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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
 For Pat
W H
H
 WHEREFORE GOD ALSO HATH HIGHLY EXALTED HIM, AND GIVEN HIM A

NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME: THAT AT THE NAME OF JESUS

EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW . . . AND . . . EVERY TONGUE SHOULD CONFESS

THAT

JESUS CHRIST IS LORD

PHILIPPIANS 2:9–11
 CONTENTS

No Sweeter Sound than Thy Blessed Name

Whom Say Ye That I Am?
Names and Titles of Jesus Christ
The Last Adam
Adonai
Advocate
Ahman
Almighty
Alpha and Omega
Amen
Angel
Anointed One
Apostle
Author
Beginning and End
Beloved
Bishop and Shepherd of Your Souls
Branch
Bread
Bridegroom
Bright and Morning Star
Buckler
Captain of Salvation
Carpenter
Chief Corner Stone
Chosen
Christ
Confidence
Consolation of Israel
Cornerstone
Counselor
Covenant of the People
Creator
Crown of Glory
David
Dayspring
Day Star
Deliverer
Desire of All Nations
Door of the Sheep
Dreadful
Elect
Emmanuel
End
Endless
Eternal
Everlasting
Faithful and True
Father
Finisher of Our Faith
Fire
First and Last
Forerunner
Foundation
Fountain
Framer of Heaven and Earth
Gift
Glory
God
Mighty God
Most High God
Governor
Great I Am
Great Shepherd of the Sheep
Habitation of Justice
Head
Heir of All Things
Helper
Highest
High Priest
High Priest of Good Things to Come
High Priest of Our Profession
Himself
Holy
Hope
Horn of David
Horn of Salvation
Husband
I Am
Image of God
Immanuel
JAH
Jealous
Jehovah
Jesus
Judge
Just
Keeper of the Gate
King
Lamb
Last
Last Adam
Law
Leader
Life
Light
Lion of the Tribe of Judah
Lord
Majesty
Maker
Man
Master
Mediator
Messenger of Salvation
Messiah
Minister of the Sanctuary
Nail in a Sure Place
Omnipotent
One
Only Begotten
Our Passover
Peace
Physician
Plant
Potter
Potentate
Power of God
Precious
Prince
Priest
Prophet
Propitiation
Purifier
Rabbi
Redeemer
Refuge from the Storm
The Resurrection
Righteous
Rock
Root
Ruler
Salvation
Sanctuary
Savior
Sweet Savour
Second Man
 Servant
Sheep
Shepherd
Shiloh
Son
Spirit of Truth
Bright and Morning Star
Stem of Jesse
Stone
Strength
Sun of Righteousness
Supreme Being
Tabernacle of God
Teacher
That Which I Have Chosen
Throne
Tower
True
Unchangeable One
Vine
Way
Well Beloved
Witness
Wonderful
Word
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Selected Bibliography
 NO SWEETER SOUND THAN
THY BLESSED NAME

T his year marks my twenty-fifth year as a member of the Quorum of

the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. Through the very challenging nights and wonderfully
rewarding days of that calling, I have tried to feel equal to the
responsibilities inherent in such a sacred office. At the same time, I have
tried not to feel overwhelmed by the sense of inadequacy that never seems to
abate. After two and a half decades, I haven’t made much progress toward
either goal. My apostolic calling is still the same unspeakable privilege and
humbling obligation I felt it to be on the twenty-third of June, 1994.
With a great desire to be honorable from the first day on, I threw myself
into reading all I could about the holy apostleship. I read in the scriptures, I
read biblical essays and commentaries, and I read the sermons of those who
have so served. Amidst all else I was coming to know early in my study, I
learned that among the most important responsibilities I had was to be one of
the “special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world—[and] . . . to
officiate in the name of the Lord, . . . agreeable to the institution of heaven”
(Doctrine and Covenants 107:23, 33). There was more:
“Behold, Jesus Christ is the name which is given of the Father, and there is
none other name given whereby man can be saved;
“Wherefore, all men must take upon them the name which is given of the
Father, for in that name shall they be called at the last day;
“Wherefore, if they know not the name by which they are called, they
cannot have place in the kingdom of my Father.
“And now, behold, there are others who are called to declare my gospel,
both unto Gentile and unto Jew;
“Yea, even twelve; and the Twelve shall be my disciples, and they shall
take upon them my name; and the Twelve are they who shall desire to take
upon them my name with full purpose of heart.
 “And if they desire to take upon them my name with full purpose of heart,
they are called to go into all the world to preach my gospel unto every
creature” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:23–28; emphasis added).
I didn’t grasp all that that meant, but it was obvious the name of Christ was
central to these scriptural mandates and it would require “full purpose of
heart” to fulfill them successfully.
All of this carried with it an echo from my youth, when I first became
aware that so many things (all covenantal things) done in the Church were
done in the name of Deity.
I remembered from my own baptism as well as those I performed as a
missionary that this sacred ordinance was to be performed “in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Doctrine and Covenants
20:73).
I remembered that taking the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, or passing it,
or blessing it, involved a prayer in which we asked God “in the name of [the]
Son” for blessings that could come only to those who were “willing to take
upon them the name of thy Son” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77).
Every other ordinance I had experienced in my youth, including my
patriarchal blessing, my ordination to various priesthood offices, assorted
blessings and settings apart, and the majesty of the entire temple experience
were all administered either in the name of Jesus Christ or in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
That history coupled with this new calling led to a habit in my daily
scripture study of jotting down or otherwise noting the references to Jesus’s
various names that I found in the standard works.
As my study continued rather casually over the years, I was greatly blessed
when my apostolic brother, Elder Dallin Oaks—then of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles, now of the First Presidency—published a mind-expanding
and Apostle-educating little book entitled His Holy Name. It remains the
definitive work on the many uses to which the name of Christ can be put,
suggesting the doctrine and significance of names generally and the name of
Christ specifically. He reflected on the wide variety of purposes—well
beyond simple identification—for which the name of Christ can be invoked.
Because these purposes provide a valuable backdrop to the work I have
done, I share the essence of them here.

NAME AS AUTHORITY OR PRIESTHOOD OR POWER

 Example: Peter and John invoked the name of Jesus in healing the lame
man at the temple in Jerusalem. In that encounter, Peter said, “In the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6; emphasis added).
When the man was instantly healed, Peter explained to the stunned onlookers:
“And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong” (Acts
3:16; emphasis added). (Joseph Smith’s inspired translation of the Bible
makes this verse clearer and easier to understand: “And this man, through
faith in his name, hath been made strong.”) Later, when Peter and John were
arrested, their captors asked, “By what power, or by what name, have ye
done this?” Peter replied, “By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” (Acts
4:7, 10; emphasis added).

NAME AS WORK OR PLAN

Example: The work of the Atonement is characterized as being
inextricably linked with Christ’s name: “And behold, it is he that cometh to
take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly
believeth on his name” (Alma 5:48; emphasis added). Again, “And he shall
come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the
transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall
have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else” (Alma 11:40; emphasis
added). This redemptive plan, carried forward in Christ’s name, leads
directly to the temple: “Verily I say unto you, it is expedient in me that the
first elders of my church should receive their endowment from on high in my
house, which I have commanded to be built unto my name in the land of
Kirtland” (Doctrine and Covenants 105:33; emphasis added).

NAME AS ESSENCE OR EXALTATION

Example: In response to God instructing Moses to lead the children of
Israel out of Egypt, Moses replied, “Behold, when I come unto the children
of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto
you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou
say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you” (Exodus 3:13–
14). When Moses was asking to know the name of God, or at least how to
identify Him to Pharaoh, he was asking to know the essence or the nature of
God. The answer he got was in the first-person present tense of the verb “to
be.” The answer was given in terms of God’s ever-present essence.
 Elder Oaks’s work, to which the brief examples above do not do adequate
justice, gave me increased awareness of the meanings a name can carry. It
also quickened in me equal parts of zeal and anxiety to know how many
name(s) of Christ there actually were. Jesus I knew, and Christ I knew, and
of course a few others—Savior, Redeemer, Lord—but I was coming to
understand that in order to do my duty to bear witness of His name, officiate
in it, and comprehend in more detail the wide variety of functions it
informed, I needed to identify those names and think more about them and
what they meant regarding Jesus’s mission. This feeling grew within me until
I came to understand I was dealing with something very significant,
doctrinally speaking, and something very large. It didn’t take long to feel
overwhelmed with the majestic labels, titles, and designations for this Only
Perfect Being who ever lived in mortality. The name of Christ was growing
and swelling, expanding and emerging into the names of Christ.
More recently my interest in these many facets of Christ’s life and ministry,
as revealed in various titles, came to a head. I felt a strong impression to
collect my notes and give some order to my thoughts as part of the testimony
of Jesus Christ I would leave to my children and grandchildren after I am
gone. I had been moving along on that task when I received added, new
incentive from President Russell M. Nelson, then the President of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In a worldwide devotional broadcast to
young adults, this gifted scholar of the scriptures in his own right counseled
these young people to “study everything Jesus Christ is by prayerfully and
vigorously seeking to understand what each of His various titles and names
means personally for you” (“Prophets, Leadership, and Divine Law,”
January 8, 2017; emphasis in original).
Thus, the prompting I had received years ago to put some of my thoughts
down on paper became a more intense labor of love as I not only followed
this spiritual direction given to me from heaven above but also obeyed the
counsel of my quorum president who would within a year become the
President of the Church. As fully as my busy schedule would allow, I
intensified my study of the wonderfully broad range of Christ’s titles and
designations.
These names by which Jesus Christ is variously known through His
premortal, mortal, and postmortal ministry are not only the focal point of this
book, they are the only point of this book. The entire manuscript is devoted to
just One Person and how His distinctive characteristics, His virtues,
qualities, and accomplishments, affect all who make covenant with Him. The
marvelous thing about all of this is that through His glorious Atonement and
Resurrection, Christ gives us rebirth and becomes the father of our eternal
life. Thus, we speak of being “born again” as sons and daughters of Christ
(see John 3:3; Mosiah 5:7), and if we make this conversion thorough enough,
Jesus’s identity becomes, at least in part, our identity both in time and in
eternity (see 1 John 3:2–3; Moroni 7:48). As we study these titles to learn
more about who He was and is, we will find ourselves learning more about
who we are and what we may become.
It should be noted that I have not included in this study the many
descriptions of Jesus’s character or personality unless at some point such a
description became an actual title for Him. For example, if one of the verses
described Christ as humble and meek—and many did—I did not include
those in the book unless “Humble” or “Meek” was used as an actual name for
Him. Obviously, if I had included all the descriptions of His qualities and
virtues without the limitation I imposed, the book would have been much
larger than it is.
It is my earnest hope that perhaps one student of the life of Jesus Christ
will have her or his testimony of Him strengthened as a result of this modest
little book. It has been written in the bright light of true doctrine that declares
“there is none other . . . name given under heaven whereby man can be saved
in the kingdom of God” (2 Nephi 31:21).
 WHOM SAY YE THAT I AM?

