Isaiah's Teachings

Dear Family, 

After finishing the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and covenants, and the Old Testamant, (still working on New Testament) I've decided to change it up and go into the book of Isaiah. Something I have ALWAYS hated to read.. I'm reading one chapter at a time and really going through it all.. and it's crazy what I've found in there.. I'm starting in Chapter 48, because that's where it talks more about our generation. But what I've always pondered is ... that he speaks about our generation, but not in OUR words! So, that's the tricky part.. he speaks as the past but for the future trying to describe it as best as he can with the past words to fit this generation.. First, he doesn't speak like scriptures normaly.. they are split up into little sections within the chapter... where? I don't know but I'm try to find it.. a part in Chapter 48, that I want to share is verse 6-8. 

" 6 Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

 7 They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.

 8 Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb."

He talks about hearing and understanding.. In 6 he says "thou has heard" but "thou didst not know them" and I thought.. why did he hear? BUT not know? In verse 7 he says, that we would say well uh yeah "I knew them" and I listened so I understood. In verse 8 he says, "thou heardest not yea, thou knewest not." "thine ear was not opened".   So there are two things here that I came up with as I was pondering this little part in Chapter 48.  There are physical and spiritual ears. We all know this. There are people that hear us.. but it goes in one ear and out the other one.  They "knowest not" then there are people with spiritual ears.  Where it goes in and stays in and they "knowest" and understand, so which one are we? Do we really listen intently? Or do we just let it go in then go out ...not ponder and understand what we been taught. And as missionaries do we listen spiritually.. well to all? Do we listen spiritually to the promptings of the holy ghost? Are we willing to act on them... so we can KNOW? I've pondered and pondered.. but I've gotten so much out of these three verses in this chapter in Isaiah and I've realized how much we can truly learn from isaiah IF we listen with SPIRITUAL EARS! Thats my studies and what I've been learning this week! Love ya!!

Love Elder Johnson