It is no secret that the authors of the Book of Mormon love Isaiah. Nephi includes at least 12 chapters of Isaiah in his writings. Of Isaiah, Jesus taught the following:

And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake (3 Nephi 23:1–3).

The Savior teaches that Isaiah taught about “all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel” which includes the Nephites and Lamanites found in America.

Nephi teaches that Isaiah can be understood by all those with the “spirit of prophecy” (2 Nephi 25:4). In Latter-day Saint theology, the “spirit of prophecy” refers to the ability to receive revelation and spiritual insights through the Holy Ghost. It is not limited to predicting future events, as the name might suggest, but is more broadly understood as having a deeper understanding of God's will and the gospel. It entails revelatory insight, the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:10), understanding the scriptures, and guidance for leadership. In practice, the spirit of prophecy is sought through righteousness, prayer, scripture study, and living in accordance with gospel principles. It's a gift that helps individuals grow closer to God and understand His plan more fully.

Nephi’s own writings may contain evidence of this “spirit of prophecy” in action. Scholars over the years have noticed many significant differences between Nephi’s version of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon and that in the King James Bible. It may be that at least some of these differences stem from a more ancient version of Isaiah that Nephi had access to. On the other hand, it is possible that Nephi is deliberately making changes to Isaiah to comment on it similar to how many Jewish rabbis have written midrash commentaries. Midrash is a Jewish religious text and interpretative tradition. It involves commentary on the Hebrew Scriptures aimed at explaining and exploring complex biblical passages. This tradition goes beyond literal translation to draw out deeper spiritual meanings, moral lessons, or theological insights. Nephi’s midrash contains such commentary by adding to and expanding on the text of Isaiah and likely through the spirit of prophecy.

We can gain access to the spirit of prophecy and find the insights that our Savior wants to. First, we can get deeply acquainted with what commentary on Isaiah already exists in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon’s insights into Isaiah are truly unique gifts. Then, we can live worthy of the spirit of prophecy and seek it deliberately. What unique and exclusive gifts can we get from the Lord when we live worthy of the Spirit and seek personal revelation that bestows those gifts?