I n what has come to be called the Great Confession, Jesus asked His
disciples walking with Him near the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi who
the common men and women of the countryside thought He was. They
dutifully answered, “Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and
others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.”
He probed further, getting at what was for Him a more important question.
“But whom say ye that I am?” He asked. That pivotal, penetrating question,
the spirit of which will be asked of every man, woman, and child who has
ever lived, elicited this great apostolic witness from Peter: “Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13–16; emphasis added).
Names are important and have been from the beginning of history. In the
great primeval days of creation, the record says:
“And out of the ground I, the Lord God, formed every beast of the field,
and every fowl of the air; and commanded that they should come unto Adam,
to see what he would call them; and they were also living souls; for I, God,
breathed into them the breath of life, and commanded that whatsoever Adam
called every living creature, that should be the name thereof.
“And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to
every beast of the field” (Moses 3:19–20).
From that day to this, creating and cataloging the names of things in order
to know more precisely what (or who) they are has been a task undertaken by
prophets and poets, scholars and scientists in every field of endeavor. “Name
it to know it” could well be every taxonomist’s motto. It could be that of
every disciple of Christ as well.
But however important it may be in the secular world to name the flora and
fauna, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, it is a much more
important tradition in the gospel of Jesus Christ to name people and to do so
in a way that either identifies one of their principal characteristics (almost
always a virtuous one) or offers the motivation to acquire such. Adam and
Eve themselves bore names that suggested their roles here in mortality (see
Moses 1:34; 4:26), and when important covenants were made, men like
Abram, Jacob, and Simon took on new names that signaled a new life as well
as a new identity (see Genesis 17:5; 32:28; Matthew 16:18).
In a very motivating albeit somewhat unusual way, the prophet Lehi used
names to encourage his wayward sons, Laman and Lemuel. To inspire the
former, Lehi named a wilderness river Laman in hopes that his son by that
name “mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of
all righteousness!” In like manner he named a nearby valley Lemuel that this
son “mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in
keeping the commandments of the Lord!” (1 Nephi 2:8–10, 14).
Later in the Book of Mormon, the prophet Helaman said to his sons Nephi
and Lehi:
“Behold, my sons, . . . I have given unto you the names of our first parents
who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you
remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them
ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may
know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.
“Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it
may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of
them” (Helaman 5:6–7).
This preoccupation with—or at least thorough commitment to—noble
names is part of our life as well. The naming and blessing of a baby is the
first ordinance a child experiences if she or he is fortunate enough to be born
to a family that provides such. That name is then used on all the official
records of the Church to document that person’s progress through the saving
ordinances of the Church, on the pedigree charts and family trees that link the
human family, and as key words in the holy temple ordinances themselves. If
a person is a convert to the Church, it is as Moroni said in Book of Mormon
times: He or she is “received unto baptism” and “numbered among the
people of the church of Christ; and their names [are] taken, that they might
be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the
right way” (Moroni 6:3–4, emphasis added). At the conclusion of mortal life,
we often dedicate a burial site, noting the deceased person by name and
inscribing that identity on a marker memorializing his or her final resting
place.
Whatever we say of the importance of identity in the mortal world, it gets
even more important when applied to matters of the Spirit. In our search “to
know . . . God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He] hast sent” (John 17:3), we can
learn more about who Christ was, is, and will yet be by examining the names
and titles given to Him than by any other method. As the marvelous James E.
Talmage wrote: “The divinity of Jesus Christ is indicated by the specific
names and titles authoritatively applied to Him. According to man’s judgment
there may be but little importance attached to names; but in the nomenclature
of the Gods every name is a title of power or station” (Jesus the Christ
[1915], 33).
As in so many matters of Church doctrine, the Book of Mormon helps
educate us regarding the “titles of power or station” that Christ received. At
the close of King Benjamin’s masterful sermon, the people responded in
unison to the stunning spiritual experience they had had. Note not only the
moral significance that moment held for them but more specifically the
centrality the name of Christ would have in the covenant they were making:
“And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words
which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth,
because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty
change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil,
but to do good continually. . . .
“And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will,
and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command
us, all the remainder of our days, . . .
“And now, these are the words which king Benjamin desired of them; and
therefore he said unto them: Ye have spoken the words that I desired; and the
covenant which ye have made is a righteous covenant” (Mosiah 5:2, 5–6).
King Benjamin’s response to that moment brought them a new identity,
even a new birthright (parentage), that he pronounced upon these reborn
people:
“And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called
the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath
spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith
on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his
daughters.
“And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby
ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation
cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ,
all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be
obedient unto the end of your lives.
“And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the
right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he
shall be called by the name of Christ.
“And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the
name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore, he findeth
himself on the left hand of God.
“And I would that ye should remember also, that this is the name that I said
I should give unto you that never should be blotted out, except it be through
transgression; therefore, take heed that ye do not transgress, that the name be
not blotted out of your hearts.
“I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written
always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that
ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name
by which he shall call you” (Mosiah 5:7–12).
Truly, there is “no other name given whereby salvation cometh.” May we
joyfully take the name of Christ upon us as an indication of the covenant we
have made to “be obedient unto the end of [our] lives” (Mosiah 5:8).
 THE LAST

ADAM
___________________

Just as Jehovah and Michael acted together under the direction of Elohim in
the days of creation, so they performed complementary roles under His
direction in mortality as well. Michael became the first Adam, giving us
physical life. Jehovah became Jesus, the Last Adam, who gave us eternal
life. The Fall of Adam and Eve and the Atonement of Christ were always
intended to be taught as complementary parts of a common plan.
R 5:12–21; 1 C 15:45
 ADONAI
___________________

This word means literally “My Lords.” It is the plural form of adon or Lord.
It is one of the principal Hebrew synonyms for Jehovah, used in the Hebrew
Bible more than 430 times to refer to the Divine Being of the Old Testament,
He who would later be born into mortality as Jesus Christ.
 ADVOCATE
ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER
___________________

An advocate is one who intercedes for, represents, or pleads the cause of

another, particularly in a court of law or at the bar of justice. Jesus is the
Advocate with the Father in behalf of all who confess His name and keep His
commandments. He is the only one who has lived worthily enough to come
into the presence of the Almighty and make the case for the rest of
humankind.
1J 2:1; D C 29:5; 32:3; 62:1; 110:4
 AHMAN
___________________

See Son Ahman

 ALMIGHTY GOD
THE LORD ALMIGHTY
___________________

See also Omnipotent; Power

This title refers to the power and might of Jesus, a characteristic He shares
with the Father, to whom this title is usually applied (see Advocate with the
Father). Christ is almighty (omnipotent) in the sense that He has the complete
power and unlimited capability to do everything that can be done. Some
things cannot be done even by Deity, such as saving a man in his sins.
G 17:1; 49:25; 2 C 6:18; R 1:8; 4:8; D C
20:21; 84:118; 109:77; 121:33
 ALPHA AND OMEGA
___________________

See also First and Last; Beginning and End;

Eternal; Everlasting

T hese are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Their
meaning is synonymous with “the first and the last” and “the
beginning and the end,” suggesting the permanent, everlasting, never-
failing presence of Jesus Christ in the great plan of redemption, in His
triumph of life over death, in salvation from sin. He is omnipresent,
immovable, and victorious from start to finish in the cause of eternal life. He
is with us through it all, always reliable and always nearby.

R 1:8, 11; 21:6; 22:13; 3 N 9:18;

D C 19:1; 35:1; 38:1; 45:7; 54:1; 61:1;
63:60; 68:35; 75:1; 81:7; 84:120; 95:17; 112:34; 132:66
 AMEN
___________________

This Hebrew word—literally translated as “firm” or “faithful”—means “let

it be as has been said.” It is most often found as a benediction uttered at the
end of a prayer, confirming the words that have been uttered or invoking the
fulfillment of them. As such, it is a one-word affirmation of what has been
spoken or done or promised. As a title for Jesus Christ, it means that every
word He has uttered will be fulfilled and every promise He has made will be
kept. Through Him the purposes of God will be firmly and faithfully realized.
R 3:14; A 3:17
 ANGEL
ANGEL OF THE LORD
ANGEL OF HIS PRESENCE
___________________

An angel is a holy messenger. Jesus Christ is the ultimate holy messenger, the
Messenger of Salvation who brought the gospel of peace and “redeemed [us]
from all evil” (Genesis 48:16).
E 3:2; 23:20–21; I 63:9; A 7:30, 35; D C 133:52–56
 ANOINTED ONE
___________________

See also Christ; Messiah

The English word Christ comes from a Greek word meaning “anointed” or
“the anointed one.” That is the same meaning of the Hebrew word Messiah.
Jesus was anointed by the Father in the premortal world to carry out the
Atonement as prescribed in the great plan of salvation. There may have been,
as Peter declared, the spirit of an additional anointing following Jesus’s
baptism at the hands of John: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Ghost and with power” (Acts 10:38). The significance of an anointing is in
the special appointment, function, or privilege it commemorates.
I 61:1; L 4:14–21; A 4:27; 10:38; H 1:9
 APOSTLE
___________________

The literal meaning of Apostle is “one sent forth.” In gospel terms, and as it
pertains to a priesthood office, an Apostle is one who is sent with the
witness that Jesus is the Christ. Only once is Christ Himself called an
Apostle, but He regularly speaks of Himself as being sent from the Father to
do the Father’s will.
E 2:3; J 5:23, 36, 37; 6:39, 44, 57; 8:16, 18, 29, 42; 10:36; 12:49; 14:24; 17:21, 25;
20:21; H 3:1; 1 J 4:14
 AUTHOR
AUTHOR OF FAITH
AUTHOR OF SALVATION
___________________

A commonly understood definition of author is one who writes or creates a

work, one who causes something to happen. In this way Christ is the “author
of salvation.” In an earlier time, the word also meant “prince,” “chief
leader,” or “captain,” and is translated as such in some versions of the Bible.
This definition means, of course, that Jesus is the first in the company,
captain of the faithful. Both of these definitions apply to the plan of salvation
and the redeeming faith one must have in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is not only
the object of our faith but is also the perfect example of faith. Under the
guidance of His Heavenly Father, Christ came to earth to fulfill and give
living dimension to the plan for saving all the Father’s children. Father and
Son authored a masterpiece, whose narrative starts from before the world
was and continues into eternity.
H 5:9; 12:2; M 6:4
BEGINNING AND END
___________________

See Alpha and Omega

I 41:4; R 1:8; 3:14; 21:6; 22:13;
3N 9:18; D C 19:1;
35:1; 38:1; 45:7; 49:12; 54:1; 61:1; 84:120; 95:7
 BELOVED
GOD’S BELOVED SON
___________________

The phrase used most often by the Father in introducing and identifying Jesus
is “my beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17). Jesus deserved to be beloved of the
Father for many reasons, not the least of which were His firstborn primacy
among the spirit children of the Father; the reality that He was the literal,
physical son of the Father; and His unequaled righteousness in obeying the
Father.
M 3:17; 12:18; 17:5; 2 N 31:11, 15;
3N 11:7; 21:20; D C 93:15;
M 4:2; J S —H 1:17
 BISHOP AND SHEPHERD OF YOUR
SOULS
___________________

This title of Bishop comes from a Greek word meaning “overseer.” A bishop
is literally a watcher. Combined with the title Shepherd, this title suggests
Jesus’s earnest oversight of His flock, all of whom need care and protection.
1P 2:25
 BRANCH
BRANCH OF THE LORD
BRANCH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
___________________

The imagery here is a favorite in ancient Israel: the tree or vine with its
roots, branches, and fruit. In one application Christ is the “righteous Branch”
coming out of the root of David (Jeremiah 23:5), by whom He will claim His
mortal kingship. On other occasions He is the “stem” undergirding life
(Isaiah 11:1) or the “vine” out of whom we are to be branches (John 15:1–5)
in producing fruitful lives.
I 4:2; 11:1–5; J 33:15; Z 3:8; 6:12
 BREAD OF GOD
BREAD OF LIFE
___________________

I n one of the most defining (and to some, most offensive) sermons He

ever gave, Jesus said to those who sought temporal food that what He
offered was another kind of nourishment: bread sent from God, true
bread, living bread, bread sent from heaven. Then He shocked all by saying
He was that bread. He declared that whosoever would eat of the bread that
He gave—meaning His own bodily sacrifice—would have eternal life. In
making this statement He alluded to the ordinance of the sacrament, which He
would later institute just before beginning His atoning sacrifice. In this
instance, many who had come to listen to Him left His presence, rejecting His
offer of bread (Himself). Even today in the Middle East, it is considered to be
discourteous, a violation of the sacred law of hospitality, to decline an offer
of bread or set it aside as unfit to use. That is precisely what this congregation
did with Jesus’s offer of salvation.
J 6:32, 33, 35, 41, 48, 50, 51, 58
 BRIDEGROOM
___________________

