40 Principles Isaiah

This is so good I had to share it.

Forty principles drawn from the Book of Isaiah and supported by the Standard Works, offer clarity, discernment, and spiritual grounding for individuals navigating stress, uncertainty, and modern life. 

Jessica Coroles and Avraham Gileadi

I have linked each scripture for easy reference.

They represent a spiritual framework for leaving Babylon and walking toward Zion. Treasure them. Share them. 

1. God Loves You and Wants You Back—Isaiah 44:22; 54:8 

2. God Is Worthy of Your Trust—Isaiah 12:2–5; 55:8–11 

3. Seeking God Leads to Him—Isaiah 26:7–9; 30:19–21 

4. God Tests to Refine, Not Destroy—Isaiah 38:16; 48:10 

5. Your Agency Is to Use for Good—Isaiah 1:17–19; 5:20 

6. Obeying God Generates Peace—Isaiah 32:17; 48:17–18 

7. God Hides to Provoke Seeking Him—Isaiah 8:17; 45:15 

8. Afflictions Are to Endure with Faith—Isaiah 26:2–3; 33:6 

9. God Prepares You for Greater Things—Isaiah 4:2–3; 60:21 

10. Arrogance Inevitably Begets Failure—Isaiah 2:12; 13:11

11. With God, Enemies Cannot Prevail—Isaiah 41:11–12; 54:17 

12. God Lifts the Humble, Lowers the Proud—Isaiah 13:11; 57:15 

13. God Fights for Those Who Are His—Isaiah 42:13; 59:17–18 

14. False Teachers Outnumber the True—Isaiah 3:12; 9:15–16 

15. Your Idols Can Never Save You—Isaiah 44:9–10; 46:6–7 

16. God Supports His Holy Remnant—Isaiah 1:9; 37:31–32 

17. God Faithfully Keeps His Promises—Isaiah 25:1; 54:10 

18. God Honors Those Who Wait for Him—Isaiah 33:3; 64:4 

19. God Works Through Your Faith in Him—Isaiah 43:10; 50:10 

20. God Abhors People’s Oppression—Isaiah 1:17; 49:26

21. Light Always Conquers Darkness—Isaiah 9:2; 42:16 

22. You Are Engraved on His Palms—Isaiah 49:16; 53:5 

23. God Warns Us Before He Acts—Isaiah 42:9; 62:6–7 

24. God Sends You Before He Saves You—Isaiah 6:8; 48:15–16 

25. God Replaces Weakness With Strength—Isaiah 40:31; 41:10 

26. God Delivers You His Way, Not Your Own—Isaiah 30:18; 55:9 

27. God Mourns with You Before He Delivers You—Isaiah 63:9; 66:9 

28. God Redeems Even Your Wasted Years—Isaiah 52:2–3; 54:6–8 

29. Those Who Are God’s Fear No Man—Isaiah 8:12–14; 51:12–13 

30. Peace Comes Through Righteousness—Isaiah 32:17; 54:13–14

31. God’s Justice Isn’t Delayed, It Is Precise—Isaiah 5:16; 42:1–4 

32. Repentance Rebuilds What Is Ruined—Isaiah 58:10–12; 61:4 

33. God Reveals All Things to His Elect—Isaiah 33:17, 20; 52:8 

34. God’s Faithful Remnant Builds Zion—Isaiah 14:32; 51:2–3 

35. God Shakes the World to Awaken It—Isaiah 24:18; 54:10 

36. God Gathers His Elect to Zion—Isaiah 11:11–12; 57:1 

37. God Makes All Things New—Isaiah 48:6–7; 65:17 

38. The Word of God Never Fails—Isaiah 40:8; 59:21 

39. God Is a God of Order—Isaiah 26:7–8; 40:3–4 

40. Joy Is God’s Promised Gift—Isaiah 9:3; 25:9

We can say with certainty that Jesus’ commandment to the Nephites to “search diligently” the words of Isaiah (3 Nephi 23:1) is more relevant to Latter-day Saints today than it has ever been to people in the past. Not only are we closer to the time Isaiah predicts (see 2 Nephi 25:8–9), but the “good news” he teaches (Isaiah 40:9; 41:27; 52:7; 61:1)—the gospel of Messiah—enlightens our generation on many key points of doctrine. 

