Circle Squared
A Textual Analysis of the Book of Mormon
Chapter 16: "I Feel Petty, Oh So Petty"
Chapter Summary:
Isaiah sees the Lord--Isaiah’s sins are forgiven--He is called to prophesy--He prophesies of the rejection by the Jews of Christ’s teachings--A remnant will return--Compare Isaiah 6. About 559–545 B.C.
Comparable to the inane ramblings of what appears to be a coked-out Saint John in the Book of Revelation, Isaiah describes a vision wherein he sees god, is given a fiery coal from a six-winged seraphim, is forgiven of his sins and unclean lips, and volunteers to be a prophet.
The first thing which stands out to me is the order of the ridiculous events. In verse one Isaiah sees god:
"1 ...I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple."
In verses six and seven a seraphim gives Isaiah a coal as part of a ritual which cleanses Isaiah of his sins:
"6 Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar;"
"7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said: Lo, this has touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged."
This is significant because Christians of all flavors claim that god hates sin so much that he cannot stand to be in the presence of sinners. This is why it is so important for Jesus to save us from sin and hell, and allow us the enter in to heaven. How is it, then, that Isaiah saw god before he was cleansed of his sins?
After the ritual, which seems way easier than more conventional methods of self-deprecating repentance, god asks who will be his spokesman. Isaiah replies, "Here am I; send me."
God proceeds to lay out the game plan for saving his chosen people from endless torment: they didn't believe me the first time, so screw them:
"9 And he said: Go and tell this people--Hear ye indeed, but they understood not; and see ye indeed, but they perceived not."
"10 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 be converted and be healed."
If god is going to make it impossible for the Jews to "convert and be healed", why would he send Isaiah at all? To guarantee their damnation? How petty.
This reminds me of the story of Joseph in Egypt, of which Nephi is a fan, where god sent wave after wave of plagues on the Egyptians because the pharaoh wasn't convinced by Moses' magical assertions. When he was finally convinced by the death and destitution caused by Moses' god and was ready to let the Jews free, god hardened the heart of the pharaoh so he could continue wreaking havoc on the Egyptians by killing their innocent first-born sons.
This is the same god that Isaiah presumes is capable--and worthy--of forgiving him of his sins. This is the same god that commands Isaiah to give the Jews the middle finger and punishes their future generations for their stubbornness and doubt in an invisible god. This is the same god that chooses to communicate to his prophets through visions of six-winged mythical creatures and expects regular folk to take their word for it. This is the same god that chooses to hide himself from the people he condemns to hell, thereby ensuring their destruction, which he designed in the first place. This god--the god of Isaiah and Mormonism--is a dick.