A common metaphor for ancient Israel’s relationship to Jehovah was as bride

to bridegroom in a marriage covenant. Later that same analogy was made in
New Testament times, highlighting the relationship of the members of the
church to Jesus Christ. Spiritual adultery was declared in those instances in
which Israel or the church (the bride) was not faithful to the Bridegroom. The
Second Coming of the Lord is likened to the Bridegroom coming to claim His
bride, a moment for which all should be prepared, worthy, and dressed
properly for the celebration.
M 9:15; 22:1–12; 25:1–13; J 3:29;
D C 33:17–18; 65:3; 88:92; 133:10
BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR
___________________

See Dayspring; Day Star; Star

R 2:28; 22:16
 BUCKLER
___________________

Buckler is an archaic synonym for shield. A buckler was often round in

shape, with straps on the back through which the warrior would insert one
arm while wielding a sword or similar weapon with the other. The meaning
rests in Christ’s protection for those who have faith in Him.
2S 22:31; P 18:2; 91:4; P 2:7; D C 35:14
 CAPTAIN OF SALVATION
___________________

The “captain of [our] salvation” is a name given to the Lord in the Epistle to
the Hebrews. The title is self-explanatory, noting that Christ is the source of
and instrument in our salvation, the leader of those whom He is guiding and
directing to exaltation. “The captain of the Lord’s host” is the name given to
the angel, interpreted by some to be Jehovah, who appeared to several Old
Testament prophets (see, for example, Genesis 2:1, 7; Exodus 3:2, 6). In the
King James Version, there are no fewer than thirteen Hebrew words and four
different Greek words that are translated as captain in the English text.
J 5:14–15; H 2:10
 CARPENTER
SON OF THE CARPENTER
___________________

I t was the tradition for every Jew, including the rabbis, to learn a trade or
a practical skill. This is an obvious reference to the work of Jesus’s
foster father, Joseph, and the training young Jesus presumably received
at his hand.
It is interesting that this is the only title for Jesus (except perhaps Shepherd,
which has a dual meaning) that applies to His temporal life as opposed to the
myriad others that highlight His divine attributes and underscore His spiritual
calling.
M 13:55; M 6:3
CHIEF CORNER STONE
___________________

See Stone
E 2:20; 1 P 2:6–8
 CHOSEN OF GOD
CHOSEN FROM THE BEGINNING
___________________

This is a reference to the Father’s choice of the premortal Jesus for the duty
someone had to assume to atone for the sins of humankind in mortality.
L 23:35; 1 P 2:4; M 4:2; 7:39
 CHRIST
___________________

See also Anointed One; Messiah

T his is one of the two most frequently used titles for Jesus in all of
scripture, appearing more than 1,100 times in the standard works,
with only the given name Jesus appearing more often (the latter just
under 1,300 times.) The title Christ—arguably the most esteemed of
religious titles because it meant deliverance to the people, both politically
and spiritually—comes from the Greek word cristos, which means “to
anoint,” or the “anointed one,” the same meaning that the Hebrew word
Messiah carries. The word is frequently linked with the name Jesus, with or
without the article the connecting them. At least three times the Savior
accepted this description of Himself (see Matthew 16:16–17; Mark 14:61–
62; John 4:25–26).
In the Israelite tradition, to anoint someone was to pour out on the head the
oil of the holy priesthood and confirm it with a spoken blessing as prompted
by the Holy Spirit. This was done in several circumstances, but it was most
celebrated in the divine commission that God, through His ordained leaders,
gave to kings for their political reign and to prophets for their spiritual
ministry. The premortal Jesus was anointed and prepared for both roles,
kingly and prophetic, though they were seldom recognized during His mortal
ministry.
Following are examples of titles or roles that are sometimes
associated with the title Christ, giving further insight into His
anointed, messianic mission.
Christ a Righteous Judge
M 6:57
Christ, Great God and Our Saviour Jesus
T 2:13
Christ, His
R 11:15; 12:10
 Christ Jesus
A 19:4; 1 T 2:5; A 5:44

Christ, Jesus
R 6:3; 2 N 25:19;
D C 35:2

Christ Jesus Our Lord

R 8:39
Christ, Jesus the
M 16:20
Christ Jesus the Lord
C 2:6

Christ, Lord and

A 2:36
Christ, Lord and Savior Jesus
D C 20:1, 30
Christ, My God and My Savior Jesus
3N 5:20

Christ of God
L 9:20
Christ of Nazareth
A 3:6
Christ Our Lord
R 5:1
Christ, Our Lord and Savior Jesus
2P 1:11; D C 20:1, 30

Christ, Our Lord Jesus

P 4:23
Christ Our Lord, Son Jesus
R 1:3
Christ Our Passover
1C 5:7
Christ Our Saviour
T 1:4; 3:6
Christ the Firstfruits
 1C 15:23
Christ the King of Israel
M 15:32
Christ the Lamb
D C 76:85
Christ the Lord
L 2:11; D C 19:1
Christ the Lord God Omnipotent
M 5:15
Christ, the Lord Jesus
1C 8:6; P 3:20;
M 3:12
Christ the Lord Omnipotent
M 3:17
Christ, the Lord’s
L 2:26
Christ the Righteous
1J 2:1
Christ the Same Yesterday, and To Day, and For Ever
H 13:8

Christ the Son

A 11:44
Christ the Son of God
M 26:63; 3 N 9:15;
D C 35:2
Christ Your Lord and Your Redeemer
D C 15:1
Christ Your Redeemer
D C 34:1
 CONFIDENCE
___________________

The psalmist speaks of Jehovah being “the confidence of all the ends of the
earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea” (Psalm 65:5). Confidence is
used routinely as a noun elsewhere in scripture, but nowhere else is it
personified as it is here. The Hebrew word that translates as confidence
originally meant “to be open,” suggesting that where nothing is hidden, a
person can feel safe and confident. The same word is sometimes translated
as trust or assurance. Deity is the source of our confidence, as well as the
unfailing object of our trust.
J 31:24
 CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL
___________________

Consolation has at least two meanings. The most common is the solace (note
the Latin root sola in both words, meaning “to comfort”) given to one who is
disappointed or defeated. The less common meaning applies to one who
offers that solace and comfort. It is this latter personification of the word that
applies to Jesus, who would bring joy to counter Israel’s disappointment and
victory to overcome her defeat. The Greek word translated as consolation
here is similar to the word translated as comforter in the Gospel of John.
L 2:25; J 14:16
 CORNERSTONE
___________________

See Stone
P 118:22; I 28:16; E 2:20; 1 P 2:6–8
 COUNSELOR
___________________

The person to whom one wants to go if counsel is needed is one who is

attentive, sympathetic, and wise. Many skilled mortals can offer these
qualities to the seeker. How wonderful it would be if that Counselor were
also omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. The Father and the Son offer
the former virtues shared with mortals and the latter characteristics
possessed only by Deity. They are the perfect Counselors.
I 9:6; 2 N 19:6
 COVENANT OF THE PEOPLE
___________________

God has made covenants with His children since the time He introduced the
idea of covenant to Adam and Eve. Indeed, one of the essential purposes of
mortal life in a fallen world is to participate in saving ordinances through
which we make covenants with God and each other. Christ is the grand
central figure in making those covenants and ordinances efficacious in time
and eternity. He is the sacrifice upon which the covenant is based, whose
blood ratifies it, and He is also the Mediator of the Covenant.
It should be noted that covenant is also a synonym for testament. An
example of that usage is when the Lord told the early Latter-day Saints to
“remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon” (Doctrine and
Covenants 84:57). That sentence could just as easily have read “remember
the new [or another] testament, even the Book of Mormon.”
J 31:31–34; M 26:28; 1 C 11:25; H 12:24; 1 N 21:8;
M 5:4–9
 Except for the creation of the spirits and bodies of individual men and
women, a role reserved for God the Father, all other elements of creation
regarding earth life were accomplished by Jesus Christ under the direction of
the Father.
I 40:28; J 1:1–3; 2 N 9:5; D C 38:1–4; 76:24; 93:6–10;
M 1:32–33

Below are examples of titles or roles that are sometimes associated

with the title Creator, giving further insight into His premortal
majesty.
Creator, Faithful
1P 4:19
Creator, Great
2N 9:5–6
Creator of All Things from the Beginning
H 14:12
Creator of Heaven and Earth, All Powerful
J 2:5; D C 14:9
Creator of Israel
I 43:15
Creator of the Ends of the Earth
I 40:28
Creator of the First Day
D C 95:7
Creator of the Heavens
I 42:5

Creator of the Wind

A 4:13
Creator, Supreme
A 30:44
 CROWN OF GLORY
DIADEM OF BEAUTY
___________________

In the last days, when groping people and false prophets, “through wine, and
through strong drink, . . . err in vision, [and] stumble in judgment” (Isaiah
28:7), the Lord of hosts shall intervene victoriously, being “a crown of glory,
and . . . a diadem of beauty” (Isaiah 28:5) in the land. Crown and diadem are
synonyms, with the former often being made of metal while the latter is often
a band of cloth. Both usually carry precious gems, and both convey a sense of
royalty or victory achieved in competition. The suggestion here is that people
will desperately need leadership in the last days, which the Messiah will
both royally and victoriously provide. We are reminded of the poignance of
Christ’s Atonement when we remember that a “crown of thorns” (Matthew
27:29) was mockingly placed on His head following His night of
interrogation and on through His Crucifixion.
I 28:5–9; M 27:29; H 2:9
 DAVID
ROOT OF DAVID
SEED OF DAVID
SON OF DAVID
OFFSPRING OF DAVID
___________________

The Old Testament prophets provide the most useful ties between King
David of old and King David (Christ) in the last days. Jeremiah wrote:
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a
righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute
judgment and justice in the earth.
“In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is
his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness”
(Jeremiah 23:5–6).
Shortly thereafter Ezekiel prophesied:
“David my servant shall be king over them: and they all shall have one
shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and
do them.
“And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant,
wherein your fathers have dwelt: and they shall dwell therein, even they, and
their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David
shall be their prince for ever” (Ezekiel 37:24–25).
In his marvelous apocalyptic revelation, John made very explicit reference
to the root of David:
“And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read
the book, neither to look thereon.
“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. . . .
 “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” (Revelation 5:4–5; 22:16).
It should be noted that root in this context means “He who descended from
David,” not “he from whom David descended.” The name means “dear,
well-beloved.”
I 11:1, 10; M 1:1; 9:27;
L 20:41; R 15:12; 2 T 2:8
 DAYSPRING
___________________

This is the title used for Jesus by Zacharias, father of John who would
become the Baptist. After prophesying of John’s mission to prepare the way
of the Savior, this great high priest noted the light Jesus would bring “to them
that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Luke 1:79). Dayspring is yet
another metaphor for the dawning of the morning light after the darkness of
night so many experience. It is a synonym for the Son/Sun that will always
rise on those who patiently wait for and trust in it.
L 1:76–78; I 60:1–2
 DAY STAR
___________________

As with dayspring, day star comes from Peter’s injunction to members of the
Church to trust in and wait for the light that will come with the appearance of
the Son/Sun in the last days, or other experiences when “the more sure word
of prophecy” is manifest (Doctrine and Covenants 131:5). Peter also
suggests that we can lean on the faith of others during those dark nights of our
lives “until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts,” at which
time we will have our own witness and personal testimony (2 Peter 1:19).
 DELIVERER
MY HELP AND DELIVERER
DELIVERER FROM DEATH AND THE CHAINS OF HELL
___________________

