The “Isaiah Problem” in the Book of Mormon

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Sidney B. Sperry
Doubts as to the literary unity of the book of Isaiah
are fairly recent. The late nineteenth century saw
a division of Isaiah into three parts by critics, who
categorized only 262 of the 1292 verses as the genuine product of Isaiah. These critics deny the prediction element of prophecy and highlight different literary forms and theological ideas. The Book of Mormon attributes two of these three sections to Isaiah by quotation; ancient scriptures as well give no hint of a division. Christ and the apostles themselves attribute the book to Isaiah. Internal evidences of the unity of the book include imagery, repetition, expressions peculiar to Isaiah, and song. Changes in style can be attributed to mood. The differences between the
Book of Mormon and the King James Version support the authenticity and literary unity of Isaiah.
1995
Sperry, Sidney B. (1995) “The “Isaiah Problem” in the Book of Mormon,” Journal of Book of Mormon
Studies: Vol. 4 : No. 1 , Article 17.