Book of Mormon/Names


Names in the Book of Mormon


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Names in the Book of Mormon

Summary: Many Book of Mormon names are not found in the Bible, and were unknown to Joseph Smith. Yet, these names have meaning in ancient languages and/or have been found as actual names from ancient history. These "hits" provide additional evidence that the Book of Mormon is indeed an ancient record.


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Learn more about Book of Mormon names:
Key sources
  • Stephen Ricks, "Origin of Book of Mormon Names," Proceedings of the 2010 FAIR Conference (August 2010). link
Wiki links
  • Book of Mormon names
FAIR links
  • Matthew Bowen, "'Semitic Semiotics: The Symbolic, Prophetic, and Narratological Power of Names in Ancient Scripture'," Proceedings of the 2017 FAIR Conference (August 2017). link
Online
  • John A. Tvedtnes, "What's in a Name? A Look at the Book of Mormon Onomasticon (Review of I Know Thee by Name: Hebrew Roots of Lehi-ite Non-Biblical Names in the Book of Mormon)," FARMS Review of Books 8/2 (1996): 34–42. off-site
  • Gordon C. Thomasson, "'What's in a Name? Book of Mormon Language, Names, and [Metonymic] Naming'," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 3/1 (1994). [1–27] link
  • Stephen D. Ricks and John A. Tvedtnes, "The Hebrew Origin of Some Book of Mormon Place Names," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 6/2 (1997). [255–259] link
  • "John A. Tvedtnes, John Gee, Matthew Roper", "Book of Mormon Names Attested in Ancient Hebrew Inscriptions," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9/1 (2000). [40–51] link
  • Paul Y. Hoskisson, "What's in a Name?," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 7/1 (1998). [78–] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'And There Wrestled a Man with Him' (Genesis 32:24): Enos's Adaptations of the Onomastic Wordplay of Genesis," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 10/7 (30 May 2014). [151–160] link
  • Kevin L. Barney, "What's in a Name? Playing in the Onomastic Sandbox," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 29/16 (3 August 2018). [251–272] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Alma — Young Man, Hidden Prophet," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 19/13 (22 April 2016). [343–354] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'And the Meek Also Shall Increase': The Verb y?sap in Isaiah 29 and Nephi's Prophetic Allusions to the Name Joseph in 2 Nephi 25–30," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 30/2 (7 September 2018). [5–42] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'And There Wrestled a Man with Him' (Genesis 32:24): Enos's Adaptations of the Onomastic Wordplay of Genesis," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 10/7 (30 May 2014). [151–160] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Becoming Men and Women of Understanding: Wordplay on Benjamin — An Addendum," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 36/12 (24 April 2020). [239–280] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'Behold, He Was a Man Like unto Ammon': Mormon's Use of ?mn-related Terminology in Praise of Moroni in Alma 48," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 58/9 (29 September 2023). [223–242] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Coming Down and Bringing Down: Pejorative Onomastic Allusions to the Jaredites in Helaman 6:25, 6:38, and Ether 2:11," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 42/11 (12 February 2021). [397–410] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Father Is a Man: The Remarkable Mention of the Name Abish in Alma 19:16 and Its Narrative Context," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 14/5 (6 February 2015). [77–94] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'God Hath Taken Away His Plainness': Some Notes on Jacob 4:14, Revelation, Canon, Covenant, and Law," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 39/5 (28 August 2020). [81–102] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'He Did Go About Secretly': Additional Thoughts on the Literary Use of Alma's Name," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 27/12 (24 November 2017). [197–212] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'He Is a Good Man': The Fulfillment of Helaman 5:6-7 in Helaman 8:7 and 11:18-19," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 17/9 (6 November 2015). [165–170] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "He Knows My Affliction: The Hill Onidah as Narrative Counterpart to the Rameumptom," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 34/13 (27 December 2019). [195–220] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'I Kneeled Down Before My Maker': Allusions to Esau in the Book of Enos," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 27/2 (22 September 2017). [29–56] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'I of Myself Am a Wicked Man': Some Notes on Allusion and Textual Dependency in Omni 1:1-2," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 40/4 (9 October 2020). [71–88] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'I Will Deliver Thy Sons': An Onomastic Approach to Three Iterations of an Oracle to Mosiah II (Mosiah 28:7; Alma 17:35, 19:23)," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 41/14 (18 December 2020). [241–256] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'If Ye Believe on His Name': Wordplay on the Name Samuel in Helaman 14:2, 12–13 and 3 Nephi 23:9 and the Doctrine of Christ in Samuel's Speech," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 46/4 (2 July 2021). [49–76] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'If Ye Will Hearken': Lehi's Rhetorical Wordplay on Ishmael in 2 Nephi 1:28–29 and Its Implications," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 25/8 (19 May 2017). [157–190] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Jacob's Protector," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 27/16 (15 December 2017). [229–256] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Messengers of the Covenant: Mormon's Doctrinal Use of Malachi 3:1 in Moroni 7:29–32," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 31/5 (1 February 2019). [111–138] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'Most Desirable Above All Things': Onomastic Play on Mary and Mormon in the Book of Mormon," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 13/4 (21 November 2014). [27–62] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'My People Are Willing': The Mention of Aminadab in the Narrative Context of Helaman 5-6," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 19/6 (18 March 2016). [109–144] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Nephi's Good Inclusio," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 17/12 (20 November 2015). [181–196] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'O