Having failed to connect the chiasmic parallelism of verse 1 of Isaiah 11, many have taken to wandering off on an all together new innovative perception of who thie 'root of Jesse' could wonderously be. But here we must simply return to verse 1 as set out in its proper chiasmic verse parallel and identify hims still as being that Rod and Branch who is indeed Jesus Christ. And as verses 11-16 continut to espose, it is certainly Jesus Christ who is the 'Lord' who 'shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people.'

This must be the solid foundation that Isaiah 11 is set upon for the continuing chain to so masterfully further reveal some very astonding revelations concerning Jesus Christ in the scriptural chain's proper interpretations. Other wise one may run amuck into attempting to sort out Messiah ben David and Messiah ben Joseph as did the Jewish Rabbis round about the days of Christ and early Christianity. And that to avoid accepting the stumbling block which they could not get themselves beyond.

It should now be so clearly understood that the 'Ensign' to the nations of which the scriptures do speak to whom the Gentiles are to seek, is none other that to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And in particular in respect to that land of promise which is choice above all other lands, that is America, it is Jesus Christ who is the God of this/that land. And he has so established that Government to establish he restoration to come in preparation for his Second Coming! But then now I do 'digress' into other chains of scriptural study and I should but stay on course with this one at hand.

Thus it perhaps is best to move on to the New Testament and a 'confirming' and/or supporting scripture that should cement this matter into place before the chain runs off into the book of Revelation of John or that of the more modern text of the Doctrine and Covenants. Before we so go, a quick note. 2 Nephi 21:10 is basically the same as Isaiah 11:10. And both still, as many of the scriptures do, fail to distinguish between the English 'Which' and 'Who' as to be used in interpretaion. Perhaps that being that in the Hebrew it is but one and the same word whether it refers to a person or 'thing.' But the more refined translation of the New King James Version does take particular care to put into effect the diference between 'Which' refering to a thing and the Who that refers to a person. And it makes the verse clear and understandable!

"And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,
"Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
"For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
"And His resting place shall be glorious."
NKJV - Isaiah 11:10

The 'refinements' of proper translation are quite admirerable here. How it is 'lined' out is enjoyable. The reference to Jesus Christ as the Root of Jesse is here captitalize, as it should have been in verse 1. The 'which' is give as the proper English language 'Who.' The 'it' is properly rendered as 'Him.' And even the 'his' is capitializes as it does reference 'His,' the Lords own glorious rest. Perhaps the only real weakness here is the use of the word 'banner' for 'ensign' which disrupts that side scriptural chain on just who is the 'Ensign' being raised to the world as being Jesus Christ. All in all, a good modern translation. Now on to Paul's confirmation.

"And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust." ~ New Testament | Romans 15:12

One of the finest scholars of scripture is Paul who studied under the great Gamaliel. Paul would have had a much better understanding of what Isaiah was saying. And Paul's scholarly New Testament version cuts directly to the summary of what Isaiah in chapter 11 is setting forth. Paul as the New King James Version does, concerning the root of Jesse, when he uses the personal pronoun to 'he' rather than 'which' or 'it' in refrencing Jesus Christ. And Paul in his sinple concise verse sets out that it is Jesus Christ who will reign over the Gentiles in the Millennial day and who the Gentiles will trust in. In God We Trust.

In like manner the LDS cross-referencing system further refers the 'root of Jesse' directly to the Topical Guide topic of Jesus Christ, Davidic Descent of. Paul has no question as to who the 'Root of Jesse' is referencing, and it is Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who Isaiah, according to the most highly trained authority of that central date of Jesus Christ, Paul the Apostle identifies as the 'Root of Jesse.'

We have gone from the Old Testament to the New Testament with Book of Mormon confirmations of Isaiah's writings included. The question is do we finish the scriptural chain of the 'root of Jesse' all the way out to modern revelation now? Or do we jump to the 'root of David. In the interest of following the scriptural chain verbatim, we will first finish it and go to D&C 113 next, before we return to the New Testament again and the book of Revelation of John the Apostle.

