{ "lessonDate": "2026-09-14", "lessonNumber": 113, "lessonTitle": "Introduction to Isaiah — \"Great Are the Words of Isaiah\"", "semester": "fall-2026-ot", "source": "Seminary manual, Lesson 113 — Introduction to Isaiah", "scriptureBlock": "Isaiah 1–12", "bookName": "ISAIAH", "deckType": "scripture", "lessonObjective": "Help students want to study Isaiah — not because it is assigned, but because the Savior Himself commanded it and because Isaiah's words teach them who Christ is.", "doctrinePrinciple": "Studying the words of Isaiah can help us believe more fully in Jesus Christ.", "personalScriptureStudy": { "chapters": "Isaiah 9:6–7 and Isaiah 7:14", "questions": "How many names and titles for the Savior can you find? Mark each one. Which of them do you most need Him to be right now?" }, "teacherNote": "SUPPLIES: none required, but the wall activity needs floor space — clear a lane across the room. OPENING: the book-recommendation ranking is worth the four minutes; it makes the 3 Nephi 23 commandment land as a recommendation from the Savior rather than an assignment from me. CONFIDENCE WALL: label one wall 'very confident' and the other 'not very confident' and have them stand between; do not push anyone to explain. Most will stand near 'not confident' and that is the honest starting point — say plainly that Isaiah is hard and that is why we are spending three weeks in it. ISAIAH means 'The Lord is salvation' — put it on the board. Contemporaries: Micah, Hosea, Jonah. Judah fell to Babylon about a century after he prophesied it. Jesus quoted Isaiah more than any other prophet. The titles diagram on Card 1 gets referred to again in Lesson 133 ('Assess Your Learning 8'), so have them keep it in the journal, not on a loose sheet.", "cards": [ { "card": 0, "sectionName": "CONTEXT SETUP", "tagline": "Hard. Worth It.", "title": "ISAIAH — CONTEXT SETUP", "subtitle": "The Prophet Jesus Quoted More Than Any Other.", "columnHead": "THE BOOK AT A GLANCE", "bullets": [ "Isaiah preached in Judah to people turning away from Jehovah.", "His name means \"The Lord is salvation\" — his message is his name.", "Micah, Hosea and Jonah preached around the same time.", "He warned Judah would fall to Babylon. A century later it did.", "Jesus quoted Isaiah more often than any other prophet.", "The Book of Mormon quotes him more than any other prophet.", "It is hard reading. The Savior still told us to search it." ], "keyFacts": { "Author": "The prophet Isaiah, in the kingdom of Judah", "Type": "Prophecy and Hebrew poetry, often in layers", "Setting": "Judah turning from God, Assyria rising, Babylon coming", "Main Themes": "Redemption, the Messiah, warning, gathering, hope", "Christ Connection": "He named Isaiah when He told us what to study (3 Nephi 23:1–3)" }, "bandHeading": "SIX THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE WE START", "timeline": [ { "title": "THE NAME", "ref": "Isaiah 1:1", "text": "\"The Lord is salvation.\"" }, { "title": "THE PLACE", "ref": "Isaiah 1:1", "text": "Judah, the southern kingdom." }, { "title": "THE CHILD", "ref": "Isaiah 7:14", "text": "A son called Immanuel." }, { "title": "THE NAMES", "ref": "Isaiah 9:6", "text": "Wonderful, Counsellor, Prince of Peace." }, { "title": "THE COMMAND", "ref": "3 Nephi 23:1", "text": "Search these things diligently." }, { "title": "THE REASON", "ref": "1 Nephi 19:23", "text": "That we might believe in Him." } ], "scrollQuote": { "text": "Great are the words of Isaiah.", "attribution": "3 Nephi 23:1" }, "artPrompt": "A warm painterly golden-hour scene of an ancient bearded prophet in simple robes standing on a high stone terrace above the walled city of Jerusalem at sunrise, distant hills soft in haze." }, { "card": 1, "sectionName": "DIRECT TEXT INTERACTION & AI", "tagline": "Who is He?", "title": "ISAIAH — DIRECT TEXT INTERACTION & AI", "subtitle": "Find His Names. Find Him.", "focusHead": "OUR FOCUS TODAY", "focusText": "Isaiah leads us to Christ by telling us what He is called. Read for the titles and roles, and build a diagram with Jesus Christ at the center.", "scripturesHead": "TODAY'S SCRIPTURES", "scriptureKey": "The key: Isaiah 9:6", "scriptureList": [ "Isaiah 7:14 — Immanuel, God with us", "Isaiah 9:6–7 — Wonderful, Counsellor, Prince of Peace", "Isaiah 33:22 — judge, lawgiver, king", "Isaiah 40:28 — the everlasting God, the Creator", "3 Nephi 23:1–3 — why we are reading this at all" ], "aiUseHead": "HOW WE USE AI", "aiUse": [ "Define: What does this title mean?", "Expand: Where else is He called this?", "Apply: Why would I need Him to be that?", "Stay Spiritual: AI supports — the Spirit teaches." ], "aiPromptHead": "AI PROMPT TO TRY", "aiPrompt": "\"In Isaiah 9:6 Jesus Christ is called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace. Explain what each title meant to ancient Israel in plain English. Then help me think about which one a teenager today might need most, and why.