Jehovah

The most frequent and yet hidden name for God in the Book of Mormon
An Essay by Adam Hendrickson
Jan 1st 2023,

After his resurrection, Jesus descended from heaven to visit the Nephites who are part of scattered Israel. He instructed and blessed the people. Before he left, he told the people what will happen when he returns to earth. He also explained that the House of Israel would eventually come to know him. In 3 Nephi 20:39, he stated, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, that my people shall know my name; yea, in that day they shall know that I am he that doth speak.”

What does the scripture mean when Jesus says that his people shall know his name? Which one of his many names is he referring to? This particular scripture was directed at the Jews and the scattered tribes of Israel. The scripture means that scattered Israel will be gathered and come to know Jesus as the prophesied Messiah and the God of Israel. They will recognize that Jehovah is that same Jesus who already came and died as a sacrifice for sin nearly 2,000 years ago. They will recognize that Jehovah who is the God of Israel that they worship, is also known as Jesus Christ the Son of God.1 They will recognize him as the warrior Messiah who brings peace on earth when he returns.

While studying the names of Christ in the Book of Mormon, I noticed that the name Jehovah only appears twice. It occurs during a recitation of Isaiah2 from the Hebrew Bible describing the millennium.  It also occurs in the very last verse of the last chapter of the Book of Mormon.3 These two instances seem relevant in their own right about who Jehovah is. Jehovah the God of Israel, the Messianic Savior, the Prince of Peace, will return to establish peace on earth. He is the judge over all the earth. He will bring reconciliation and peace at the last day. The Book of Mormon which is a witness of Him, is sealed with his Holy Name.

Even though it only appears in English twice, the sacred name Jehovah was originally listed all throughout the Gold Plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. It appears that Joseph Smith Jr. translated the sacred name as “Lord” rather than “Jehovah.” This seems to have been aligned with the translation customs of the time. The King James version of the Bible also followed this translation practice. Many places where the King James Bible lists “Lord”, it is a substitution for the proper name of God often known as Yahweh or Jehovah in English.

Since we only have the English translation of the Book of Mormon, how can we know that the name Jehovah was frequently written on the Gold Plates? I went back and looked at common passages that are in the Hebrew Bible and in the Book of Mormon. The Nephites had the Brass Plates which were a record of the Hebrew Bible up until around 600 B.C. Lehi’s family took the Brass Plates when his family left Jerusalem. This is how Nephi and other Book of Mormon prophets were able to reference and explain passages from the Hebrew Bible. This is how passages from the Hebrew Bible made their way into the Book of Mormon.

I compared the same Isaiah passages in the Book of Mormon to the Hebrew Bible. Leveraging literal translations of the Hebrew Bible4, it is easy to see that that the name Jehovah is found throughout the original Hebrew text. I also found the name Jehovah to be in the excerpts from Malachi that are also contained in the Book of Mormon. These comparisons show that the name Jehovah was found all throughout the Gold Plates, but was translated as “Lord” in the Book of Mormon. This followed the translation custom and was a sign of respect for that sacred name of God. 

Because Lehi’s family brought the Brass Plates with them which contained the Books of Moses, they also had a knowledge of the ten commandments. In the ten commandments, Jehovah commanded the people to not take his name in vain.  When we look at this commandment in the Book of Mormon, the English text says that we shall not take the name of the “Lord thy God” in vain. When we look at the same Hebrew text in Exodus 20:7, we see that the original Hebrew lists the name “Jehovah” which is an English version of “Yahweh” which is then frequently translated as ‘Lord’ out of respect. This is the name that God asked Israel to remember throughout generations. This is the name that they were to always reverence and not take in vain. Strong’s concordance of the Bible has multiple possible interpretations of the Hebrew word that is often translated as ‘vain.’ Some of these alternate translations include falsehood, lying, worthlessness, nothingness, emptiness of speech, and vanity. 

“Thou dost not take up the name of Jehovah thy God for a vain thing, for Jehovah acquitteth not him who taketh up His name for a vain thing.”

Exodus 20:7, Young’s Literal Translation

“You {shall} not take the name Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.”