"WHO is the Stem of Jesse spoken of in the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th verses of the 11th chapter of Isaiah?
"Verily thus saith the Lord: It is Christ." ~ Doctrine and Covenants | Section 113:1-2

We have in our scriptural chain a direct path to this answer already established. But the manner in which this question of D&C 113:1 is possed has misled some in various paths by beginning at this poorly formed question. In the chiasmic parallelism explored previously the 'stem of Jesse' is the same in parallel with 'his roots.' That is the Root of Jesse is parallel with and the same as the stem of Jesse. And thus it is no supprise that the corrected aswere which the Lord gives, is that it is Jesus Christ, speaking of himself in the third person here. And all is settled! But not according to some.

The problem is that the question is not stated properly in terms of what is the paragraph topic directly as the paragraph topic is actually the 'Branch' and 'Rod' as used in the chiasmic parallelism. Rather than using the 'subject topic' of the opening sentence of the paragraph, the question is asked in terms of the object of a prepositional identifier. That is 'the Rod', who is 'the Brach' is further identified by the prepositions 'of the stem of Jesse' and 'of his roots.' That should be okay 'IF' one understands the chiasmic parallelism and that the Rod is of the stem of Jesse or the same as that and that the Branch of 'his (Jesse's) roots' is the same as well. But people cannot help themselves but to separate the root of Jesse from the stem of Jesse and the the rod from the Branch which is also the root of Jesse. They cut those four things apart from each other as they do not understand or accept the welding parallelism the by chiasmic scriptural poetry make them definitions of each other. That is the root is the stem is the Rod is the Branch! That is what the chiasmic parallelism teaches and states.

And thus, instead of three separate questions in verse 1, 3 and 5 of D&C 113, we basically have but one and the same question. What is the Stem of Jesse? What is the Rod of the Stem of Jesse? What is the root of Jesse who was the same as the Branch, Rod and Stem of Jesse? Three questions. But until the simple chiasmic parallelism is grasped, they are not properly understood to be the same question with the so supplied information being all about the same person, who is Jesus Christ.

Once that can be grasped, what is being revealed in D&C 113:1-6 will not be appreciated. The answers of verses 2, 4 and 6 are one continuous answer to the compound question of who is the Rod from the stem of jesus who is the Branch of the root of Jesse? It is but one question joined by that synonymous defining chaismic parallelism concerning Jesus Christ.

Before we precede from here. A quick question. Does the Lord speak to his people in levels of complexity of understanding? The answer to that is obviously yes. To the apostles he explained that he spoke to the people in parables so as that for understanding those that were not prepared for the deeper answers would not receive them to their understanding except by and through the working of the Holy Ghost. So yes the Lord speaks to his people in levels of complexity and understanding. The Lord did so in ancient scripture as he explained to Isaiah that those they had eyes they did not see and though they had ears they did not hear. And the Lord had Isaiah write his words in many Chiasmic verses and Isaiah was one of the most difficult of the Old Testament prophets to understand for that reason and for that purpose. Nephi had to have 'the vision' so as to appreciate and understand what Isaiah wrote. Most do not have the blessings and understanding of the prophets as led by the Holy Ghost. So, yes, most certainly God, the Lord, speaks to his people in various levels of complexity, so that they will learn line upon line, precept upon precept only as they are ready, prepared and have it revealed unto them by the spirit of God and according to their own due efforts and humitility in coming to understand the Lord.

Now that said, the three answers concern the same person Jesus Christ will be given, verses 2, 4, and 6 of D&C 113. Remember the complete question from the chiasmic parallelism concern all four elements of the parallel equally identifying the four as one. The Rod of the stem of Jesse is the Branch of the root of Jesse. "Who is the Rod, Branch, Stem and Root of Jesse?

