous Work and a Wonder’”, Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026.
• Amy A. Wright, “Christ Heals That Which Is Broken”, April 2022 general conference.
• Gerrit W. Gong, “All Nations, Kindreds, and Tongues”, October 2020 general conference.
• The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles, “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World”, April 2020.

Labels: healing, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, repentance, Restoration

// posted by John Fisher @ September 22, 2026 0 Comments