In Isaiah there is much that is difficult to understand. One of the most confusing verses is Isaiah 4:1, where Isaiah speaks of seven women [who] take hold of one man.

Isaiah 3:25-4:2
25 Your men shall be felled by the sword,
your might overthrown in war. 26 Her gateways shall lie bereaved and forlorn;
she shall sit on the ground destitute. 1 Seven women will take hold of one man
in that day, and say, We will eat our own food,
wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name—
take away our reproach! 2 In that day the plant of Jehovah shall be beautiful and glorious, and the earth’s fruit the pride and glory of the survivors of Israel.

In the LDS church there is a common false interpretation of this verse that goes something like this: “At the last day most of the men will be killed in wars, and to build up to the Lord a rightous Zion people polygamy will have to be practiced again, with seven women willing to share one husband”. This is an incorrect and a false prophecy of the last days that we have inherited from the days of Brigham Young, when the church was highly motivated to find scriptural evidence supporting polygamy.

We miss the correct interpretation of this verse because we forget to relate these seven women to the wicked women of Zion in chapter 3. The prophet Joseph Smith noticed this problem when he placed Isaiah 4:1 as the last verse of chapter 3 in the Joseph Smith translation. In Isaiah 3 the women of Zion wield authority, and are accused by the Lord of depriving the needy and opressing his people. Unfortunately they even participate in Babylon with their works of darkness, trying to hide their doings from society and from God. Though they hide themselves behind fine apparel and ostentatious adornments, at the last day Jehovah reveals their wickedness and hidden schemes by stripping away their carefully crafted facade.

Isaiah 3:12
12 As for my people, babes subject them;
women wield authority over them. O my people, your leaders mislead you,
abolishing your traditional ways. 13 Jehovah will take a stand and contend with them;
he has arisen to judge the nations. 14 He will bring to trial the elders of his people
and their rulers, and say to them, It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
you fill your houses by depriving the needy. 15 What do you mean by oppressing my people,
humbling the faces of the poor? says Jehovah of Hosts.
16 Jehovah says, moreover,
Because the women of Zion are haughty and put on airs, painting their eyes,
ever flirting when they walk and clacking with their feet, 17 my Lord will afflict the scalps
of the women of Zion with baldness; Jehovah will expose their private parts. 18 In that day my Lord will strip away their finery…

Isaiah 29:15
15 Woe to those who contrive
to hide their schemes from Jehovah! They work in the dark, thinking,
Who will see us? Who will know?

It is important to remember some Hebrew symbolism. The ‘church’ or ‘Zion’ is often represented in the scriptures as a woman. Isaiah alludes to this when the Lord says earlier in chapter 3 that as for my people…women wield authority over them. The number ‘seven’ represents wholeness or completeness. For example, seven days is one week, six days of creation and a day of rest represent the creation of the Earth by God.

In the book of Revelation where Jesus gives the revelation to the apostle John and instructs him to send it to the seven churches in Asia, he means ‘all the churches in Asia’. In the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 25, Alma establishes the church of God in Zarahemla and the prophet Mormon records this as saying there were seven churches in the land of Zarahemla, however, notwithstanding there being many churches they were all one church, yea, even the church of God. The Book of Mormon implies here that Isaiah’s seven women are intended to be one.

Isaiah’s intended meaning in Isaiah 4:1 is recognized in the Book of Mormon when prophets Nephi, Moroni and even Jesus interpret this verse correctly in the same way. The Book of Mormon prophets sees these seven women of Zion as one church of God that has been fractured and is now fighting amongst itself. The seven women are wicked and are becoming ripe in iniquity. Nephi sees that these seven women who want to be called by the Lord’s name represent the Christian churches at the last day who have all gone astray; they contend with one another, each saying I, I am the Lord’s:

2 Nephi 28:3-4, 11-12, 14
3 For it shall come to pass in that day that the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say unto the other: Behold, I, I am the Lord’s; and the others shall say: I, I am the Lord’s; and thus shall every one say that hath built up churches, and not unto the Lord—
4 And they shall contend one with another; and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance.
11 Yea, they have all gone out of the way; they have become corrupted.
12 Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted, and their churches are lifted up; because of pride they are puffed up.
14 They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.

The prophet Moroni also prophesied that at the last day all the Christian churches would become polluted, even the holy church of God. Mirroring Nephi, he claims that this will be because of pride, and that the humble followers of Christ are few. In Mormon 8 Moroni writes:

Mormon 8:36-38
36 And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.
37 For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.
38 O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God?

The Book of Mormon prophesies of events that occur among the nations, kingdoms, and churches of the Gentiles as the Lord begins to gather Israel. The prophet Mormon saw the events among the Nephites around Christ’s coming provided a clear example of last days events among the Gentiles. In particular, the church of God among the Nephites was broken up completely due to pride. Only a few remained humble and were converted unto the true faith – similar to Nephi and Moroni’s description of the Christian churches in the end times and Isaiah’s seven women of Zion.

3 Nephi 6:14 (14-30)
13 Some were lifted up in pride, and others were exceedingly humble; some did return railing for railing, while others would receive railing and persecution and all manner of afflictions, and would not turn and revile again, but were humble and penitent before God.
14 And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith;

Nephi and Moroni see the churches among the Gentiles at the last day – even the LDS church – as these seven women who corrupt Christ's covenant with his people. Nephi speaks of all the Christian churches teaching the precepts of men, and false and vain and foolish doctrines which in many instances cause even the few followers of Christ who are humble to err. (2 Nephi 28:9, 14) Moroni claims the churches have transfigured the holy word of God. (Mormon 8:33) Their rejection of Christ’s covenant is revealed in Isaiah 4:1 by their refusal to accept the food and clothing offered by the bridegroom, thereby rejecting the covenant he offers to them. (Remember that clothing refers to priesthood authority to act in his name, and food and water are tokens of Jesus' body and blood which was given to save us from our sins.)

For many in society, the wickedness of the seven women is only revealed when destruction comes upon the people and many die. Jesus sees the destruction of the Nephites at his death to be a fulfillment of the consequences that arise when these seven women of Zion who are smitten with barrenness ripen in iniquity and their people have been destroyed. (Isaiah 3:25-26) Those Nephites who survived were the more righteous and prepared to keep Christ’s covenant; therefore Christ gave them the sacrament in token that covenant and reorganized his church among them – this authority being represented by the clothing offered by the bridegroom in Isaiah 4:1.

After teaching the Nephites his doctrine, Jesus warned them not to entertain the spirit of contention that possessed Isaiah’s seven women of Zion, saying that it was of the devil, the father of contention, and not of him. The Book of Mormon records that among the Nephites, the seven women had become one.

3 Nephi 11:28-30
28 And according as I have commanded you thus shall ye baptize. And there shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been; neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there have hitherto been.
29 For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.
30 Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.

4 Nephi 1:15-17
15 And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.
16 And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.
17 There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.

D&C 38:27
27 ...I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.

Jesus’ words to the Nephites are included in the Book of Mormon because Mormon saw the events among the Nephites at Christ’s coming to be a fulfillment of Isaiah's words in Isaiah 3:25–4:2, which would also be fulfilled among the Gentiles at the last day. The Book of Mormon also includes commentary from Nephi and Moroni who foresaw the events prophesied by Isaiah. Until the Gentiles help Israel gather to Zion and finally welcome the second coming of Jesus, their task is to become one by becoming humble followers of Christ who are filled with the love of God. While we are waiting for that day, no church is wholly acceptable before God – though we may individually be accepted by him through our humility and faithful obedience to him alone. Instead, our calling is to build up a righteous people—and church—that is worthy of Christ’s visitation.