Book of Mormon/Names

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Criticism

Critics claim some Book of Mormon names are used improperly or in an inappropriate context. Examples include:

  • using "Alma" as a man's name, rather than a woman's name
  • using names of Greek origin, such as "Timothy"

Source(s) of the Criticism

  • "That Man Alma," Utah Evangel 33:3 (April 1986): 2.
  • Walter Martin, The Maze of Mormonism (Santa Ana, California: Vision House, 1978), 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.

Response

General treatments on Book of Mormon names

  • 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
  • Paul Y. Hoskisson, "What's in a Name?," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 7/1 (1998). [78–] link

Alma

Despite claims into the 1980s by anti-Mormon critics, the name "Alma" has been known since the 1960s as a male Hebrew name. It occurs in contexts from 2200 B.C. to the second century B.C.[1]

  • Matthew Roper, Right on Target: Boomerang Hits and the Book of Mormon2001 FAIR Conference. FAIR link
  • Terrence L. Szink, "New Light: Further Evidence of a Semitic Alma," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 8/1 (1999). [70–70] 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

Aha

  • Anonymous, "'Out of the Dust: Did the 'Last Jaredite,' Coriantumr, Leave Descendants?'," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 8/2 (1999). link

Cumorah

  • 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

Jaredite Names

See: below.

Jershon

  • Matthew Roper, Right on Target: Boomerang Hits and the Book of Mormon2001 FAIR Conference. FAIR 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

Lachoneus

Wrote Hugh Nibley of this Old World name:

The occurrence of the names Timothy and Lachoneus in the Book of Mormon is strictly in order, however odd it may seem at first glance. Since the fourteenth century B.C. at latest, Syria and Palestine had been in constant contact with the Aegean world, and since the middle of the seventh century Greek mercenaries and merchants, closely bound to Egyptian interests (the best Egyptian mercenaries were Greeks), swarmed throughout the Near East. Lehi's people...could not have avoided considerable contact with these people in Egypt and especially in Sidon, which Greek poets even in that day were celebrating as the great world center of trade. It is interesting to note in passing that Timothy is an Ionian name, since the Greeks in Palestine were Ionians (hence the Hebrew name for Greeks: "Sons of Javanim"), and—since "Lachoneus" means "a Laconian"—that the oldest Greek traders were Laconians, who had colonies in Cyprus (BM Akish) and of course traded with Palestine.[2]

Lehi or Mulek's group would have then known—or even contained—people named "Lachoneus," a proper Greek name of the proper sort in the proper timeframe.


Lehi and Sariah

  • Anonymous, "Seeking Agreement on the Meaning of Book of Mormon Names," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9/1 (2000). [28–29] link
  • Jeffrey R. Chadwick, "Sariah in the Elephantine Papyri," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2/2 (1993). [196–200] link
  • Jeffrey R. Chadwick, "The Names Lehi and Sariah—Language and Meaning," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9/1 (2000). [32–34] link
  • John Gee, "A Note on the Name Nephi," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 1/1 (1992). [189–191] link
  • Paul Y. Hoskisson, "Lehi and Sariah," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9/1 (2000). [30–31] link
  • Paul Y. Hoskisson, "Response to the Comments," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9/1 (2000). [38–39] link
  • Dana M. Pike, "Response to Paul Hoskisson's 'Lehi and Sariah'," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9/1 (2000). [35–36] link
  • John A. Tvedtnes, "Lehi and Sariah Comments," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9/1 (2000). [37–37] link

Mosiah

  • John Sawyer, "What Was a Mosiaʿ?" Vetus Testamentum 15 (1965): 475–486 [FARMS Reprint in 1989]; cited and applied by John W. Welch, "What Was A 'Mosiah'?," in Reexploring the Book of Mormon, edited by John W. Welch (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1992), 105–107.

Mulek

  • Anonymous, "New Information About Mulek, Son of the King," in Reexploring the Book of Mormon, edited by John W. Welch (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1992), 142–144.GL direct link
  • Jeffrey R. Chadwick, "Has the Seal of Mulek Been Found?," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12/2 (2003). [72–83] link
  • John L. Sorenson, "The Mulekites," Brigham Young University Studies 30 no. ? (Summer 1990), 6.  (needs URL / links)

Nahom

  • Matthew Roper, Right on Target: Boomerang Hits and the Book of Mormon2001 FAIR Conference. FAIR link
  • See also Nahom in geography section.