\"", "afterHead": "AFTER YOU GET A RESULT", "after": [ "Add each title to your diagram.", "Circle the one you need most.", "Write one line saying why." ], "rememberHead": "REMEMBER", "rememberText": "Isaiah is genuinely difficult, and being confused is not the same as failing. Nephi said he read Isaiah so his family would believe in their Redeemer — that is what we are after, not a perfect translation.", "bandHeading": "EXAMPLE QUESTIONS WE CAN EXPLORE WITH AI", "bandQuestions": [ "What does Immanuel mean?", "Who was Isaiah writing to?", "Why is Isaiah so hard?", "What is a lawgiver?", "Why did Jesus quote him?" ], "scrollQuote": { "text": "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.", "attribution": "Isaiah 9:6" }, "artPrompt": "A warm painterly golden-hour still life of an open scroll on a wooden table beside an oil lamp and a small clay cup, warm light falling across the parchment." }, { "card": 2, "sectionName": "TALK ABOUT EXPERIENCE", "tagline": "Would you read it?", "title": "ISAIAH — TALK ABOUT EXPERIENCE", "subtitle": "Who Has To Recommend It Before You Try?", "goalHead": "DISCUSSION GOAL", "goalText": "Be honest about how hard Isaiah looks, and about what it takes for you to actually start something difficult.", "howHead": "HOW TO DISCUSS", "how": [ "Saying \"this looks impossible\" is a real answer.", "No one has to pretend to understand Isaiah.", "Half-formed thoughts are welcome here.", "Keep the Savior at the center." ], "aiHead": "CONTINUE TO USE AI", "aiText": "Find one place where Jesus quoted Isaiah, and bring back what He was teaching.", "questionsHead": "THINK ABOUT THESE TOGETHER", "questions": [ "What makes you willing to start a book that looks too hard?", "The Savior commanded us to search Isaiah diligently — how should that change how you open it?", "When has believing more deeply in Jesus Christ actually changed something you did?" ], "bandHeading": "EXAMPLE QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS", "bandQuestions": [ "What book looks too hard?", "Who could persuade you?", "Why does difficulty stop us?", "What is diligent study?", "Where do I start?" ], "scrollQuote": { "text": "Search these things diligently.", "attribution": "3 Nephi 23:1" }, "artPrompt": "A natural photograph of six teenagers standing spread out along a classroom wall in bright morning light, some near one end and some near the other, mid-conversation." }, { "card": 3, "sectionName": "CHRIST-CENTERED ACTION", "tagline": "Believe more fully.", "title": "ISAIAH — CHRIST-CENTERED ACTION", "subtitle": "Pick The Name You Need Him To Be.", "columns": [ { "head": "START WITH JESUS", "text": "When the Savior taught the Nephites, He stopped and told them plainly to search the words of Isaiah. He was recommending a book — and He does not recommend lightly.", "citation": "See 3 Nephi 23:1–3.", "art": "A warm painterly golden-hour scene of the resurrected Savior in white robes teaching a seated gathering of people outdoors in soft morning light." }, { "head": "THE LORD IS SALVATION", "text": "Isaiah's own name carried his message. Every chapter is pointed at a Redeemer who had not come yet, and who has now.", "citation": "See Isaiah 7:14; 9:6–7.", "art": "A warm painterly golden-hour scene of a single lit oil lamp on a stone windowsill overlooking dark hills before dawn." }, { "head": "WHY NEPHI READ IT ALOUD", "text": "Nephi read Isaiah to his brothers for one reason: so they would more fully believe in their Redeemer. That is why we are opening it too.", "citation": "See 1 Nephi 19:23.", "art": "A natural photograph of a teenager reading a worn scripture book alone at a kitchen table in early morning light." } ], "ideasHead": "IDEAS: HOW COULD I STUDY ISAIAH?", "ideas": [ "Read one chapter slowly.", "Mark every title of Christ.", "Use the footnotes.", "Ask before you read.", "Write what confused you.", "Keep the diagram going." ], "planHead": "MAKE A PLAN", "planQuestion": "Which name of Christ do you most need this month?", "plan": [ "Which title did you circle?", "Why that one, right now?", "When will you read Isaiah this week?" ], "challengeHead": "CHALLENGE THIS WEEK", "challengeText": "Read Isaiah 9:6–7 every morning this week, and each day pick one title of Christ to carry through the day.", "rememberHead": "REMEMBER", "rememberText": "You do not have to understand all of Isaiah to be changed by him. Nephi's goal was belief, not mastery — and the Holy Ghost can give you confidence that these words will bring you closer to Jesus Christ.", "scrollQuote": { "text": "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor.", "attribution": "Isaiah 9:6" }, "artPrompt": "" } ], "journalPrompt": "Finish this sentence: \"Believing more deeply in Jesus Christ could change my life by …\" Then look at your diagram, pick the one title of Christ you most need Him to be right now, and write why you chose it." }