In Isaiah’s poetic language, we see references to our Savior and Redeemer frequently, yielding important insight into His role and into how we benefit from that role. Indeed, reading scriptures like those of Isaiah helps us build testimonies of Him.

Since Isaiah lived hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, these teachings foresee His coming, both His coming in the meridian of times and His second coming, which we still look forward to. Along side these teachings, Isaiah also teaches us ways to draw closer to Him and ways of understanding His roles.

 

Fasting builds spiritual power and blesses people in need.

Among these is the practice of fasting, which can put us in touch with the Spirit, and help us to build spiritual connections with God. Our practice of fasting monthly also blesses the needy. Unfortunately, we sometimes then see fasting as a sacrifice meant to benefit others, instead of a spiritual practice that benefits us. Understanding fasting as a spiritual practice is hard, but I think we can at least acknowledge it as a possibility, practicing and, well, sacrificing, until we gain the spiritual benefit.

Perhaps seeing fasting as a sacrifice is why we have so few poems about fasting itself. Instead we have poems that mention fasting, always in conjunction with prayer, and not as the message of the poem. I hope that I will eventually find a good LDS poem on fasting. But of those that mention fasting, this poem by the prolific 19th-century poet, Joel H. Johnson sees it as part of giving thanks to God for the blessings we have been given.

 

Be thankful to God, all ye Saints,

And serve him with gladness and fear;

In sorrow make known your complaints,

In meetings of fasting and prayer.

 

To him all your burdens make known,

With fasting and prayer lift your cries;

Your of’rings in love he will own,

And wipe all the tears from your eyes.

 

In union and love raise your song,

His goodness and mercy proclaim;

His praise in sweet anthems prolong,

In honor and love to his name.

 

His mercy and truth shall endure;

Then lift up your heads and rejoice.

His kindness and love, too, is sure,

To all who are sons of his choice.

1882

 

Honoring the Lord on the Sabbath brings joy.

Another practice taught by Isaiah which makes up an important part of our worship is the sabbath. We are taught to reverence that day, dedicating it to God and to our worship of Him. While how LDS Church members worship on that day may vary, I think we can say that we do spend it differently than other days, despite the many ways that the pressures of modern life and the conveniences available to us push us to make it just like any other day.

Unlike fasting, the sabbath is a frequent topic of LDS poetry, especially in poems about Sunday School, several of which appear as hymns in the hymnal. This poem, by J. L. Townsend (who has 10 hymns in the current hymnal), could easily be another hymn. In it he captures a kind of joy at the sabbath, a teaching that we can benefit from, I think.

 

O, blessed day of peace and rest,

Thou art the day I love the best!

Through precious hours thy gifts are sown

With blessings from the Savior’s throne.

With songs of joy attune my lyre,

And feed my soul’s celestial fire;

Let love with love its pleasures meet,

And happiness be mine complete.

I know the joy of rest and peace

That from my toil brings sweet release;

And when the evening hours have passed

Yet shall thy precepts ever last.

And so repeated days replace

Thy happy hours of love and grace;

And Heaven, each departed year,

In vision thou hast made more clear!

1920

 

Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer.

The point of fasting and of sabbath worship is the Savior. Knowing what He has done for us, and His crucial role in the plan of salvation helps us understand many elements of this life and of what God has provided for us through this life.

This is a less-know hymn by Parley P. Pratt, who deserves the title of ‘Father of LDS Poetry’, if anyone does, for publishing the very first book of LDS poetry, “The Millennium” (1835). He also was instrumental in the publication of the 2nd significant LDS hymnal, the Manchester Hymnal (1840), which included this poem.

 

Behold, the great Redeemer comes

To bring his ransomed people home;

He comes to save his scattered sheep,

He comes to comfort those who weep.

He comes all blessings to impart

Unto the meek and contrite heart,

He comes, he comes to be admired,

He comes to burn the proud with fire.

He comes to bless the humble poor,

He comes creation to restore,

He comes the earth to purify,

He comes, but not again to die.

He comes, he comes unto his own,

He comes to reign on David’s throne;

He comes to stand on Zion’s hill,

He comes the Scriptures to fulfil.

He comes to tread the wicked down,

He comes the martyrs for to crown,

He comes to dry the mourner’s tears,

He comes to reign a thousand years.

He comes on Olives mount to stand,

He comes all Israel to defend,

He comes to lay the sinner low,

He comes that Judah may him know.

He comes to show his hands and side,

He comes to wed his ready bride,

He comes to reign as King of kings,

He comes, let all creation sing.

1840

 

“The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light.”

The use of the metaphor “light” in the scriptures (and in poetry as well) is pervasive. We talk of light as representing goodness and knowledge. His mercy beams to us through light. And  we even sing that “The Lord is my light.” As with any heavenly principle, this light is something that lasts forever. So is it any wonder that poets use light as a metaphor for love?

Little-known British LDS poet Henry Moore sees God’s love as light in this poem. It is bright, and its “glories blaze”, and in His gospel we see it “shine.”And it is by that light that we find an everlasting day that opens the heavens.

 

My God, thy boundless love I praise:

How bright on high its glories blaze!

How sweetly bloom below!

It streams from thine eternal throne;

Through heaven its joys for ever run,

And o’er the earth they flow.

 

“Tis love that paints the purple morn,

And bids the clouds, in air upborne,

Their genial drops distil:

In every vernal beam it glows,

And breathes in every gale that blows,

And glides in every rill.

 

It robes in cheerful green the ground,

And pours its flowery beauties round,

Whose sweets perfume the gale:

Its beauties richly spread the plain,

The blushing fruit, the golden grain,

And smile on every vale.

 

But in thy Gospel see it shine

With grace and glory more Divine,

Proclaiming sins forgiven:

There Faith, bright cherub! points the way

To realms of everlasting day,

And opens all her heaven.

1859

 

Christ will reign on earth during the Millennium.

While Christ’s atonement is the central element of the gospel, we also teach that after He comes again He will personally reign on the earth for a thousand years. No doubt this will be a time when practices of fasting and sabbath worship will be perfected, and we will recognize His role. And His light will be the central light of all life here. All this after removing from the earth all  its pains, slumbering and wickedness.

Here Parley P. Pratt envisions this millennium and Christ’s reign, focusing mostly on the things that will be removed so that we can progress unfettered with sorrow, death and evil. Hosanna indeed for such a day.

 

Earth is the place where Christ will reign

With all his saints a thousand years, –

He’ll end their sorrow and their pains,

Dismiss their woes, and dry their tears.

He’ll burst the prison of their tombs,

And bring their sleeping dust to light;

He’ll clothe them with immortal bloom,

Arrayed in garments clear and white.

He’ll cleanse the earth from wicked men,

And bind Old Satan with a chain;

He’ll raise the meek and humble then,

To thrones of power, and bid them reign.

Hosanna to the Son of God,

Who soon will come to earth again,

To smite the wicked with his rod,

And o’er the earth exalted reign.

1840