This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers Isaiah 40-49, which includes the Lord’s assurance that He has “graven thee upon the palms of [His] hands” (Isaiah 49:16).
Following are a few quotes from past and present leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about these chapters of scripture.
Isaiah 40
“If you pray, if you talk to God, and if you plead for His help for your loved one, and if you thank Him not only for help but for the patience and gentleness that come from not receiving all you desire right away or perhaps ever, then I promise you that you will draw closer to Him. You will become diligent and long-suffering. And then you can know that you have done all that you can to help those you love and those you pray for navigate through Satan’s attempt to derail them. ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint’ (Isaiah 40:31).”
— President Henry B. Eyring, then the second counselor in the First Presidency, October 2024 general conference, “Simple Is the Doctrine of Jesus Christ”
“Why are we building temples at such an unprecedented pace? Why? Because the Lord has instructed us to do so. The blessings of the temple help to gather Israel on both sides of the veil. These blessings also help to prepare a people who will help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord. As the prophet Isaiah prophesied, and as memorialized in Handel’s Messiah, when Jesus Christ returns, ‘the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together’ (Isaiah 40:5).”
— The late President Russell M. Nelson, then the President of the Church, October 2024 general conference, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again”
“Oftentimes we can find ourselves … patiently — or sometimes impatiently — ‘wait[ing] upon the Lord’ (Isaiah 40:31). Waiting to be healed physically or emotionally. Waiting for answers that penetrate the deepest part of our hearts. Waiting for a miracle.
“Waiting upon the Lord can be a sacred place — a place of polishing and refining where we can come to know the Savior in a deeply personal way. Waiting upon the Lord may also be a place … where spiritual perseverance requires us to exercise faith in Christ by intentionally choosing Him again and again and again.”
— Sister Amy A. Wright, then the second counselor in the Primary general presidency, April 2022 general conference, “Christ Heals That Which Is Broken”
Isaiah 41
“[The Lord] promised the prophet Isaiah, ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: … for I am thy God: … I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness’ (Isaiah 41:10). That promise is for all of us.”
— Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2026 general conference, “He Is Risen”
“Brothers and sisters, discipleship of Jesus Christ is the only way to obtain enduring happiness. It is a path filled with deliberate and purposeful acts of love toward others. While the path of discipleship may be difficult and challenging, and while at times we may struggle and fall short, we can take comfort that God is mindful of us and yearns to help us every time we try. Isaiah reminds us that ‘God will hold [our] hand, saying …, Fear not; I will help thee’ (Isaiah 41:13).”
— Elder Michael B. Strong, General Authority Seventy, April 2025 general conference, “Charity — A Sign of True Discipleship”
Isaiah 42
“As we drive through life’s journey, there will be flashes of light. The Lord promised Isaiah, ‘I will make darkness light before them’ (Isaiah 42:16). Think about this. Life often presents itself as an incessant gray wall stretching off into nowhere, but here and there, if you watch for them, flickering assurances of God’s love for us will become evident.”
— Brother Steven J. Lund, then the Young Men general president, in his September 2022 Brigham Young University devotional, “Flashes of Light”
Isaiah 43
“God does not now see, nor has He ever seen, you as someone to be despised. Whatever has happened to you, He is not ashamed of you or disappointed in you. He loves you in a way you have yet to discover. And you will discover it as you trust in His promises and as you learn to believe Him when He says you are ‘precious in [His] sight’ (Isaiah 43:1).”
— Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, then a General Authority Seventy, April 2022 general conference, “He Is Risen With Healing in His Wings”
“When winds blow in our lives, where is our focus? Remember, there is always one reliable source of strength and courage. The arms of Jesus extend to us, just as they extended to Peter. As we reach for Him, He will lovingly rescue us. We are His. He said, ‘Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine’ (Isaiah 43:1). He will prevail in your life if you let Him. The choice is yours.”
— Elder S. Gifford Nielsen, then a General Authority Seventy, April 2021 general conference, “This Is Our Time!”
Isaiah 44
“The theme of Jehovah redeeming the people of Israel from bondage is repeated many times in the scriptures. Often this is done to remind the people of the Lord’s goodness in delivering the children of Israel from the Egyptians. But it is also done to teach them that there would be another, more important, redemption for Israel. … The Lord declared through Isaiah, ‘I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee’ (Isaiah 44:22).”
— Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr., then a General Authority Seventy, October 2011 general conference, “Redemption”
Isaiah 45
“In looking to God, we can find peace in difficulty, and our faith can continue to grow even in times of doubt and spiritual challenge. We can receive strength in the face of opposition and isolation. We can reconcile the ideal with the present reality. Truly, there is no other way than what God Himself has ordained: ‘Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else’ (Isaiah 45:22).”
— President D. Todd Christofferson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2025 general conference, “Look to God and Live”
Isaiah 46
“Now, we don’t only live in the past, by what is in the scriptures that has already transpired, for Isaiah said the Lord hath declared ‘the end from the beginning’ (Isaiah 46:10). It is all there in the holy scriptures when we know how to understand it. He said, ‘The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever’ (Isaiah 40:8).”
— The late Elder LeGrand Richards, then a member of the Council of the Twelve, April 1973 general conference, “He Has Sent His Messenger To Prepare the Way”
Isaiah 47
“Finally, let me name pride and vain ambition as an obstacle to obedience. Isaiah noted an attitude of Babylon as the complete opposite of obedience: ‘For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me’ (Isaiah 47:10). Self-sufficiency is the antithesis of humility, and it is repugnant to God.”
— The late Elder Jack H. Goaslind, then a General Authority Seventy, in his September 1982 Brigham Young University devotional, “The Rewards for Obedience”
Isaiah 48
“The Lord told His covenant people, ‘I have refined thee …; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction’ (Isaiah 48:10). Whatever the cause of your sufferings, your loving Heavenly Father can direct them to refine your soul. Refined souls can bear others’ burdens with true empathy and compassion. Refined souls … are prepared to joyfully live in God’s presence forever.”
— Elder Anthony D. Perkins, General Authority Seventy, October 2021 general conference, “Remember Thy Suffering Saints, O Our God”
“At times it may seem that our trials are focused on areas of our lives and parts of our souls with which we seem least able to cope. Since personal growth is an intended outcome of these challenges, it should come as no surprise that the trials can be very personal — almost laser guided to our particular needs or weaknesses. And no one is exempt, especially not Saints striving to do what’s right. Some obedient Saints may ask: ‘Why me? I’m trying to be good. Why is the Lord allowing this to happen?’ The furnace of affliction helps purify even the very best of Saints by burning away the dross in their lives and leaving behind pure gold (see Isaiah 48:10). Even very rich ore needs refining to remove impurities. Being good is not enough. We want to become like the Savior.”
— Sunday School General President Paul V. Johnson, then a General Authority Seventy, April 2011 general conference, “More Than Conquerors Through Him That Loved Us”
Isaiah 49
“May we be at peace, brothers and sisters. … May we believe the Lord’s words in Isaiah: ‘I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands’ (Isaiah 49:16). May we testify of Him by the way we live and what we love.”
— Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2026 general conference, “He Is Risen”
“The scriptures immortalize the symbol and significance of the Savior’s hands. In His atoning sacrifice, His hands were pierced by nails to affix Him to the cross. After His Resurrection, He appeared to His disciples in a perfect body, but the prints in His hands remain as a reminder of His infinite sacrifice (see Isaiah 49:16). His hand will always be there for us, even if we cannot see it or feel it at first, because He was chosen by our Heavenly Father to be our Savior, the Redeemer of all humankind.”
— Elder Juan Pablo Villar, General Authority Seventy, October 2024 general conference, “His Hand Ready To Help Us”
“I am so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. His atoning sacrifice for us became the greatest symbol of His and our Father in Heaven’s infinite love for each of us, with the tangible symbols of that love and sacrifice — the marks in the Savior’s hands, feet and side — remaining even after His Resurrection (see Isaiah 49:14-16).”
— Sister J. Anette Dennis, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, April 2024 general conference, “Put Ye On the Lord Jesus Christ”
“The Good Shepherd — our true shepherd — is always good. Within the fold of God, we experience His watchful, nurturing care and are blessed to feel His redeeming love. He said, ‘I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me’ (Isaiah 49:16). Our Savior has graven upon His palms our sins, pains, afflictions and all that is unfair in life. All are welcome to receive these blessings … and choose to be in the fold. The gift of agency is not simply the right to choose; it is the opportunity to choose the right. And the walls of the fold are not a constraint but a source of spiritual safety.”
— Elder Randy D. Funk, then a General Authority Seventy, April 2022 general conference, “Come Into the Fold of God”
