Did Isaiah Describe Joseph Smith?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Doctrine and Covenants 111-114 in a lesson titled “I Will Order All Things for Your Good.” The lesson was introduced by the following information. 

Have you ever had a spiritual experience that made you feel confident and secure in your faith in Christ—but then life’s afflictions tried your faith, and you found yourself struggling to recover the peace you felt before? Something similar happened to the Saints in Kirtland. Less than a year after the spiritual outpourings connected with the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, troubles arose. A financial crisis, conflict in the Quorum of the Twelve, and other trials caused some Saints to waver in their faith despite their earlier experiences.

We can’t avoid trials, so how can we keep them from threatening our faith and testimony? Maybe part of the answer can be found in the Lord’s counsel in Doctrine and Covenants 112, given while adversity in Kirtland was swelling. The Lord said, “Purify your hearts before me” (verse 28), “Rebel not” (verse 15), “Gird up thy loins for the work” (verse 7), and “Be thou humble” (verse 10). As we follow this counsel, the Lord will “lead [us] by the hand” through adversity and into healing and peace (see verses 10, 13).

As usual, this scripture block taught numerous principles, including (1) The Lord can “order all things for [my] good” (Doctrine and Covenants 111), (2) The Lord will lead me as I humbly seek His will (Doctrine and Covenants 112:3-15, 22), (3) Those who are truly converted come to know Jesus Christ (Doctrine and Covenants 112:12-26, 28, 33-34), and (4) Joseph Smith was “a servant in the hands of Christ” (Doctrine and Covenants 113). This essay will discuss principle #4 about Joseph Smith being a servant of Jesus Christ.

The prophet Isaiah referred to one of Jesse’s descendants as a “rod” and a “root” (Isaiah 11:1, 10). In section 113, the Lord explained that this descendant, a servant of Christ, would be instrumental in gathering the Lord’s people in the last days (see Doctrine and Covenants 113:4, 6). This prophecy describes the Prophet Joseph Smith quite well.

In answer to a question about the “root of Jesse” (Doctrine and Covenants 113:5-6), Joseph Fielding McConkie proffered the following:

There can be no question that [the ‘root’] is describing the Prophet Joseph Smith. By way of revelation he was told that he held the right to the priesthood (see D&C 86:8-9). That the keys of the kingdom had been given to him is a matter of record; that his labors were to stand as an ‘ensign’ to which the nations of the earth will gather is also a matter of scriptural promise (D&C 29:4, 7-8; 35:25; 38:33; 39:11; 45:9, 28) (“Joseph Smith as Found in Ancient Manuscripts,” 18).