Indeed, by “good news” Isaiah doesn’t mean the “preparatory gospel” that prevailed under the Law of Moses. Rather, the same gospel Jesus taught that came down from the days of Adam, whose knowledge was had by prophets. Jesus’ saying that Isaiah spoke of “all things” concerning God’s people (3 Nephi 23:2) means that Isaiah teaches not only that same higher law Israel rejected at Sinai, but that he does so from ancient Israel’s peculiar perspective. It is that frame of reference we must recapture if we would comprehend Isaiah’s message in all its richness and understand fully the restored gospel itself. 

The words of Isaiah, which Jesus calls “great” (3 Nephi 23:1) reveal the ancient covenantal context in which the gospel of Jesus Christ originated and in which it is grounded. That is why Book of Mormon prophets draw on Isaiah for their frame of reference when teaching God’s plan of salvation or when predicting end-time events. 

But most Latter-day Saints haven’t drunk deeply enough from the well of the Hebrew prophets to comprehend their own roots, falling woefully short in their conception of Isaiah’s words and of many key underpinnings of their religion.

Latter-day Saints fail to realize that the words of Isaiah represent a deliberate spiritual challenge, not a topic of casual interest. When fully met, that challenge rewards a person with a comprehension of the scriptures unequaled through the study of any other book. When not met, it leaves God’s people “in Zion” clinging to “precepts of men” (2 Nephi 28:21, 24, 26), popular ideas lacking a genuine scriptural basis of fact. 

In the end, such distortions will prove at least as divisive as sectarian Christian notions, leaving the many who believe them vulnerable to fighting against God because of the untimeliness of their unfounded assumptions (see 2 Nephi 28:28; 29:14).

The words of Isaiah are life-giving, grounding a person in a divine reality that empowers him for the contest between the powers of light and darkness that precedes the coming of Messiah to reign on the earth.

The words of Isaiah indeed account for every soul God has created, past and future, living and dead, showing their relationship to one another and to their Maker.

Moreover, as every passage of Isaiah is inextricably linked to others in his writings, they—taken together, not separately—paint an entire picture of the time preceding our Lord and Savior’s coming to reign on the earth.

Indeed, the words of Isaiah enlighten us across the entire spectrum of spiritual truths. They divide the doers—those who pay the price of understanding Isaiah by searching his words until they understand them—from the judges, those who fall back on their own preconceived ideas and take issue with people who differ. 

By taking lightly Isaiah’s words, they take lightly the Book of Mormon (compare 1 Nephi 19:7; 2 Nephi 33:2–3, 14; 3 Nephi 26:9–10; D&C 84:54–59), unaware that Isaiah’s words constitute the core fabric around which the Book of Mormon and many scriptures are woven—that the quintessential concepts and imagery other scriptures share originate with Isaiah.

Today, we clearly discern many parts of the picture that Isaiah presents, so near are we to the time. Much of that picture deals with political and spiritual realities existing in our world. Much of it condemns evil practices among God’s people. But amid so much that is condemnatory in tone, we always sense that Isaiah holds out hope for those who repent. His book serves as a call to such repentance.

There must be a good reason why we are told that the prophecies of Isaiah are important for us to know. One reason may be that those who understand Isaiah will be spared the agony of learning too late the need for us all to repent and to obtain God’s Spirit.

I make no apology that Isaiah’s prophecies address us. Isaiah has seen our day and describes it perfectly. That, to me, would be all the more cause for us to familiarize ourselves with his words and repent!

See more.

