1 Nephi 19:23 - 20:3

1 Nephi 19:23 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.

Nephi, in addition, reads to them what is in the teachings of Moses on his books. But to teach them about the Messiah, he reads to them from the prophet Isaiah. The reason for reading Isaiah was that what happened to Isaiah in his life are exactly what will be happening in our lives. What problems Isaiah saw or heard about are the same problems we will see or hear about. So seeing what Isaiah commented on them is a blueprint for how we should handed them.

1 Nephi 19:24 Wherefore I spake unto them, saying: Hear ye the words of the prophet, ye who are a remnant of the house of Israel, a branch who have been broken off; hear ye the words of the prophet, which were written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves, that ye may have hope as well as your brethren from whom ye have been broken off; for after this manner has the prophet written.

Nephi says to his brothers also that they are indeed a branch of Israel that they need to pay attention to the words written to them that is for their benefit. These words of Isaiah are for all who have been lead away. They need to know of their origins and what is expected of them because they have been preserved by the hand of the Lord himself.

1 Nephi 20:1 Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, or out of the waters of baptism, who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, yet they swear not in truth nor in righteousness.

Here Nephi quotes directly from Isaiah chapter 48 from our King James Bible. (Will see how well I do rewriting Isaiah). This is for all who are of the house of Israel no matter where you are living or at what time in history you are living. This is for all who have been baptized but have not kept His commandments and not lived as they know they should but do not.

1 Nephi 20:2 Nevertheless, they call themselves of the holy city, but they do not stay themselves upon the God of Israel, who is the Lord of Hosts; yea, the Lord of Hosts is his name.

This goes for those who say they are holy and keep the commandments but do not live them.

1 Nephi 20:3 Behold, I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them. I did show them suddenly.

The Lord has made know these commandments from the beginning of time. They are of His mind and will and He has shown them from time to time when they were thinking they were ok, but He let them know all of a sudden that they were not.