Exodus 20:7, Strong’s translation

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

Book of Mormon, Mosiah 13:15

Jehovah is the most common formal name for the Lord Jesus in the Book of Mormon. It is hidden under a layer of translation customs that substitute his name for the title Lord. This custom likely has its roots in the commandment to not take his name in vain. The Book of Mormon like the Hebrew Bible details the dealings of Jehovah with ancient Israel. It is all about him, his commandments, his miracles, and his dealings with those who make covenants with him. It is no wonder then that the name of the God of Israel is found throughout the book.5 

It is Jehovah, who was the premortal Jesus who gave the ten commandments. In the Book of Mormon6 and in the New Testament7 Jesus proclaimed that he is that same Jehovah who gave the law. Through Jesus the law of Moses was fulfilled.  The first of the ten commandments given to Moses was to recognize that it was Jehovah that delivered Israel from Pharaoh and that the people were to have no other Gods before him. 

I am the Lord thy God, who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other God before me.

Book of Mormon, Mosiah 12:34-35

I [am] Jehovah thy God, who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of servants. Thou hast no other Gods before Me. 

Exodus 20:2-3 Young’s Literal Translation

Ancient Israel were idol worshipers. Jehovah told them to discard those idols and believe in him. The Book of Mormon affirms that there is no other name nor means whereby salvation comes except through Jesus.8 We are to have no other God before him. It is only through Jesus that we can find salvation. It is only through Jesus that we can return to our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother’s presence. There is no savior beside him. There is no other way. Jehovah is the deliverer of Israel. In this sense, there are no other Gods before Jesus even though there are other divine beings who exist. Jesus is the gatekeeper of heaven.

“O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.”

Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 9:41

In the New Testament, Jesus taught that Abraham was exalted in heaven. Jesus even taught a parable where a man died and was received into the bosom of Abraham.9 We also honor Abraham who has become a divine being and who is a father figure to all of Israel. However, Jesus is the Father of our salvation. Only Jesus can bridge the gulf10 and transform our natures as we have faith in him and follow him. Only he can transform us from sin and death unto light and life. Only through Jesus do we achieve our divine potential and join the divine assembly and heavenly hosts.11 Jesus is the Lord of Hosts. There is no one before him on our path into the divine. He is the path and the way. He is our intermediary. He is our access to the Father and we pray to the Father in his name. He purifies us and reintroduces us back into the presence of the Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother.12 Through faith and the covenant of baptism, we are grafted into Jesus who is the true vine. We symbolically make him a part of us. We draw on his strength and take the sacramental emblems in remembrance of him. We remember him and his words so that we can have the mind of Jesus, the love of Jesus, and the spirit of Jesus within us. In other words, we remember him so that we can follow his example to act as he acts and speak as he speaks. We respond to hate with love. We bring healing to those in need of healing. We bring light to those in darkness. We humbly but firmly stand as witnesses of truth. We lift up others and become servants of humanity. Like yeast, we help the entire loaf of bread to rise.

Jesus is that same Jehovah who gave Moses the ten commandments. He is the God of Israel who delivered, delivers, and will yet deliver his people. Jesus declared that Israel will eventually know his name. They will eventually recognize Jesus as Jehovah. The Book of Mormon is a witness of him. His name Jehovah is the most common and yet hidden name for God within the Book of Mormon. Just as the name Jehovah is hidden within the Book of Mormon, so is the name Jesus hidden from the Jews. When he returns, his names will unite into one and all of Israel will know that their God Jehovah is that same Jesus who died for the world. He will be revealed and his people will know his names.

 

Notes and References

  1. 3 Nephi 20:31
  2. 2 Nephi 22:2
  3. Moroni 10:34
  4. I like to use BibleHub.com to access a variety of literal translations
  5. Tom Irvine has an unofficial draft Hebrew translation of the Book of Mormon. In his Hebrew translation, the first usage of the sacred name יהוה appears on the Title Page where it states that the record was sealed and then hid up unto the Lord. His draft translation can be downloaded from his Book of Mormon page here: https://hebrewbookofmormon.wordpress.com/
  6. 3 Nephi 15:4-9
  7. Matthew 5:17
  8. Mosiah 3:17
  9. Luke 16:19-31
  10. Luke 16:19-31, 1 Nephi 12:18, 1 Nephi 15:28
  11. Psalm 82:1, John 10:34-36, Matthew 5:21, 1 Kings 22:19, Job 1-2, 2 Nephi 16
  12. 3 Nephi 19:19-34