He Can Also Sing Vol I

After the manner of C.S. Lewis' Anthology of George MacDonald, or Of All Things, Quotations of Hugh Nibley, I present my own quotations of Timothy Merrill from his Owl Of The Desert Blog. 

I must confess that these quotations spoke to me. You may have selected others, but these are some of the many that I like. 

I may have only selected a single quote from each blog post, but the one I think best captured Tim's gift of the Spirit. 

Tim is not only a gifted writer of the words of God, an inspired poet, but he can also sing!

This is Volume I.

May 2020

Every flock has its misfits (join the club: chances are, if you are reading this, you are one); but along comes the Savior, who calls us by a new name and cherishes us as only the Good Shepherd can.

How does one buy something if he has no money? Well, isn't that the whole point of the gospel? The good news!

June 2020

It is easy to fool ourselves into thinking we're doing "well" -- like when the smell of something foul has lingered so long we forget it stinks.

“Charity never faileth” because it is grounded in the unchanging character and goodness of God.

Isn't the greatest adventure of our lifetimes learning to love those who are our enemies?

July 2020

Can we see the difference between “I am going to love others with Christ-like love” and “I am going to love others with Christ’s love”? 

You see, in the free world, people prefer the government to stay out of their homes and lives (Brigham Young said, "To mind your own business incorporates the whole duty of man"); but when the people themselves become complicit as little deputies of the Sheriff of Nottingham, you begin to see the genesis of Gadianton.  

Eternal truths are best understood through our own experience. Who better understands where babies come from than mothers who experience childbirth?  

I want to paraphrase what is happening: Satan's great lie -- the one that he uses to "deceive" and to "blind" those who listen to him (and those that listen to him become his "captive") -- is that honor was owed him because of his authority, and that his authority could be used to abrogate the agency of man.

Church lessons on obedience remind me of the game Hot Potato, as we toss around our favorite commandments, trying to get others to catch them (obey them in the way we do).

Most everything we need to know about obedience can be learned from the example of the Pharisees. So they were spiritual snobs? At least they knew how to obey the law with exactness.

I mean, sure, the Pharisees were willing to look down their noses at the Lord, telling Him how to keep the Sabbath, telling Him when he could heal, telling Him what being a child of Abraham meant -- but they deserve credit for paying a full tithe! 

Well, we've marshaled the evidence. I hope you've realized something profound: We are in hell.

The notions of "rank and file" are contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ and detrimental to our spiritual well being -- as well as to the cause of Zion, where we will be of "one heart, and one mind."

The dichotomy between "leaders and laity", "clergy and congregation", "priest and parishioner" creates rank in the church and leads to spiritual abuse. 

Cain was sick of working hard for a living, tilling the cursed ground and offering up zucchini, when all he had to do was take advantage of his brother. Then he'd have lots of lamb chops to eat. All's fair in love and war . . . and advancing our career. 

We tell our children they are entitled to food and clothes, but everything else is a privilege. Except the television - that's a member of the family.

August 2020

Because it is his job (his!) to clean us up. We cannot cleanse ourselves. But Christ takes a bowl filled with our tears, and I mean His and ours, and uses them to wash us from head to toe. 

Could the Great and Spacious Building, with all of its levels and penthouses and corner offices, symbolize the foolishness of organizing God's children into worldly ranks? 

In a choir all of the voices are equal even though they are not the same. All voices are kept in unison and harmony. 

Joseph Smith's attempt at creating unity or equality in the organization of the priesthood was unsuccessful. Instead of heirs we've created hierarchy. How did that happen?

The reason this is all so confusing is because there are members of His church who also belong to our church. And there are people who are not members of our church who are members of His church. And there are members of our church who are not members of His church.  

Is it just me, or does it seem like the gospel of Jesus Christ gets smothered and buried underneath a thousand mattresses - all the paperwork and duties and obligations and meetings and politics and marketing of religion - where the "pure" gospel is no more than a small pea at the bottom of all those mattresses? 

How often in our lived experience do we do what God actually says? Versus what we think he said, or wanted him to say, or what we were told by others he said? 