Ye Fair Ones' — Revisited," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 20/11 (23 June 2016). [315–344] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Onomastic Wordplay on Joseph and Benjamin and Gezera Shawa in the Book of Mormon," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 18/14 (19 February 2016). [233–254] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'Possess the Land in Peace': Zeniff's Ironic Wordplay on Shilom," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 28/6 (9 February 2018). [115–120] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Putting Down the Priests: A Note on Royal Evaluations, (w?)hišbît, and Priestly Purges in 2 Kings 23:5 and Mosiah 11:5," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 51/4 (22 April 2022). [105–114] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'See That Ye Are Not Lifted Up': The Name Zoram and Its Paronomastic Pejoration," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 19/5 (18 March 2016). [83–108] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Shazer: An Etymological Proposal in Narrative Context," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 33/1 (12 July 2019). [1–12] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'Swearing by Their Everlasting Maker': Some Notes on Paanchi and Giddianhi," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 28/9 (2 March 2018). [155–170] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'That They Might Come Again unto the Remnant of the House of Jacob': Onomastic Allusions to Joseph in 3 Nephi 26:8–10 and 4 Nephi 1:49," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 55/8 (17 March 2023). [279–296] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'That Which They Most Desired': The Waters of Mormon, Baptism, the Love of God, and the Bitter Fountain," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 39/10 (11 September 2020). [261–298] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'The Lord God Will Proceed': Nephi's Wordplay in 1 Nephi 22:8–12 and the Abrahamic Covenant," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 50/3 (21 January 2022). [51–70] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'The Messiah Will Set Himself Again': Jacob's Use of Isaiah 11:11 in 2 Nephi 6:14 and Jacob 6:2," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 44/8 (16 April 2021). [287–306] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "The Scalp of Your Head: Polysemy in Alma 44:14–18," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 20/4 (27 May 2016). [39–46] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'Their Anger Did Increase Against Me': Nephi's Autobiographical Permutation of a Biblical Wordplay on the Name Joseph," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 23/6 (30 December 2016). [115–136] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'They Shall No More Be Confounded': Moroni's Wordplay on Joseph in Ether 13:1-13 and Moroni 10:31," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 30/8 (12 October 2018). [91–104] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'They Were Moved with Compassion' (Alma 27:4; 53:13): Toponymic Wordplay on Zarahemla and Jershon," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 18/15 (19 February 2016). [255–274] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'This Son Shall Comfort Us': An Onomastic Tale of Two Noahs," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 23/11 (3 February 2017). [263–298] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'Upon the Wings of His Spirit': A Note on Hebrew rûa? and 2 Nephi 4:25," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 58/2 (18 August 2023). [19–32] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'We Are a Remnant of the Seed of Joseph': Moroni's Interpretive Use of Joseph's Coat and the Martial n?s-Imagery of Isaiah 11:11–12," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 41/9 (4 December 2020). [169–192] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'We Might Have Enjoyed Our Possessions and the Land of Our Inheritance': Hebrew yrš and 1 Nephi 17:21," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 50/8 (18 February 2022). [123–144] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'What Thank They the Jews'? (2 Nephi 29:4): A Note on the Name 'Judah' and Antisemitism," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 12/6 (26 September 2014). [111–126] link
  • Amanda Colleen Brown-Mather, "Toward a Deeper Understanding: How Onomastic Wordplay Aids Understanding Scripture," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 29/15 (3 August 2018). [247–250] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen and Pedro Olavarria, "Place of Crushing: The Literary Function of Heshlon in Ether 13:25-31," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 14/12 (20 March 2015). [227–240] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen and Loren Blake Spendlove, "'Thou Art the Fruit of My Loins': The Interrelated Symbolism and Meanings of the Names Joseph and Ephraim in Ancient Scripture," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 28/16 (13 April 2018). [273–298] link
  • Lyle H. Hamblin, "Proper Names and Political Claims: Semitic Echoes as Foundations for Claims to the Nephite Throne," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 60/11 (1 March 2024). [409–444] link
  • Paul Y. Hoskisson, "'Rise Up, O Light of the Lord': An Appropriate and Defensible Etymology for Cumorah," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 60/7 (9 February 2024). [239–252] link
  • Stephen D. Ricks, "A Nickname and a Slam Dunk: Notes on the Book of Mormon Names Zeezrom and Jershon," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 8/14 (31 January 2014). [191–194] link
  • Stephen D. Ricks, "Proper Names from the Small Plates: Some Notes on the Personal Names Zoram, Jarom, Omni, and Mosiah," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 41/13 (14 December 2020). [233–240] link
  • Stephen D. Ricks, "Some Notes on Book of Mormon Names," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 4/8 (19 April 2013). [155–160] link
  • Brad Wilcox, Wendy Baker-Smemoe, Bruce L. Brown, and Sharon Black, "Comparing Book of Mormon Names with Those Found in J.R.R. Tolkien's Works: An Exploratory Study," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 30/9 (19 October 2018). [105–124] link}
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Source(s) of the criticism
Critical sources
  • "That Man Alma," Utah Evangel 33:3 (April 1986): 2.
  • Walter Martin, The Maze of Mormonism (Santa Ana, California: Vision House, 1979), 327.
  • Robert McKay, "A Mormon Name," Utah Evangel 31:8 (August 1984): 4.
  • John L. Smith, editorial comment on Robert McKay, "A Mormon Name," Utah Evangel 31:8 (August 1984): 4.
  • Jerald and Sandra Tanner, The Changing World of Mormonism (Moody Press, 1979), 124.( Index of claims )

Notes