Christ delivers us from a variety of difficulties and dangers, ranging from

childish predicaments to the starkness of death and hell. We are delivered
from Adam’s transgression unconditionally but delivered from our own
transgressions conditioned upon our repentance. Another less obvious but
provocative definition of deliver is to “bring forth,” as in delivering a child at
birth. Certainly, Christ is also our Deliverer in that sense, giving us new life
and rebirth as we become His sons and daughters spiritually.
P 40:17; R 4:25; 11:26; M 5:7–8; D C 8:2–4; 133:67,
71–72
 DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS
___________________

In the last days good people across the world will yearn for the return of
Jesus to rule in righteousness and introduce millennial peace. After God
“shake[s] all nations” (Haggai 2:7), His answer to the prayers of the people
—Christ, the Desire of All Nations—shall come. In that usage Desire is a
noun, a proper name. The act of desiring on the part of the people is a verb,
akin to “hunger[ing] and thirst[ing] after righteousness” (Matthew 5:6).
DOOR OF THE SHEEP
___________________

See Sheep; Shepherd

J 10:7, 9
 DREADFUL
___________________

Although the titles Christ carries are usually soothing and encouraging, from
time to time He reminds us there is a part of Him that is wholeheartedly
opposed to disobedience and sin. That is not soothing. “My name is
dreadful” (Malachi 1:14), He warns those who do not follow Him, “the great
and dreadful God” (Daniel 9:4).
 ELECT
ELECT OF GOD
___________________

This word comes from a Latin root meaning “chosen” or “selected.” Elite
has the same root, suggesting a particularly lofty achievement. In
contemporary times, election often refers to being chosen for an office or
position of authority. Christ qualifies on all these counts; He is known as the
“Elect” among God’s spiritual offspring in both the Old and New Testaments.
I 42:1; 1 P 2:6
 EMMANUEL
IMMANUEL
___________________

A title given to Jesus at His birth meaning “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).
Matthew obviously felt that Christ’s Nativity fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah
(made some seven centuries before) that the baby should be identified as
such. Joseph Smith used this title for Christ when he gave a rousing call to
members of the Church of Jesus Christ to participate in the work of
redemption.
I 7:14; M 1:23; 2 N 18:8; D C 128:22
 END
___________________

See Alpha and Omega; Beginning and End

R 10:4; R 1:8; D C 35:1; 38:1
 ___________________

The significance of this title is that the word is traditionally used in scripture
as an adjective modifying a noun, whereas in modern revelation the word is
appropriately used as a noun itself. Thus, in traditional usage a phrase like
“endless punishment” (with endless as an adjective) would have meant
punishment that never ended. However, with endless as a noun—a name for
Deity—endless punishment means it is God’s punishment, thus taking on a
qualitative rather than quantitative meaning.
D C 19:10–12
As in the example cited previously for endless, the word eternal is used the
same way in the same scriptural reference (Doctrine and Covenants 19:11).
Furthermore, such a title appropriately refers to “him which is, and which
was, and which is to come” (Revelation 1:4), “which art, and wast, and shalt
be” (Revelation 16:5), “which is, and which was, and which is to come, the
Almighty” (Revelation 1:8), “infinite and eternal” (Doctrine and Covenants
20:17), “who is from all eternity to all eternity” (Doctrine and Covenants
39:1).
JST, R 1:4, 8; A 34:10, 14

Other linked descriptions include:

Eternal Father of Heaven and of Earth
A 11:39
Eternal Father, the Very
M 15:4; 16:15
Eternal God
1N 12:18
Eternal Head
H 13:38
Eternal Judge
M 10:34

Eternal King
D C 128:23
Eternal Life
1J 1:2; 5:20
 EVERLASTING
___________________

See also Alpha and Omega;

Beginning and End; Eternal
The obvious meaning here is the eternal, never-ending reality of Christ’s
divinity. Its most well-known use comes in Isaiah’s majestic prophecy of the
Messiah’s birth, “And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The
mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Other references include:
Everlasting Father
I 9:6; 2 N 19:6

Everlasting God
I 40:28; 1 N 15:15
Everlasting God, My Rock and Mine
2N 4:35

Everlasting King
J 10:10

Everlasting Light
I 60:20
Everlasting Strength
I 26:4

Everlasting to Everlasting
D C 61:1
 FAITHFUL AND TRUE
___________________

T his title has at least two meanings, both of which are applicable to
Him as the premortal Jehovah in the Old Testament and the mortal
Jesus in His New Testament role. One meaning is that His faith never
falters. If faith were a line drawn forward in the sand marking the course of
the Savior’s journey, there would be no break in that line. His faith is
constant, always evident. He never strays from it, is always true to it. The
other meaning is that He is full of faith—literally faith-ful. This interpretation
suggests that everything about Him is characterized by faith, that it is His
“first principle” just as it is supposed to be ours (Articles of Faith 1:4).
R 19:11

Other dimensions of this title include:

Faithful Creator
1P 4:19

Faithful God
D 7:9

Faithful, Lord That Is

I 49:7
Faithful Witness
R 1:5; 3:14
 FATHER
___________________

Referring to Christ as “the Father” can cause some confusion in a theology

that does not follow the trinitarian creeds of the fourth and fifth centuries AD.
For that reason, it is important to make clear at the outset that Christ is not the
Father of our spirits. That role and title belong to Elohim, who gave us
spiritual existence and form. It is Elohim to whom Jesus prayed, and to
whom He taught us to pray as “our Father which art in heaven” (Matthew
6:9).
Having said that, there are several ways in which Jesus is also a Father to
us, the most important of which is that through His Atonement and
Resurrection He gave us eternal life. He did this by breaking the bands of
death for all humankind who would ever live, from Adam and Eve to the end
of the world. Christ can also rightfully speak for God the Father through the
“divine investiture of authority” given Him by the Father. Lastly, even before
the Resurrection we can become the “sons and daughters” of Christ by
making sacred covenants with Him and keeping His commandments in honor
of those covenants. In that way we are “spiritually begotten” of Him and
“born of him” (Mosiah 5:7).
We are so used to saying and hearing the word Father that we may forget
—or never really have known—that the Latin root means “nourisher,”
“protector,” “upholder,” and “one who holds a position of counsel and care.”
Those are reassuring qualities for any Father to have, qualities Christ had in
abundance.
Other citations and qualifications of the title include:
Father and the Son
M 15:2–3; E 3:14
Father, Everlasting
I 9:6; 2 N 19:6

Father, Lord God of Israel our

1C 29:10
 Father of All Things
M 7:27

Father of Heaven and of Earth

M 3:8; H 14:12
Father of Heaven and of Earth, the Very Eternal
M 15:4; A 11:39
Father of the Fatherless
P 68:5

Father, Our
I 64:8
Father That Hath Bought Thee
D 32:6
Father, the Very Eternal
M 16:15

Father to Israel
J 31:9
 FINISHER OF OUR FAITH
___________________

He who was the Author of salvation in its beginning is also the Finisher of it
in the end. Carrying that title, Christ will complete our piecemeal and uneven
faith. Finish also has a qualitative meaning that is appropriate here: that of
bringing the product to its highest level of appearance and presentation, as in
the fine “finish” one would give to a piece of art or craftmanship.
H 12:2; M 6:4
 FIRE
WALL OF FIRE
CONSUMING FIRE
___________________

Jehovah’s presence and glory are often portrayed in the language of flame
and fire. When the children of Israel needed guidance on their quest for the
Promised Land, Jehovah went before them “by day time in a pillar of a
cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night” (Numbers 14:14). When He needed to
instruct Moses directly, He descended on Mount Sinai “in fire” (Exodus
19:18). To the prophet Zechariah, who prophesied so much of the mortal
mission of Jesus Christ and His triumphant Second Coming, He said of
Jerusalem in the last days, “For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of
fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her” (Zechariah 2:5).
Truly God is a “consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29).
On the altar of the wilderness tabernacle ancient Israel’s prophets kept a
fire constantly burning. One of its purposes was to consume the burnt
sacrifice and incense offering, but another was to remind the children of
Israel that Jehovah was always with them. Fire was frequently the symbol of
God’s spiritual presence among the people, reminding them among other
things of His glory (Daniel 7:9; 10:6), His holiness (Exodus 19:18), and His
protection (Zechariah 2:5). For those who needed it, it was also a reminder
of His judgments (Isaiah 66:15–16) and punishment (Matthew 25:41).
E 13:21–22; D 4:24; N 9:12; R 1:14; D
C 110:3
 FIRST AND LAST
___________________

See also Alpha and Omega; Beginning and End; Eternal; Everlasting
Once again we see the all-encompassing dimensions of Christ’s ministry. He
was the first in the premortal world of God’s spirit offspring. He was the
first in worthiness to become the mortal Son of God. He was the firstfruit of
the Resurrection, and He will be the last—not only in chronological order
but also in ultimate significance—in His triumphant return to rule and reign
on earth.
I 41:4; 44:6; R 1:11, 17; 2:8; 22:13; 1 N 20:12; A 11:39; D
C 110:4

Related titles include:

Firstbegotten
H 1:6
Firstbegotten of the Dead
R 1:5
Firstborn
P 89:27; L 2:7; R 8:29; C 1:15, 18; D C 93:21

Firstfruit(s)
1C 15:20, 23
 U sually we think of Elias, John the Baptist, or some other pioneering
figure as the one who goes before, preparing the way for others to
follow. There is, however, at least one sense in which Christ was
also a forerunner. In that role He went before us preparing the way of
salvation and conquering death, experiencing all the pain of our sins and
sorrows, our illnesses and our limitations, in order that He could succor us
when we too walk that same path. In all things He was a forerunner in
preparing us to reenter the presence of the Father (see John 14:1–6).
H 6:20; A 7:11–12;
D C 122:8
 FOUNDATION
___________________

Using the familiar Church-as-a-building metaphor, Paul declared Jesus as the

foundation of the righteous building this Apostle and His brethren were
attempting to build through missionary work.

“F G :
G ’ , G ’ .

“A G
, ,I ,
.B
.