On the other hand, in our churches we love effort! We praise those who contribute their time and talents and treasure to the bake sale, the Christmas party, the putting up and the taking down of chairs. We celebrate those who are visible, busy and effortful, don't we? Ah, but there's the rub. Taking pride in our "efforts" is like thinking we are playing on the Lord's team, when we are actually scoring for the devil.

We all know what hypocrisy is, but what is "guile"? How is guile an issue for churches? "Guile" means "astuteness, often marked by a certain sense of cunning or artful deception; deceptiveness, deceit, fraud, duplicity, dishonesty."

Okay, I think we get the message. Melchizedek did not "ordain" Abram; he blessed him. That's the whole point: the high priesthood is meant to impart blessings.  

September 2020

Since when did "presiding" mean "being in charge"? Because isn't the Lord already in charge? Earthly fathers and priests are merely in loco parentis. (Usually more "loco" than "parentis".)

What I want to point out is that Christ does not want us to "clean ourselves up" before we come unto Him. He wants us now, this minute, as we are, warts and all. 

Because it is his job (his!) to clean us up. We cannot cleanse ourselves. But Christ takes a bowl filled with our tears, and I mean His and ours, and uses them to wash us from head to toe. (Can't say this enough!)

Lehi wasn't able to pluck the fruit and share it with his family: they had to come and partake themselves. He couldn't throw a couple of figs towards Laman and Lemuel: like the virgins' oil, the fruit cannot be shared. Or sold.  

Maybe there is not a choir in heaven so much as heaven itself is the choir. Everybody enrolls; everybody wants to sing God's praises. Hallelujah!

If experience has shown us anything, it is the most dangerous thing we can preach in Church is repentance; and the greatest threat to our testimonies steeped in carnal security is unadorned truth.

I wonder if the faith crisis people have is partly the result of believing things that they feel secure in, only to learn some of those things were actually false.

The Pharisees were totally legalistic about it. They treated Tithing like a spiritual tax that reflected their righteousness, making a big show of how generous they were, blaring trumpets--

Joseph F. Smith, April 1907:

"Furthermore, I want to say to you, we may not be able to reach it right away, but we expect to see the day when we will not have to ask you for one dollar of donation for any purpose, except that which you volunteer to give of your own accord, because we will have tithes sufficient in the storehouse of the Lord to pay everything that is needful for the advancement of the kingdom of God. I want to live to see that day."

Does the Church Have "Sufficient in the Storehouse" to End Tithing? 

The backbone of the law of Moses was its spirit of compassion and mercy (really). And if a lesser law could show such generosity of heart, imagine what a higher law requires of us!

Is it "extortion" to tell someone, "I know you can't buy food for your children, but if you don't pay tithing, you can't receive the ordinances necessary for exaltation, and thus you'll go to a lesser kingdom. Sorry." 

One of the simplest tricks of the devil is to take telestial practices, doctrines and programs and make us think they are all we need, when in fact they are impotent to save us, to transform us, to produce a mighty change of heart or a real relationship with God.

October 2020

Religion is expert at sleight of hand: skillfully diverting our eyes (and trust) away from God by manipulating our faith through the prestidigitation of priestcraft.

As we grow in truth and knowledge, our expanding awareness reveals how much more we have yet to learn. In other words, the more we know, the more we realize we don't know.

What's interesting is that the greater our ignorance, the less aware we are of our ignorance. 

What exactly is the Prosperity Gospel? It's largely a belief that, in exchange for us giving money to our churches, God will bless us with more money , and better health, and lots of other stuff . . . but mainly more money. 

​Here's the point: When an organization makes a public declaration of a rule or creates a policy, the members can't help judging each other by it. Irresistibly we form ranks as if we had been conscripted as "hall monitors" to make sure others follow the rule. 

We see the same message again. Jesus must have really wanted to emphasize the foolishness of "laying up treasures" here on earth.  