"It is Christ. It is a servant in the hands of Christ, who is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom there is laid much power. It is a descendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering of my people in the last days." Doctrine and Covenants | Section 113:2 & 4 & 6

The Rod, Branch, Stem, Root of Jesse if Christ the Messiah. As any of us do who presume to rise to becoming agents unto ourselves, we take the responsibility for our lives into our own hands. Jesus was the very special servant in the hands of the Messiah, himself. By his own free agency he freely gave his own life to pay the price of the sins of the world. Who has not gone out and by the work of his own hand done and accomplished that work which a person has given himself to do? He is partly a descendant of Jesse, being that everyone has a paternal and maternal separate ancestry. Even thus he was also such of Ephraim. Now that in context of this text has a further distinction to be made. These is and has been musch power laid upon him. By that power are worlds and heavens created. Again he is a descendant of Jesse as well as in a straight linial descent as well as of Joseph, that being that Obed was born of Ruth to be the son and heir of Mahlon, a son of the dead as performed by the surrogate Boaz. A priesthood ordinace for the dead which we ought to be familure with. As done according to fulfill all righteousness, Jesus was the legitimate earthly heir of the priesthood of the fathers that had come down through Joseph, Ephraim, Nun, Joshua, Elimelech, and Mahlon, who family he was raised up unto as heir. The keys of the kingdom are certainly his and none other! He deligates, but they are his belonging to his priesthood. He stands as the ensign to the world for the gathering of his/my (in the third person spoken) people in the last days.

And thus when asked who was the Rod and/or who was the Root of Jesse spoken of in verse ten, as already stated above here in this Appendix, it was Jesus that the answers were given about.

"What [Who] is the root of Jesse spoken of in the 10th verse of the 11th chapter?
"Behold, thus saith the Lord, it is a descendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering of my people in the last days." ~ Doctrine and Covenants | Section 113:5-6

Now in proper English, the Root of Jesse is a 'Who' not a 'What.' But as poorly as the question was asked without understanding, Jesus still replied with the correct answer, though to who asked the question as such, it was not readily understandable as many of the parables or chiasmic verses are not either. Remember line upon line and percept upon precept. And it takes one's own efforts to find the truths and mysteries of God.

"And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." ~ New Testament | Revelation 5:5

The apostles of Jesus day worked with the nation of the Jews and things were so defined in terms of the Jews. And for certain, Obed, Jesse, and David were of the bloodline of Judah as touted in 1 Chronicals 5:1-2. And they Jews, the keepers of the Old Testament had determined to keep the genealogy after being of Judah rather thay being of Joseph. And so it was in the days of Jesus among the Jews and thus it is not supprising that it is so state by John and in the book of Revelation. As to when the world will be given to understand that Obed was raised to be the son of the Patriarchal line of Joseph of Egypt by Boaz raising up Oben as son of Mahlon, it is not yet so given. But Jesus is by blood of the tribe of Judah, but by the laws of God and the priesthood, Jesus was son and heir of the patriarchs from Joseph to Mahlon who was the legal father of Obed, he being raised up to him by the vicariouos performance of Boaz unto Ruth in the stead of Mahlon.

"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." ~ New Testament | Revelation 22:16

Yes Jesus was the offspriing of David through his mother Mary, but he was also the Son of God as God the Father was his earthy parent by and through the power exercise by the Holy Ghost. Today a virgin can be impregnated by a doctor without looing her virginity. Certainly the power of God is greater than that. And Mary was a virgin un and until she was first had by her husband Joseph, which was some time after when Jesus was born. Thus through Mary Jesus was heir to the throne of David as also a descendant of Jesse and as well from Joseph of Egypt also as precribed in this text.

And as Jesus so stated, he was the Root, 'I am the root.' There is not doubt that Jesus said he was and so is he. The Root of Jesse, through Jesse's son David was he the Root, Stem, Rod and Branch. This only further confirms by Jesus' own voice who he was. Now while the 'root' scripture chaing has ran out, there is still one more scripture to consider here to be presented next.