“F
, J C ” (1 C 3:9–11;
).
This is consistent with other references to Christ as, for example, the
cornerstone of the Church.
 FOUNTAIN
FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATERS
FOUNTAIN OF ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS
FOUNTAIN OF LIFE
___________________

Christ is the source of eternal life, the headwaters of all righteousness, the
example to whom we look for a perfect life. It is from Him we learn, by Him
we live, and for Him we serve—all in the name of the Father. From Christ is
that fountain from which, if we drink, will be “water springing up into
everlasting life” (John 4:14).
P 36:9; J 2:13; J 4:10–14; 1 N 11:25
 FRAMER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
___________________

See also Creator

Framer could justifiably be considered simply a synonym for Creator, as it
is in a phrase like “framers of the Constitution.” This is a perfectly
satisfactory explanation of this title. However, a framer in an earlier era of
construction was always a carpenter, a craftsman who fashioned the exterior
and interior walls, rooms, and hallways of a home or shop by the upright
timbers he put in place that gave the structure its shape and dimensions.
Perhaps there is special meaning in the fact that the carpenter’s son from
Nazareth was a framer long before He came to earth to learn building skills
in His foster father’s shop. A framer can also be one who brings definition
and completeness to a project, as one who frames a piece of art—another apt
description of the Savior’s work.
E 2:21; 4:16; D C 20:17
 GIFT OF GOD
HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT
___________________

Perhaps the only gift in all of creation that matches the gift of immortality and
eternal life provided by the Savior through His Atonement is the gift that God
the Father made in allowing His Only Begotten Son to come to earth and
redeem all mankind through the pain of that Atonement. “For God so loved
the world” (John 3:16) may be one of the most understated and
underappreciated truths in all of scripture.
J 4:10; 2 C 9:15
 GLORIOUS
___________________

W hen Moses was confronted by Lucifer pretending to be the chosen

son of God, this great prophet could discern the misrepresentation.
By comparison, Lucifer did not possess the true Spirit or convey
the full presence of divine glory. Moses rebuked Satan by declaring his
loyalty to Jehovah, the God of Glory. In several places in the scriptures, the
glory of Deity is described as majesty, brightness, and splendor.
I 4:5; Z 2:5; A 22:11; H 1:3; M 1:20

Other references to this divine quality include:

Glorious Majesty on High
D C 20:16
Glorious Throne to His Father’s House
I 22:23
Glory, Lord of
1C 2:8
Glory of Their Strength
P 89:17
Glory of Thy People
L 2:32
Glory of Zion
2N 14:5
 T his is the title commonly given by believers (and frequently by
nonbelievers) to Him who is the Supreme Being, the Man of
Holiness, the Father of Spirits, and the literal Father of Jesus Christ.
According to one electronic search procedure, there are a total of 7,681
references to God in our Latter-day Saint edition of the scriptures. However,
not all of these refer to God the Father. Jesus also is a God by virtue of His
role in the Creation, His role as Jehovah of the Old Testament, His divine
sonship as the literal offspring of the Father, His perfect mortal life, and His
ascension after His Resurrection to stand on the right hand of God the Father.
There, with the Holy Ghost, these three form the grand Triumvirate, a unified
Godhead who are One in virtually every sense of that word except in
corporeal substance.
In many cases the scriptures are not clear whether God applies to the
Father or to Jesus in His own godly role. However, it is not necessary in this
study to declare which reference goes with what Personage; here we are
dealing only with titles, and many of the titles are interchangeable between
the Father and the Son, applying equally to both. God and Lord are two such
titles wherein it is often impossible to determine whether they apply to the
Father or the Son.
With no attempt to exhaust all references and distinctive
identifications, the following are noted as representative:
God Himself That Formed the Earth and Made It
I 45:18
God, Jesus as
 I 9:6; 40:3, 9, 10; J 20:28

God My Rock, My Saviour

2S 22:3
God of Compassion, Gracious[ness],
Longsuffering, Mercy, and Truth
P 86:15
God of Enoch
D C 45:11

God of Glory
M 1:20
God of Israel, the Saviour
I 45:15; 1 N 19:7
God of Nature
1N 19:12

God of Peace
R 16:20
God of Salvation
P 18:46; I 17:10;
1C 10:4; J 7:25
God of the Land
E 2:12
God of the Whole Earth
I 54:5; 3 N 11:14; 22:5
God of Thy Fathers, of Your Fathers
A 7:32; E 3:13

God of Truth without Iniquity

D 32:4
God Our Saviour
P 106:21; I 43:3; 1 T 1:1
God Ready to Pardon, Gracious and Merciful,
Slow to Anger, of Great Kindness
N 9:17

God the Lord

J 20:28; D C 1:20
God, Uncorruptible
R 1:23
God with Us
M 1:23
 MIGHTY

GOD
___________________

The adjective in this title suggests power, which in Deity would be all power
—omnipotence. Indeed, David sang that Jehovah was the “most mighty” of
all, linking that power with other regal qualities such as “glory” and
“majesty” (Psalm 45:3). As such He is the mighty One of Jacob (Israel) and
is mighty to save.
G 49:24; I 9:6; 60:16; 1 N 21:26; 22:12;
2N 6:17; 19:6; D C 36:1
 MOST HIGH

GOD
___________________

Exaltation has always been couched in terms and images that suggest
ascension, elevation, loftiness, heavenly attainment. Of those enjoying such
spiritual elevation, Jesus, who stands at the right hand of the Father, holds the
highest position among all of God’s posterity.
P 57:2; 83:18; A 7:48; 16:17; 2 N 24:14; A 26:14
 GOVERNOR
___________________

A governor is, quite obviously, one who governs. It was prophesied long
before His birth that Christ would rule and reign, with “the government . . .
upon his shoulder,” and that such a governor would come out of tiny
Bethlehem in Judea. The challenge of each individual in mortality is to allow
Christ to govern as He was ordained to do, with all of us as good citizens
obeying His commandments and receiving the blessings that come from a just
ruler.
I 9:6–7; M 5:2; M 2:6
 GREAT I AM
___________________

See I Am
D C 29:1; 38:1; 39:1
 GREAT SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP
___________________

Great is almost always an adjective rather than a title when it applies to the
life and mission of the Savior. However, there are certain instances when it
takes on the nature of a proper name, such as this reference in the Epistle to
the Hebrews. This phrase conveys something of the spirit of a title, over and
above what a simple reference to shepherd might convey (see Hebrews
13:20).
Other examples include:
Great, and Last, and Only Sure Foundation
J 4:16
Great and True Shepherd
H 15:13

Great Jehovah
M 10:34; D C 128:9

Great Mediator
2N 2:27–28
Great Prophet
L 7:16
 HABITATION OF JUSTICE
___________________

T his unique phrase from Jeremiah suggests not only that Jehovah is just
but also that the very environment in which He reigns and the
atmosphere in which He rules is characterized by justice. His people
can be confident, safe, and forthcoming in His presence, knowing their
judgment will be just, whatever His ruling as judge might be.
P 71:3; 89:14; 91:9; J 50:7
 HEAD
HEAD OF EVERY MAN
HEAD OF THE CHURCH
___________________

Head conveys several qualities that apply directly to Jesus Christ. First of
all, the head is the top, the apex, the ultimate figure in an organization or
congregation. Christ is that figure in the Church under the Fatherhood of God.
As such, we are to follow His direction and example. Second, the head is
home to the mind, which, along with the heart, everyone is to give to God in
the effort to build Zion. Lastly, the head is the source, the origin, the
beginning, as indicated in a word like headwaters. Christ is the source of our
salvation and exaltation, the originating point for all that flows from the
gospel of Jesus Christ into eternity.
In establishing the line of priesthood accountability, Paul wrote, “I would
have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; . . . and the head of
Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11:3). This reinforced the Savior’s own
declaration that “No man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
That role, which He plays in every individual relationship, is the one He
fulfills in His relationship to the Church as a whole. Paul continued, “Christ
is the head of the church: . . . Therefore . . . the church is subject unto Christ,
. . . even as Christ . . . loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians
5:23–25).
E 4:14–15; C 1:18; J 4:17; H 13:38
 HEIR OF ALL THINGS
___________________

God the Father has promised that those who receive Him will receive His
kingdom, “therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him”
(Doctrine and Covenants 84:38). While that is a promise given to all, the
only person (of whom we know) who has received the Father fully and
completely, without compromise or transgression, is Jesus Christ. Therefore,
what is conditional and still hoped for by everyone else has already been
realized by His Firstborn Son, who rightfully claims His inheritance as “heir
of all things” (Hebrews 1:2). He even portrays Himself as an heir in a very
moving parable He taught regarding His rejection and Crucifixion by the
people (see Matthew 21:33–39).
 HELPER
___________________

A helper is a companion, a supporter, an assistant, an ally. Christ is certainly

all of these to those who will accept His offer.
P 10:14; 27:9; 30:10; 37:40; 40:17; 46:1; 124:8; I 41:10–14; 49:8; M 15:25;
M 9:22–24; H 13:6; J 2:5
This is another example of a title most frequently associated with God the
Father. Nevertheless, Jesus also merited that same nomenclature.
L 1:76
 HIGH PRIEST
___________________

Both in ancient and modern times, the high priest is the priesthood officer
authorized to preside over the spiritual functions of the kingdom, including
the offering of sacrifices. Christ qualified doubly for this designation, being
the ultimate source of spiritual direction for the Church and also serving
personally as the infinite and eternal sacrifice. Out of deference to the
sanctity of the Savior’s name we currently refer to the high priesthood as the
holy Melchizedek Priesthood, but its true title is the Holy Priesthood, after
the Order of the Son of God (see Doctrine and Covenants 107:1–4).
Ultimately the holy priesthood is Christ’s priesthood and He is the Great
High Priest in that Order.
H 2:17; 3:1; 4:15; 5:5–6, 10; 6:20: 8:1; 10:21
 HIGH PRIEST OF GOOD THINGS TO
COME
___________________

This is such a unique designation I have separated it from the many other
references to Christ’s high priestly role. He is the Great High Priest in so
many ways, but for a multitude of people—indeed, for all of us at some time
or other in life—He is the High Priest of Hope. Because of Him things will
get better. Because of Him there are always “good things to come” (Hebrews
9:11). The Father and the Son, the Holy Ghost and the angels who attend
Them—Their entire employment, Their entire work is to seek ways to bless
us. They who never sleep, They who never slumber, seek day and night for
ways to bless us. We have our agency so there are some limits to what They
can do, but They are constantly at work to bless us with good things to come
if we but live for them.
 HIGH PRIEST OF OUR PROFESSION
___________________

Having already noted Christ’s role as High Priest, the addition of the phrase
of our profession makes two interpretations possible. Perhaps the most
obvious inclination in the twenty-first century would be to define profession
as one’s vocation or business affiliation, such as the medical profession. But
it is unlikely this is the meaning intended here. It is much more likely that
profession refers back to its original meaning, which was an avowal, a
declaration of one’s belief or the acceptance of a particular faith, as in the
professing of Christianity. The Latin root for this word—professio—meant
the taking of vows to join a religious order, the kind of decidedly religious
profession that must have been intended by the writer of the Epistle to the
Hebrews, who uses the word three times.
H 3:1; 4:14; 10:23
 HIMSELF
___________________

Here Matthew is quoting Isaiah, using a pronoun as a noun-title. Perhaps the

intention of an Old Testament prophet and a New Testament Apostle in
making Himself a title is to remind us that Christ and Christ alone carried the
weight of the Atonement on His shoulders, that He Himself with help from no
other has “trodden the wine-press alone” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:107).
M 8:17; D C 88:106; 133:50
 A nything worthy of the designation holy would, by definition, be
sacred, consecrated, otherworldly, and reverential. Perhaps more
than any other word in the religious vocabulary, this term speaks to
the spiritual essence of a person or place or item with virtually no
consideration of external qualities or temporal characteristics. Truly Christ
was holy, and “holy is his name” (Luke 1:49). That phrase can be read at
least two ways—with holy as an adjective and as a noun-title.
I 6:3; H 7:26; 1 P 1:15–16;
R 6:10

This same dual reading applies in several other ways, including:

Holy Child, Jesus
A 4:27; M 8:3
Holy God
J 24:19; 2 N 9:39
Holy Messiah
2N 2:6

Holy One, and Just

P 16:10; I 43:15; H 11:9; H 1:12;
A 2:27; 3:14; 13:35; 1 J 2:20; 2 N 2:10;
D C 78:16

Holy One of God

M 1:24
Holy One of Israel, Thy Redeemer
I 41:14; 43:14; 54:5; 1 N 19:14; 2 N 9:12, 15, 18–19
 Holy One of Jacob
2N 27:34

Holy One of Zion

D C 78:15
 HOPE
GOD OF HOPE
HOPE OF ISRAEL
___________________

A favorite definition of hope is “a happy anticipation, a confident

expectation.” Truly by that standard Christ is Hope personified. Our ultimate
hope is in Him and in His Resurrection. As noted earlier, we always have
hope for the future because He is “the high priest of good things to come”
(Hebrews 9:11).
P 71:5; J 14:8; 17:13, 17; 50:7; R 15:13; C 1:27; 1 T 1:1
HORN OF DAVID
___________________