Me: So you are saying if I lend my neighbor $100.00, I should not expect them to repay me at all?!

J.S. No, that is not what I am saying; that is what the Lord is saying.

We see signs of Seriousitis everywhere. It shows itself when we draw attention to leaders rather than to Christ; when we garnish with praise the men and women who serve in leadership roles over that of our Savior; when we make the mantle to be greater than the Master; when we refer to "faithfulness to the Church" as synonymous with "faithfulness to the Lord" . . . in other words, when we set ourselves up for a light and standard to others.

December 2020

Explain that to me. How is it we can believe that "an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God" (i.e., Lucifer) could be wrong, but not a mortal octogenarian? 

As others have pointed out, the Church structure dictates our doctrine, which boils down in the end to a single principle: We follow a man whom we call Prophet.

So why do we take such pride in our "keys" when they belong to Him? Why do we boast of our priesthood "authority" when we are but temporary custodians of what belongs to Christ? 

Why are we so obsessed with priesthood keys? Well, I guess it is because we want to establish a pecking order. We want show whose got the biggest authority.

But isn't the whole purpose of priesthood keys to bring us into the presence of God? 

And this greater priesthood

administereth the gospel

and holdeth the key

of the mysteries of the kingdom,

even the key

of the knowledge of God."

(D&C 84:19).

Please! Read the Letter

This is a talk given in Sacrament Meeting in Metz France on August 10, 2025, given by me and translated in French by Annie.

I had a friend who passed away recently who was a magician, and he loved to display his tricks and illusions to anyone at any time. It didn't matter where he was, whether it be in church, a restaurant, a store, among friends or among strangers. He would go into a restaurant and while waiting for his order, go to nearby tables and perform his tricks, always to the delight of his audience. He carried tricks in his fanny pack and would switch them out every few days. There is something about a well executed magic trick that is intriguing and fascinating. He used to say that tricks worked because of deception, and the more skilled the magician, the better and more complicated the deception. "All magicians are liars," he would say. But we are fascinated by being deceived, and we ask to see the trick again and again.

Now use your imagination and consider the most skilled magician, with his vast knowledge and unlimited skills, a former Son of the Morning, once considered among the very elect in Heaven. He is so skilled, in fact, that it was necessary, if he was going to be among us, to have some protections given to us by our Father, so that we might not be deceived. 

Now imagine also that this most skilled magician has everything in his power to use to deceive us, such as communication, images, worldly powers, money, social media, history, our wants and desires, churches and church leaders, even the word of God--whatever He can use to distort and deceive and work his magic. He can also use other humans and even his followers as his assistants, even the most impressive, or at least would impress us the most. To some, that would be those who are successful and powerful. To others, it would be those who are kind and appear very loving. And to others those in authority; those most educated. And to others it would be those who look and act like they do.

Even though Satan is among us, there are some who will not be deceived. The Lord refers to those who are not deceived as His very elect. And what distinguishes those who are not deceived? "And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived..." (JS Matthew 1:37 emphasis added).

I cannot say it loud enough or enough times just how crucial the word of God is in our day. Without it, we will be deceived, find ourselves cut off from the Spirit of God, and be unprepared for the events that will precede the Lord’s second coming. 

Partial truths from the pulpit, blogs, podcasts, and social media will not cut it. We are either armed with the Sword of Truth or we are not. There is no middle ground. Only the word of God will keep us from being deceived in these last days. When his people’s devotion to Jesus Christ becomes but a shallow version of His law and word, it lacks the power to withstand evil, and being deceived is the result.

Why do you think the book was given to us? Angels do not come on trivial errands, to deliver books for occasional light reading to people whom they do not really concern. The matter in the Book of Mormon was selected, as we are often reminded, with scrupulous care and with particular readers in mind. 

We fawn over President Oaks coming to Europe, and yet treat lightly that Moroni himself delivered God’s words to us. And what does the Book say?