Nephi

  • John Gee, "A Note on the Name Nephi," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 1/1 (1992). [189–191] link
  • Paul Y. Hoskisson, "What's in a Name?," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9/2 (2000). [70–71] link

Sheum

  • Matthew Roper, Right on Target: Boomerang Hits and the Book of Mormon2001 FAIR Conference. FAIR link

Shilum

  • Matthew Roper, Right on Target: Boomerang Hits and the Book of Mormon2001 FAIR Conference. FAIR link

Timothy

Critics have argued that "Timothy" is an unlikely Nephite name, since it is of Greek origin.

Hugh Nibley pointed out:

[R]emember...that in Lehi's day Palestine was swarming with Greeks, important Greeks. Remember, it was Egyptian territory [prior to being seized by Babylon] at that time and Egyptian culture. The Egyptian army, Necho's army, was almost entirely Greek mercenaries. We have inscriptions from that very time up the Nile at Aswan-inscriptions from the mercenaries of the Egyptian army, and they're all in Greek. So Greek was very common, and especially the name Timotheus.[3]

See also: Lachoneus

It would thus not be at all surprising for Lehites or Mulekites to be familiar with the name "Timothy" (or a derivative), or even for a "Timothy" to have accompanied Mulek's party of immigrants.

Zarahemla

  • 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

Less well supported examples

Linguistics is a complex subject, and it is all too common for zealous but mistaken defenders of the Church to use parallels in names or language which cannot be sustained. Since most Church members have no training in ancient American languages, evaluating such claims can be difficult.

Mesoamerican scholars consulted by FAIR have recommended that the following sources, while superficially persuasive, should be used with caution (if at all):

  • Bruce W. Warren, "Surviving Jaredite Names in Mesoamerica," Meridian Magazine (26 May 2005)off-site; citing Blaine M. Yorgason, Bruce W. Warren, and Harold Brown. New Evidences of Christ in Ancient America (Stratford Books, Inc. and Book of Mormon Research Foundation: Provo, 1999), 17–22. ISBN 0929753011. Some material in this book is less well supported. Consult: Andrew J. McDonald, "New Evidences for Old?: Buyer Beware (Review of: Evidences of Christ in Ancient America)," FARMS Review of Books 12/2 (2000): 101–118. off-site
  • Bruce W. Warren, "'Kish'—A personal Name" Meridian Magazine (17 February 2005)off-site; citing Blaine M. Yorgason, Bruce W. Warren, and Harold Brown. New Evidences of Christ in Ancient America (Stratford Books, Inc. and Book of Mormon Research Foundation: Provo, 1999), 19–22. ISBN 0929753011. Some material in this book is less well supported. Consult: Andrew J. McDonald, "New Evidences for Old?: Buyer Beware (Review of: Evidences of Christ in Ancient America)," FARMS Review of Books 12/2 (2000): 101–118. off-site

These comments are not intended to disparage the individuals involved, but to encourage rigor and restraint in claims made. As Elder Dallin H. Oaks cautioned, "When attacked by error, truth is better served by silence than by a bad argument."[4]

Conclusion

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.

Endnotes

  1. [note]  Hugh W. Nibley, Lehi in the Desert, the World of the Jaredites, There Were Jaredites, edited by John W. Welch with Darrell L. Matthew and Stephen R. Callister, (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company; Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1988), 31.
  2. [note]  Matthew Roper, Right on Target: Boomerang Hits and the Book of Mormon2001 FAIR Conference. FAIR link
  3. [note]  Hugh W. Nibley, "Lecture 27: Omni; Words of Mormon; Mosiah 1: The End of the Small Plates and The Coronation of Mosiah," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon: Transcripts of lectures presented to an Honors Book of Mormon Class at Brigham Young University 1988-1990, Vol. 1, (Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1993), 430. ISBN 1591565715.
  4. [note]  Dallin H. Oaks, "Alternative Voices," Ensign (May 1989): 27. off-site

Further reading

FAIR wiki articles

Book of Mormon/Names


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