See David
P 132:17
 HORN OF SALVATION
___________________

In ancient times a horn was used to declare some important event or

noteworthy moment. It was also a symbol of power. Nothing could be more
important or noteworthy than the declaration that Jesus Christ is the promised
Messiah.
1S 2:10; 2 S 22:3; P 18:2; 132:17; L 1:69
 HUSBAND
___________________

Husband has at least two meanings as it applies to Jesus Christ. First, one
who husbands is one who nurtures, cultivates, nourishes, and brings to
fruition. Second, in the Old Testament tradition, Jehovah is the Bridegroom
and Israel is the bride, with that same relationship continuing into the mortal
ties of the New Testament and beyond. In that divine marriage the
Bridegroom takes on and fulfills all the caring, protective responsibilities of
a dutiful Husband.
J 31:32; R 21:2; 3 N 22:5
 I AM
I AM THAT I AM
THE GREAT I AM
___________________

See also Alpha and Omega; Beginning and End; Eternal; Everlasting
When Moses was told by Jehovah to confront the pharaoh of Egypt, he was
afraid of rejection and the danger of such a bold move.
“Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and
shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they
shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou
say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you” (Exodus 3:13–
14).
This unusual title conveys at least two things about the Messiah: First,
Jehovah/Christ emphatically is the promised Lord and Deliverer of covenant
Israel (the spirit of “I am He”). Second, coming in the first-person-singular
voice, this title carries the impact of presence, permanence, constancy, even
eternity. I Am combines I Was and I Will Be, the Alpha and Omega quality to
which we have already referred.
I 44:6; 45:18; J 8:58;
D C 29:1; 38:1; 39:1; M 7:53
 IMAGE OF GOD
___________________

This is yet another example of a word that can be either adjective or noun-
title—or both. Image of God can suggest how Christ was like the Father, but
it can also be accepted as a complete phrase—that in one of His many divine
roles Christ was the Image of God.
2C 4:4; C 1:15; H 1:3
___________________

See Emmanuel
 JAH
___________________

Ancient Israel was forbidden to spell out the full name of Jehovah in any of
its Hebraic variations and forms, which included Yahweh, Yahwe, Yahveh,
Yahve, Jahveh, Jahve, Jahweh, and Jahwe. Instead, they would use
abbreviated tetragrams (words of four letters) or, in this case, a trigram of
three letters.
P 68:4
 JEALOUS
___________________

Jehovah was, of necessity, a jealous God in the sense that He emphatically

wanted the loyalty of His children and could not bear to see them worship
false deities. It was the kind of understandable emotion vividly recognized in
another of Christ’s roles, that of a Bridegroom whose bride had been
unfaithful.
E 34:14; J 24:19
 JEHOVAH
THE GREAT JEHOVAH
LORD JEHOVAH
___________________

Among the people of ancient Israel, this was a well-known title for the God
of the Old Testament, whom we know to have been the premortal Jesus
acting under the direction of God the Father. It has been assumed that the
word comes from the Hebrew verb to be. In that sense, it is comparable to I
Am, Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, and so forth, all
conveying a permanent state, an unchanging presence. As noted under the
heading JAH, the Jews were not to write out the full name of Jehovah (in
Hebrew usually Yahweh) but used various trigrams or tetragrams as
substitutes.
E 6:3; P 83:18; I 12:2; 26:4; 2 N 22:2;
M 10:34; D C 110:3
 ___________________

See also Christ

Jesus is the Greek rendition of a name common among the Jews anciently and
one still common in some romance languages. Its equivalent in Hebrew is
Joshua, which translates as Savior. Joseph and Mary were directed by an
angel to name her new son Jesus, “for he shall save his people from their
sins” (Matthew 1:21).
1T 1:10; H 4:14; 2 N 31:10; 33:6; D C 45:52;
76:69

The addition of the more sacred word Christ to the common name Jesus
elevates Jesus Christ to the divine status it merits in describing the mortal
Son of God. Christ is the Greek title synonymous with the Hebrew Messiah,
both words reserved for a foreordained person who would come to deliver
His people as “the Anointed One.” At least some of those who would
recognize this Deliverer as the Christ/Messiah/Anointed One would also
recognize Him as the Son of God and One with the Father.
2N 10:3; 25:16–19; D C 35:2

Other references to this redeemer of the world include:

Jesus Christ, by Whom Are All Things, and We by Him
1C 8:6
Jesus Christ, Great God and Our Saviour
T 2:13
Jesus [Christ] of Nazareth, King of the Jews
 M 26:71; J 19:19; A 3:6

Jesus Christ, Our Lord

R 5:1
Jesus Christ Our Saviour
T 3:6
Jesus Christ the Righteous, a Righteous Judge
1J 2:1; M 6:57

Jesus Christ the Same Yesterday, and Today, and Forever

H 13:8
Jesus Christ the Son of God
3N 9:15
Jesus Christ, Your Lord and Your Redeemer
D C 15:1

Jesus of Galilee
M 26:69
Jesus the Christ
M 16:20
 JUDGE
OUR RIGHTEOUS JUDGE
JUDGE OF THE QUICK AND THE DEAD
___________________

A judge is committed to justice and equity. A judge is also subject to feelings

of mercy and forgiveness. How reassuring it is that, accepting such
responsibility with and under the direction of His Father (see Doctrine and
Covenants 76:68), Jesus Christ shall be “the Eternal Judge of both quick and
dead”—quick meaning “alive” or “living” (Moroni 10:34). He who knows
everything about both justice and mercy will be seated in “the judgment-seat
of Christ” (3 Nephi 28:31) before which “every soul who belongs to the
whole human family of Adam” and Eve must stand to be judged of our works
(Mormon 3:20).
J 11:27; P 68:5; I 33:22; M 5:1; A 10:42; 1 C 4:4; 2
T 4:1, 8; 1 P 2:23; M 3:18; M 6:21; E 12:38; M 8:21; M
6:57
 JUST
___________________

Here a virtue and a moral characteristic also serves as a title. He who was
and is just takes on that virtue as part of His identity. Such usage indicates the
perfect harmony between Jesus’s nature and His actions. Knowing He is just
allows one to come before Him with confidence and acceptance, knowing
this judge will be fair and honest.
D 32:4; I 45:21; A 3:14; 7:52; A 12:15
 KEEPER OF THE GATE
___________________

It is an old religious fable that St. Peter will meet us at the gate of heaven. He
(along with other key holders and witnesses of the gospel) may well be
included there, but the principal gatekeeper will be the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself, who “employeth no servant there”
(2 Nephi 9:41).
 T his title refers to Christ’s presiding role as “King of kings” (1
Timothy 6:15) in the theocratic governance of the kingdom of God
both in heaven and on earth. Although it was without the intent to
reign, Christ came as King in the meridian of time. But because he came
“lowly, and riding upon . . . the foal of an ass” (Zechariah 9:9; see Matthew
21:1–7), His royalty was not recognized by any beyond a relative few who
had eyes to see and ears to hear. To them and others on both sides of the veil
who have taken upon themselves His name, Christ is still King, but to the rest
of the human family He is King-in-Waiting until the time of His triumphant
Second Coming. Then, as is appropriate in the presence of royalty, every
knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is the Messiah; the King of
Zion; the True, Living, and Everlasting King of Nations; King over All the
Earth.
I 6:5; J 10:7, 10; Z 14:4–9; M 1:14; M 27:42; 1
T 6:15–16; R 17:14; 19:16; D C 38:21; 128:23; M
7:53

Other references to Christ’s royalty include:

King, Eternal
D C 128:23
King Immanuel
D C 128:22
King of Heaven
2N 10:14
King of Israel
Z 3:15; J 1:49; 12:13
 King of Peace
H 7:2

King of Righteousness
H 7:2
King of Saints
R 15:3
King of the Jews
M 2:2; J 19:19

King, the Lord of Hosts

2N 16:5
 LAMB
LAMB OF GOD
___________________

T his is one of the titles—and responsibilities—that Christ received in

the premortal councils of heaven. There the Father introduced the
great plan of salvation that included, for those who accepted it, the
fall and redemption of His children—the entire human family—in their
journey toward exaltation. Adam and Eve were chosen to provide the entry
into mortality. Jehovah (Jesus), the Firstborn of the Father, was chosen to play
the redemptive role with an infinite and eternal atoning sacrifice of His body
and His blood. Thus, with all of this outlined and anticipated in heaven before
any spirits had come to mortality, Jesus has been appropriately identified in
holy writ as “the lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation
13:8; Moses 7:47).
This symbolism of the lamb was introduced to the mortal Adam and Eve,
who in their temporal state outside the Garden of Eden had forgotten much that
had gone before. Adam and Eve and those who followed them were
commanded to offer as a similitude of Jesus—the Lamb who would come—an
unblemished male lamb, the firstling of the flock, thus keeping before the
people a reminder of their need for redemption and the reassurance that the
Anointed One would come to provide it (see Moses 5:5–8). When Christ
actually did come and offer up that ultimate sacrifice, the symbolic offering
required of the generations that would follow was changed to that of a broken
heart and a contrite spirit (see 3 Nephi 9:18–22).
J 1:29, 36; 1 P 1:19;
R 5:12; 22:3; 1 N 10:10; 13:35–41;
D C 59:8; 76:85; 88:106
 LAST
___________________

See Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, First and Last
J 4:16
LAST ADAM
___________________

See Adam
 LAW
LAWGIVER
___________________

The two great governing principles for citizens in the kingdom of God are
love and law. Jesus combined those two succinctly when He said, “If ye love
me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). “I am the law,” He declared to
the Nephites (3 Nephi 15:9), and as such is the perfect lawgiver, giving
commandments whose only purpose is to increase our opportunity for
happiness and enhance our ability to love.
I 33:22; JST, M 9:18–19; 3 N 15:5;
D C 38:22; 45:59; 64:13
 LEADER
___________________

In all things Christ is our leader, both by precept and by example. Like David
of old, the Son of David would be a victorious “leader and commander”
(Isaiah 55:4) of the people. In times of fear or temptation, one of the most
reassuring promises to all of us is that the Lord will “lead [us] along”
(Doctrine and Covenants 78:18).
P 23:2; D C 38:33; 112:10
 LIFE
WORD OF LIFE
PRINCE OF LIFE
___________________

Christ is the Life of the World (John 1:4; Doctrine and Covenants 12:9) and
the life of all humankind in it (Doctrine and Covenants 93:9). He provides
eternal life spiritually through His atoning forgiveness of sin, and He
provides eternal life physically by breaking the bands of death through His
Resurrection. Truly He came that in every way we “might have life, and . . .
have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
J 5:26; 6:33; 11:25; A 3:15; 1 J 1:1; 5:11–12; 3 N 9:18; 11:11; D
C 10:70; 34:2; 39:2; 45:7; 88:13
 LIGHT
LIGHT OF THE WORLD
___________________

Often linked scripturally with Christ-as-Life is the parallel role of Christ-as-

Light. Easton’s Bible Dictionary states, “All the more joyous emotions of the
mind, all the pleasing sensations of the frame, all the happy hours of domestic
intercourse were habitually described among the Hebrews under the imagery
derived from light.” Even as a new star appeared in the heavens to celebrate
His mortal birth, Jesus’s ministry was to be characterized as that of “the light
and the Redeemer of the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:9). He is “the
true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9;
see also Doctrine and Covenants 93:2). He is “the light which is in all
things” and “the same light that quickeneth [our] understandings” (Doctrine
and Covenants 88:11, 13). Most reassuring of all, He is “the light . . . that is
endless, that can never be darkened” (Mosiah 16:9).
J 1:7–8; 8:12; 12:35; 3 N 11:11; 15:9; M 7:15–19; D C
34:2

Some specific designations regarding Christ-as-Light include:

Light of Israel
I 10:17

Light of Truth
D C 88:6
Light That Shineth in a Dark Place
2P 1:19; D C 6:21

Light to Lighten the Gentiles

I 42:6; L 2:32
Light, True
D C 88:50; 93:2
Light unto All Who Sit in Darkness
 JST, L 3:7

Light Which Cannot Be Hid

D C 14:9
Light Which Ye Shall Hold Up
3N 18:24
 LION OF THE
TRIBE OF JUDAH
___________________

I saiah likens Jehovah’s determination to fight ferociously in defense of

Israel to that of “the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey” (Isaiah
31:4). This is backdrop to John’s declaration of Christ as the “Lion of
the tribe of Juda,” invoking qualities of royalty, majesty, strength, and courage
(Revelation 5:5).
 T his is one of the most frequently used titles for Jesus in the scriptures,
especially when referencing Jehovah in the Old Testament. Its most
common synonym is Master, suggesting governance and authority
over possessions, property, and people, such as a medieval “lord of the
manor” or “master of the house.” Fortunately, in the case of Christ, His lordly
role is characterized by benign, loving governance and authority.
It should be noted that, as with the use of a title such as God, Lord is often
applied to the Father, thus making it sometimes problematic in determining
which of these two Deities is being referenced. Obvious examples appear in
the Psalms, where David’s cries are virtual prayers directed toward the
Lord. He to whom prayers are directed has traditionally been the Father, not
the Son. However, inasmuch as Jehovah serves under the Father in the Old
Testament and as such is the God of those people, it is sometimes unclear to
whom prayers are being directed in that era.
Many and varied are the uses of Lord when referring to Jesus in the
scriptures, including but certainly not limited to these:
Lord and Christ
A 2:36
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
2P 1:11; 3:18; D C 20:1, 30

Lord and Your Redeemer, Jesus Christ

D C 15:1
Lord Both of the Dead and Living
R 14:9
 Lord God
J 1:4

Lord God Almighty

R 15:3; 2 N 9:46
Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel)
E 32:27; 1 C 29:10, 18; A 29:11
Lord God of Gods
J 22:22

Lord (God) of Hosts, Sabaoth

I 47:4; R 9:29; 1 N 20:2; 2 N 8:15; 13:15; D C 1:33; 88:2;
95:7

Lord God Omnipotent

R 19:6; M 3:21
Lord, Holy and True
R 6:10
Lord Jesus
A 7:59; 1 T 4:1;
M 3:12; M 6:6
Lord Jesus Christ Our Saviour
T 1:4

Lord My God, Mine Holy One

H 1:12; J 20:28

Lord of All
A 10:36
Lord of Glory
1C 2:8; J 2:1
Lord of Heaven and Earth
Z 6:5; A 17:24; 1 C 15:47;
D C 55:1
Lord of Kings
D 2:47

Lord of Lords
D 10:17; 1 T 6:15;
R 17:14
 Lord of Peace
2T 3:16
Lord of the Sabbath
M 12:8; L 6:5
Lord of the Vineyard
J 5

Lord Omnipotent
M 3:5, 17, 18
Lord Our Righteousness
J 23:6
Lord the Judge
J 11:27
Lord Their God, Thy God, Your God
E 20:5; J 2:23, 26–27; 3:17;
D C 98:47

Lord, Their Redeemer, True Messiah

1N 10:14
Lord, Your Holy One
I 43:15
 MAJESTY
___________________

This is another term of royalty and authority, linked with King, Lord, and
Highness. It is easy to recognize here the adjectival form of the word:
majestic. Christ is majestic and will come with that kind of dignity and
authority to rule on earth.
D C 20:16
 MAKER
___________________

This is a title referring to Christ’s role as Creator and Framer of “the heavens
and the earth, and all things that in them are” (2 Nephi 2:14; 3 Nephi 9:15). A
less obvious but equally true application of this title is not only His power to
create but also His power to cause. Thus, He can make things (create them),
and He can cause things (make things happen). In their most striking form,
these latter events are usually called miracles.
J 35:10; I 45:9, 11; 2 N 9:40; E 1:4; M 9:11
 MAN
SON OF MAN
___________________

See also Son

Most of the meaning of Christ-as-Man comes from His mortal sojourn as
opposed to His deified activities before and after mortality. In that sense
Pilate (and almost everyone else) did not recognize the significance of his
own language when he cried out during Jesus’s final day, “Behold the man!”
(John 19:5). Furthermore, this title reminds all that Jesus was a man in form
and appearance after His Resurrection as well as before it, descending out of
heaven to appear to the Nephites as “a Man . . . clothed in a white robe”
(3 Nephi 11:8). Inasmuch as Jesus was created in the express image of His
Father, this should be a firm reminder of the divine bodily form (that of a
man) that characterizes the Father’s appearance as well as the Son’s. Indeed,
one of the Father’s principal names is “Man of Holiness” (Moses 6:57), with
Christ regularly being called the Son of Man. As such, Christ could therefore
appropriately be a man of sorrows, could be tempted (although He did not
yield), could tire, be hungry, feel sorrow and pain (see Luke 22:44). Perhaps
His most praiseworthy achievement in the mortal aspect of His life is
suggested by Peter, who boldly declared Him to be “a man approved of
God” (Acts 2:22).
I 53:3; L 21:36; 22:22; J 6:27; R 5:15;
1T 2:5; 1 N 11:16–26; D C 65:5
 See Lord
M 10:24–25; 23:8–10; L 9:33; 18:18;
J 13:13; E 6:9
 MEDIATOR
MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT
___________________

Mediation is required when there is dispute or disagreement between two or

more people or parties. As presented in the scriptures, mediation has three
main platforms—the prophetic, the priestly, and the royal. These intersect
beautifully in the person and ministry of Jesus, who has complete license as
Prophet, Priest, and King. Christ’s role as Mediator is a privilege of His
birth as the Son of God and His Atonement, which won Him the right to
speak on behalf of others. Other related roles such as advocate and counsel,
both of which are legal terms, underscore the fact that “cases” will be
brought before the bar of eternal justice, and the defendants need
representation. Christ is our representative in those proceedings and will
seek reconciliation with Heavenly Father on behalf of His mortal children,
all of whom have transgressed and lost their own standing before the bar of
justice.
1T 2:5; H 8:6; 9:15; 12:24; 2 N 2:28;
D C 76:69; 107:19
 MESSENGER OF SALVATION
MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT
___________________

He spoke the truth because He was the Truth. The Messenger was the
message, and salvation was the reward.
M 3:1; 3 N 24:1;
D C 93:8
 MESSIAH
___________________

See also Christ

Jesus identified Himself to the prophet Enoch as “Messiah, the King of Zion,
the Rock of Heaven” (Moses 7:53). As such He was the Anointed One, a title
translated from Hebrew into Greek invariably as Christos: He who would
save the children of Israel from their enemies and restore to them the promises
of their fathers. Internal theological conflict among Jews in the meridian of
time could often be traced back to the issue of the long-promised Messiah.
Where was He? When would He come? Would God keep His promise to send
Him? Of course, He did come, but not with the power and political impact
many had anticipated. Consequently, many of His own tribe and heritage did
not recognize Him and still wait for that advent. There will yet be an advent
with just such power and political impact, but it will be His second
appearance on earth, not the first.
D 9:25; J 1:41; 1 N 1:19; 10:14, 17;
2N 25:19
 MINISTER OF THE SANCTUARY
___________________

This suggests Christ’s priestly role in temples, both ancient and modern, and
underscores His relationship with saving ordinances generally. His is a
“more excellent ministry” (Hebrews 8:6) devoted to those He came to save.
We could all do more to revere the time we have worshipping Him in the
sanctuary, the sacred space of our buildings.
M 20:28; H 8:2–3
 NAIL IN A SURE PLACE
___________________

I n a moving Messianic tribute, Isaiah prophesied of Christ’s mission and

Crucifixion with these words:
“And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy
girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a
father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
“And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall
open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
“And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a
glorious throne to his father’s house.
“And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the
offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of
cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.
“In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure
place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it
shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it” (Isaiah 22:21–25, emphasis
added).
When the Roman soldiers drove their four-and-one-half-inch crucifixion
spikes into their victim’s flesh, they did so first in the open palm. But because
the weight of the body might tear that flesh and not sustain the burden to be
carried, they also drove nails into the wrist, down in the nexus of bones and
sinews that would not tear no matter what the weight. Thus, the nail in the
wrist was the “nail in a sure place.” Once it was removed and the Savior was
“cut down,” the burden of the crucified body (more literally, the burden of the
Atonement) was brought to an end. In terms of our salvation, Christ is the Nail
in a Sure Place—never failing, never faltering, ever the most certain and
reliable force in eternity. For this we surely “hang upon him all the glory of
his father’s house.”
 OMNIPOTENT
___________________

See also Almighty; Power of God

This is most often seen as a characteristic and quality of godhood rather than
a title. Nevertheless, it is used as a name seven times in scripture, six of
those by King Benjamin or those who heard his magnificent sermon as
recorded in the Book of Mosiah. This distinction is another testament to the
individuality of authorship among those writing in the Book of Mormon.
R 19:6; M 3:5, 17, 18, 21; 5:2, 15
 ONE
___________________

This somewhat awkward translation of Zechariah’s description regarding the

circumstances of the last days declares: “And the Lord shall be king over all
the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one” (Zechariah
14:9). The Apostle Paul yearned for the day in which there would be “one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Ephesians 4:5–6).
Zechariah seems to be prophesying that such unity will come, including a
unified understanding that there will be one name and one name only
whereby the human family can be saved.
 ONLY BEGOTTEN
ONLY BEGOTTEN SON
ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER
___________________

Jesus, born of Mary, a mortal mother, was fathered by Elohim, an immortal

God. As such, He is the only half-divine, half-mortal child in the family of
humankind. Exactly how this conception took place has not been revealed.
Luke records that Jesus would be called “the Son of the Highest”; the Holy
Ghost came upon Mary and “the power of the Highest . . . overshadow[ed]”
her. Thus, the baby born of her was “called the Son of God” (Luke 1:32, 35).
Nephi quotes the Spirit who was giving him a vision of the future as having
said, “Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God,
after the manner of the flesh” (1 Nephi 11:18).
J 1:14; 3:16; 2 N 25:12; J 4:5; A 5:48; 9:26; D C 20:21;
93:11; M 1:6, 21; 5:9; 6:57
 OUR

PASSOVER
___________________

Adam and Eve were instructed to introduce the ordinance of sacrifice by

offering the blood of a male, unblemished, firstborn lamb. The children of
Israel enhanced and expanded that symbolism when they marked the
doorposts of their homes with the blood of a lamb, thus allowing the
destroying angel to pass over the firstborn sons who were in those homes.
This became the most visible and historic Old Testament prefiguration or
type of Christ’s Atonement, wherein His blood allowed all to escape death
and hell, or to literally be passed over from the fate of eternal death and
confinement. No other type or prefiguration of Christ can transcend Passover
in the precision of its various elements and the beauty of their meaning.
E 12:7, 12–13; 1 C 5:7
 LORD OF PEACE
PRINCE OF PEACE
FOUNDER OF OUR PEACE
___________________

S urely among the most oft-quoted and deeply cherished utterances of

the Savior are these from the final twenty-four hours of His mortal
life: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the
world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid” (John 14:27). What a remarkable declaration, particularly in light of
what He was about to endure in Gethsemane and at Calvary. How beautiful
upon the mountain are His feet for His determination to deliver the gift of
peace.
I 9:6; E 2:14; 2 T 3:16;
2N 19:6; M 15:18
 PHYSICIAN
___________________