Repent or turn to Christ. It is to Christ and only to Christ that we are to turn. He alone is our salvation. We are to live by every word that "proceeded forth from the mouth of God" (D&C 84:44). 

Time is no longer on the side of soothing platitudes. It is best to state the problem based on what the scriptures actually say and to point to their solution. While most of us acknowledge that Book of Mormon prophets saw our day (Mormon 8:34–41), should we not also admit that what they saw seldom matches our high opinion of ourselves? We are the wild branches and as prophesied, bring forth wild fruit.

The Book tells us that repentance is knowing exactly who and what we are: nothing! Always retain in remembrance His goodness and our nothingness, which is the essence of Godly Sorrow. The only type of sorrow that brings about repentance.

How do we avoid being deceived? Of course Christ is the remedy, but how do we come to Christ? How exactly do we partake of His goodness, His incorruptible state of righteousness, and His promise to make us incorruptible like He is? 

The answer is through His words! Words that come from the mouth of God and strike everything else as insignificant! There is a danger to rely only on the pulpit narrative, when Christ himself points us to the scripture narrative--His words.

The Lord makes it clear that we come unto Him through His words, and that "whoso receiveth not my voice (His words) is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me." 

This plan for us requires that we choose either good or evil, and that we learn to recognize the difference, and understand exactly what is good and what is evil. Again we turn to His words which tell us that good is the righteousness of God, and evil is everything else. One way is narrow and the other broad. The Lord tells us that we get in the right way because of His words and we stay in the right way because of His words. We see this by virtue of the word of God being identified as the Rod of Iron, with the word being compared to the Liahona and with the word of God being truth, light, spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Why? 

Because the word of God leads us to the fountain of living waters, the love of God and to the righteousness of God. While ignoring and not receiving His words keeps us in darkness and leads us to wander in strange paths and eventually being captive by the chains of hell, and by being deceived, thinking we are on the right path. And when we shine the light of His words upon ourselves, we see the corruption, the flawed goodness, the evil. And yet at the same time we see His goodness and righteousness, and willingly and joyfully turn to Him and rely wholly upon His merits.

I want to conclude by sharing with you the Hymn of the Pearl from the Acts of Thomas. In this classic tale, a king's son has come down to earth to find a pearl which he is to return to its heavenly depository. Here below he becomes defiled with the things of the world, until a letter from heaven, signed by all the Great and Mighty Ones, recalls to him his true heritage and his purpose in coming to earth. Whereupon he casts off his earthly garments, and with the pearl returns to the waiting arms of his loved ones in the royal courts on high  and to his robe of glory that has been carefully kept for him in the Treasury.

The scriptures are our letter from Heaven, reminding us of our heavenly home and the way to get there. 

Please. Read the letter!

Neither Do They Understand

How is it that ye do not understand? (John 8:21)

In all my searching of the word of God, I had not focused on what the Lord has revealed about  understanding His words. The nuances of the word understand are plentiful and complex, and add more to receiving the word of God. 

When Christ asked, "Why is it you do not understand my word?" (often found in passages like John 8:43), He was not simply questioning our intellectual capacity to grasp the literal meaning of His words. His question delves much deeper, pointing to a spiritual and moral inability to truly comprehend His message. 

The way the word understand is used in scripture, also points out either the lack of or the presence of personal revelation. I propose that without personal revelation, we cannot completely understand how the words of God are connected and how the words themselves are a form of personal revelation. 

The mortal Jesus asked this question often of those who did not understand the words or the source of His words.

"Why do ye not understand my speech?" He answers His own question. "Even because you cannot hear my word" (John 8:43 emphasis added). We do not understand because we do not hear His word. See more on why Christ taught in parables.

"Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?" (Mark 8:17-18 emphasis added). 

"Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive...?" (John 7:18 emphasis added). 

"Are ye also yet without understanding?" (Mathew 15:16).

"Have ye understood all these things?"(Mathew 13:51).

The emphasis on understanding suggests to me that there is more to it that just cognition. There are many nuances to what it means to understand, and the scriptures layer many of these nuances to give us a more complete picture of what it means to understand.

Scriptural word links to the word understand are: heart, mind, hear, see, teach, perceive, wise, wisdom, light, truth, spirit, view, knowledge, hidden treasures, mysteries, search, give voice, voice of God, prayer, reason, enlightened, hearken and of course, repent. 

The following are a few examples of the layers of understanding. 

Our Father would not reveal to us what we are not capable of understanding, so we must become capable of understanding what He has revealed. And understanding what He has revealed leads to understanding what He is yet to reveal. 

"For if ye understand these things ye have not taught them...Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding; therefore, ye have not been wise. Therefore, what teach ye this people"(Mosiah 12:26-27 emphasis added)? 

King Benjamin reminds us we must hearken unto the voice of God and open our ears that we may hear, and our minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to our view. (Mosiah 2:9 emphasis added).

Wisdom and knowledge are also equated with understanding in Job, Proverbs and the Psalms:

"So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 

Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 

If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 

Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. 

For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:2-6 emphasis added). Even understanding comes from God.

"What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also" (1 Corinthians 14:15 emphasis added).

Reason is also linked to understanding.

"And now come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the elders of his church, and let us reason together, that ye may understand; 

Let us reason even as a man reasoneth one with another face to face. 

Now, when a man reasoneth he is understood of man, because he reasoneth as a man; even so will I, the Lord, reason with you that you may understand" (D&C 50:10-12 emphasis added).

But the Lord makes a distinction between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of men. "And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught" (D&C 76:9-10 emphasis added).

By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God" (D&C 76:12 emphasis added).

"And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 

Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed" (Isaiah 6:9-10).

"Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark" (2 Nephi 32:4 emphasis added).

"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 

But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 

And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 

Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man" (Matthew 15:8-11 emphasis added), and is the best measure of whether we understand.

The mortal Jesus only spoke in Parables to those who did not understand. 

"Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive" (Matthew 13:13-14 emphasis added).

"For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding" (2 Nephi 31:3 emphasis added).

In the Parable of the Sower the Lord tells us that "...he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (Matthew 13:23 emphasis added).

In summary, when Jesus asked, "Why is it you do not understand my word?" He was highlighting a fundamental spiritual disconnect. It wasn't about a lack of intelligence, but a spiritual and moral resistance to God's truth, rooted in our hearts, our traditions, and our relationship with God (or lack thereof). True understanding of God's word, starts with a willing heart, a genuine desire for truth, and the power of God to understand.

"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing" (1 Corinthians. 13:2). Now many would think this means being charitable or having more charity. We cannot have this charity, which is the pure love of Christ, without being filled with His pure love, and only after praying for it with all our heart. Can you understand the difference?

Those who are Christ's disciples, do hear, see, understand and repent, and are filled with His love.

When "understand" is used to mean "seeing the whole picture," it implies a holistic and comprehensive grasp of the word of God, with all its connections and layers of meaning forming a crystal clear picture.

Here's a breakdown of the nuances associated with this specific meaning:

•  Interconnectedness: It's not enough to know the parts; one must see how they relate, influence, and depend on each other.
• Contextual Awareness: The "whole picture" includes the past, present and future. For example, scriptural use of types connect the past, present and future. 
• Implications and Consequences: When you understand the whole picture, you can more clearly see the past, present and future. 

In essence, understanding the word of God is seeing the whole picture, the details, the beauty!

Let's look at a one example.

First it will help to distinguish between knowing and knowledge. I use the two as in once you have gained the knowledge, i.e. diligently searched the word of God, then you come to know that what you have learned is true by personal revelation from God. This is the Spirit of Revelation.

The example I want to use is the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work. I will not use citations but will instead paint a picture for you. This is just a sketch, however, to show you just how layered and nuanced the Lord's words are. 

We see first, just from the phrase, that it is the Lord's work, and that it is great and marvelous. As we search the words, work, great and marvelous, we will see and understand that there are many events associated with the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work. We can also link the words great and terrible to the Lord’s work because some events are terrible such as devastating destruction of people, places and Satan's system (Babylon), prior to the Lord’s coming. These events, whether marvelous or terrible, preceed the Lord’s coming. 

One event is the division of the people either on one hand or the other, and that this division is irrevocable. The division is caused by the word of God. Remember the Lord describing his words as a two-edged sword? Those that believe his words will be found on one hand, and those who don't believe His words will be found on the other. These events are prophesied by Christ, Nephi and Isaiah among others. 

Since those who believe His words will repent and those who do not believe His words will not repent, we see the division as being caused by our failure to repent.

Besides this irrevocable division, other events associated with the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work include the commencement of His work in these last days (also called the day of the Gentiles). His work commenced when His Gospel was restored in its fulness in this last dispensation to Joseph Smith. 

Another event associated with the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work is the coming forth of the Book of Mormon by the fulness of the Gentiles. We start to see in the picture that there are actors, groups of people, or the 'players' in these events. We are identified with team Gentiles in the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work. 

Another event is the Lord bearing His arm in the eyes of all nations. His arm in this case is the Lord's latter-day servant, also called David or an Elias (one who prepares for the Lord's coming like John the Baptist) who plays a key role in the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work. This servant is described in detail by Isaiah. Christ refers to this servant as does Joseph Smith. 

One of the events associated with this servant is bringing forth additional records such as the sealed plates of the Book of Mormon and the records of the Brother of Jared. This event seals the irrevocable division between those who believe His words and those who do not, especially among the Lord's people who are the fulness of the Gentiles. In fact some of the Lord's latter-day people fight against the servant. This is because they had not received the words of God given to them and were not prepared to accept these new records.

The majority of the House of Israel, however, do believe these new records and the Lord’s servant, with the assistance of others (yes, we are told who these others are), gathers, in a new exodus, the repentant Jews, Lost Tribes and Lehi's descendants to the lands of their inheritance. These are described as the Old Zion (Jerusalem) and the New Zion (Jackson County). The repentant Gentiles will then be numbered among the House of Israel. 

At the time these are being gathered, the modern-day king of Assyria and those who enter into an alliance with him, will cause chaos and destruction throughout the world, but commencing first among those who professed to know Him (us). This Assyrian king and his armies will eventually be destroyed when he/they attempt to make war on both the old and the new Zion.

Zion is established and the Lord comes again in all His glory to dwell with His people in Zion. Enoch's Zion also comes to join with the new Zion

Events of the past are used to describe endtime events. What has been shall be. The 10 tribes being taken captive by the Assyrians, and the Jews being taken captive by Babylon, are types to describe the Lord's people's failure to repent in these last days as being the catalyst which brings about the reign of terror by the latter day Assyrian king.

While there are 30 events associated with the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work, I have only drawn this sketch using just a few of these events. The complete picture is layered and detailed and deserves the terms Great, Marvelous and Terrible! Hopefully this sketch will cause you to want to see the complete painting, keeping in mind that it is painted by the greatest of Masters.

You can get a more complete picture by reading these, and many other posts in this blog:

Jesus' First Prophecy

The Gentiles in Prophecy

My purpose here is to urgently direct you to His words. Time is not on our side, and in order to be prepared and found on the right side of the division, we must quit treating His words lightly! They deserve our undivided attention. 

The Lord will hasten His Work and we are told how we can prepare for His hastening His Work by being prepared in all things, and by having a more perfect understanding of His words. Once we understand and have been warned we are to warn our neighbors. 

Now I ask you, can you see the artwork painted by His words? 

I don't think you will want to be asked by your Savior "Why is it that you do not understand my words?" 

By the way, another picture can be drawn using His words which will show us in great detail why it is we don't understand, and why it is that we will not repent, but will reject the fulness of His gospel.