Jesus blessed the physical body in two ways. First and foremost, He
provided a universal resurrection for all humankind. He also was a healer of
mortal bodies not yet deceased. Indeed, it has been observed that His entire
earthly ministry consisted of teaching and healing. Matthew records:
“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and
all manner of disease among the people. . . .
“And they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with diverse
diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and
those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them”
(Matthew 4:23–24).
Similarly, during His visit to the Nephites in the Book of Mormon, Jesus
said: “Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any
that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered,
or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I
will heal them” (3 Nephi 17:7).
L 4:23; M 3:5; M 8:8
 PLANT
TENDER PLANT
PLANT OF RENOWN
___________________

Many of the titles and descriptions of Jesus suggest a living, organic quality.
He is described, by turns, as a seed, stem, branch, and vine. Above all He and
His Atonement represent the fruit of the tree of life, that which was “desirable
above all other fruit” (1 Nephi 8:11–12).
I 11:1; 53:2; E 34:29; Z 3:8; J 15:1; M 14:2
No image or title in scripture carries the message of yielding to Deity more
effectively than does the metaphor that Jehovah is the Master Potter and we
are the clay He shapes, forms, and fires into beauty.
I 64:8; R 9:20–21
 POTENTATE
___________________

This title is seldom used in modern times but was very common in some
cultures anciently, referring to those who held office as a ruler or monarch. It
takes its meaning from the word power, drawing upon a common root with
other related words such as potent and potential.
1T 6:15
 POWER OF GOD
___________________

Jesus has the power of God and is the power of God in the sense that He is
the Father’s agent in almost every task He undertakes. In Their work both He
and the Father are omnipotent, meaning They are all-powerful, with
unrestricted strength. However, it should be said that their omnipotence is
limited to what can be done, realizing some things cannot be done, such as
saving a man “in his sins” as opposed to saving him “from his sins” (see
Alma 11:34–37; Helaman 5:10).
E 32:11; 2 C 20:6; P 66:3; M 22:29; L 5:17; 9:43; 22:69;
R 1:16; 1 C 1:18, 24; D C 88:13
 PRECIOUS
___________________

In another application of the theme Christ-as-Stone, the early writers made

clear that this particular Stone was active, efficacious, and elect—in a word,
precious. Christ and His Atonement were also considered to be the “precious
fruit” (1 Nephi 15:36) in Lehi’s vision of the tree of life.
1P 2:6
 PRINCE
PRINCE OF PEACE
PRINCE OF LIFE
PRINCE OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH
___________________

As a prince is a king-in-waiting, a son tutored under his father to take the

latter’s place eventually, so Jesus was a Prince to Elohim, anticipating the
time when He would rise from the prince’s position at the Father’s feet to
stand with Him as rightful heir at His side. It is significant that the title
Prince is, with only rare exception, linked with peace, as if that were to be
the chief characteristic and quality of the kingdom of heaven.
I 9:6; D 9:25; A 3:15; 5:31;
R 1:5; 2 N 19:6
 PRIEST
___________________

C hrist is a priest in the highest and holiest meaning of that word. The
priesthood of God bears His name: the Holy Priesthood after the
Order of the Son of God. He stands at the head of that Order, is
authorized to use priesthood power in any way He sees fit, and is “a priest for
ever” (Hebrews 7:17), having been ordained to that office “from the
foundation of the world” (Alma 13:7).
A 13:1–2, 6–10;
D C 107:3–4
 PROPHET
___________________

It may seem unusual to call Jesus a Prophet inasmuch as we usually think of

Him as one who speaks to and guides prophets. Nevertheless, this is a
perfectly appropriate designation for Christ, as the word means literally “one
who speaks as a guide or leader.” At its most elevated application, it is “one
who speaks for God.” Much more than being simply a foreteller of the future,
a prophet is a teacher, a speaker for or leader of a distinct cause, movement,
or belief. Christ certainly qualifies as Prophet by these standards; indeed, He
qualifies more than any of the other leaders to whom that appellation has
been given. His own words and deeds testified of His divinity, a principal
truth of which any true prophet must ultimately testify.
D 18:15; M 21:11; L 7:16; 24:19;
J 6:14; 7:40; 1 N 22:20–21; 3 N 20:23
 PROPITIATION
___________________

In the process of satisfying justice and reconciling man to God in matters of

sin and transgression, some payment or ransom had to be offered for human
errors. A propitiation is that appeasement or agreed-upon peace offering, a
role only Jesus was pure enough and willing enough to play.
R 3:25; 1 J 2:2; 4:10
 PURIFIER
___________________

It is suggested in scripture that when Christ appears in His triumphant final

appearance, the most obvious virtue we will recognize in Him may well be
His purity. In order that “we [may] be like him” (Moroni 7:48) when He
comes, we must seek for that same purity, a blessing ultimately available
only through Jesus Himself. Perhaps no other gift coming to us in the great
Atonement of Jesus Christ can be more refreshing and encouraging than the
gift of being made clean, of being purified. Following his great sermon, King
Benjamin heard his audience cry out: “O have mercy, and apply the atoning
blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts
may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mosiah
4:2). That is the cry that should precede baptism and every other sacred
ordinance we receive at God’s hand.
T 2:14; H 9:13–14; 3 N 19:28
 RABBI
RABBONI
___________________

T he literal Hebraic meaning of this title is actually “master,” but its

broad and more customary meaning is “teacher.” The integration of
those two definitions casts valuable light on how important religious
knowledge was and is in the Jewish tradition. In virtually no other society is
the teacher/scholar in the community also considered to be the true leader in
that community. Rabboni, uttered by Mary Magdalene in acknowledging the
resurrected Christ, is the most honorable of titles for a teacher, meaning “my
great master.” Her use of this appellation is evidence of how respectful she
was of both Christ’s teachings and His leadership, and how emotionally laden
such a title can be at a very personal level.
J 1:38, 49; 3:2; 6:25; 20:16
 REDEEMER
REDEEMER OF ISRAEL
___________________

One of the most frequently used titles for Christ, this applies to His triumph
in redeeming or “buying back” that which was spent or lost (our physical and
spiritual lives). It implies that something that had existed before is now
returned to the original owner, as one might redeem a mortgage on a house or
a wristwatch that had been pawned. Christ reclaimed our bodies from death
and our spirits from hell, paying the ransom, “buying them back” from their
lost and fallen circumstance.
1N 10:5–6; 20:17; 21:7, 26; 3 N 9:21; 20:13; M 8:8; D C
8:1; 10:70; 15:1; 18:11; 34:1; 93:9; 138:23
 REFUGE FROM THE STORM
___________________

Whatever our challenges are, whatever troubles may come, whatever pain
we feel, or whatever storms arise, Jesus is our refuge and protection in such
times. Just as He calmed the Galilean storm when His disciples were sure
they were going to lose their lives, so can He calm our storms and give us
refuge from them until they dissipate and life is calm again. In such times, He
will be “a strength to the needy” and “a shadow from the heat” (Isaiah 25:4).
M 4:35–41; H 6:18
 THE

RESURRECTION
___________________

The reason Christ could provide a Resurrection is because He was the

Resurrection. The power to take up His own life after Roman crucifixion had
taken it from Him and after His body had lain in a tomb is the mysterious,
lifesaving, life-giving, life essence of Divinity. One of the boldest
declarations in all of holy writ is Jesus’s personal witness to Martha, sister of
Lazarus and Mary, that He, Jesus, is “the resurrection and the life,” and he or
she “that believeth in [him], though he were dead, yet shall he live: and
whosoever liveth and believeth in [him] shall never die” (John 11:25–26).
 RIGHTEOUS
RIGHTEOUSNESS
___________________

This title, uncommon as it is, may well be the perfect one-word label for the
Son of God. It is what His beloved Apostle John called Him, and it is what
the prophet Enoch called Him—two unique witnesses with special righteous
qualities of their own. He is not only Righteousness personified, but He also
unfailingly demonstrates that virtue in all of His various assignments and
duties.
I 53:11; J 23:6; 2 T 4:8;
1P 2:22–23; 1 J 2:1; 2 N 9:41; 26:9;
D C 17:9; M 7:47
 ROCK
___________________

See also Stone

When life is in commotion and nothing seems sure or stable, when people
and things are driven about by every wind of doctrine and every wave of
society’s whims, when nothing seems deep-rooted or solid or permanent,
how dearly we need something firm, steadfast, and immovable. How dearly
we need a rock to hold on to. Jesus is that Rock and is so labeled repeatedly
throughout the scriptures. One of the great declarations in all of holy writ
comes from a father telling his sons to build their foundation “upon the rock
of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, . . . a sure foundation, a
foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall” (Helaman 5:12). With
one’s stance firmly fixed on this mighty rock, the men and women of Christ
will be able to honor the commandment to “stand . . . in holy places and be
not moved” (Doctrine and Covenants 87:8).
Some of the most striking and beautiful imagery in the scriptures has to do
with rocks. The Psalms, for example, are replete with the psalmist’s cry of
appreciation for the “rock of salvation” and the “rock of strength.” They are
repeatedly seen as a refuge and protection, both literally and figuratively. Of
course, to the enemies of righteousness, Christ is a different kind of rock—a
“rock of offense” (2 Nephi 18:14) over whom transgressors stumble.
D 32:4; P 31:2–3; 61:2; R 9:33;
1C 10:1–4; 1 P 2:8; 1 N 15:15

Specific applications of this title include:

Rock of Heaven
M 7:53
Rock of Israel
2S 23:3
Rock of Refuge
P 94:22
 Rock of Righteousness
2N 4:35

Rock of Salvation
2S 22:47; P 89:26; J 7:25
Rock of Strength
P 62:7; I 17:10
___________________

See David
I 53:2; M 14:2
 RULER
___________________

This is yet another title suggesting Christ’s reign as king, governor,

and magistrate, reminding us of Isaiah’s prophecy that “the
government shall be upon his shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6). As the agent of
His Father, He rules in heaven now, and in the end of time, He will
rule on earth.
M 5:2; L 1:33; 1 C 15:24–25;
1N 17:39; 2 N 29:7;
D C 41:4; 133:61
 SALVATION
___________________

See Savior
I 62:11; L 19:9–10; 1 N 13:36
 SANCTUARY
___________________

In biblical history, the sanctuary of the temple was the most sacred place
within it. In the sanctuary, a designated animal was sacrificed and the blood
of it offered as part of a ceremonial atonement for the sins of the people.
More generally speaking, a sanctuary is any place of refuge or asylum that
provides protection, safety, and care for those who retreat there. As an
appellation of Christ and His Atonement, perhaps its most revealing
designation was that sacred place in any church or holy building where
fugitives were entitled to immunity and protection from arrest. Clearly such
safety and merciful protection against the demands of justice are personified
in Jesus, the Savior and Redeemer of all humankind.
E 30:10; L 8:15; 16:18, 33; I 8:14; E 11:16
 SAVIOR
SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST
___________________

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For
God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through him might be saved” (John 3:16–17). These verses are among the
most beautiful and moving declarations ever made about the plan God
provided for the salvation of His children. They are oft-quoted and much
loved by Christians of all sorts and affiliations. It is inspiring each time one
hears or reads them, no matter how often that may be.
Unlike redeem, which is to buy back, to save means to preserve or protect,
to deliver one from danger. We all respond to stories of heroism in which a
child is saved from a burning home or a soldier is saved from the field of
battle. Jesus is that Savior to the entire world, including every man, woman,
and child who has lived or ever will live in it. “Beside him there is no
Savior” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:1). Some of His saving gifts are
unconditional; all receive them regardless of worthiness or merit. Other
aspects are conditional, requiring our obedience to principle and acceptance
of the gift through covenantal promise. But conditional or unconditional, our
future would be doomed if it were not for the saving grace of Jesus, the Son
of God, who conquered death and hell for everyone who “believeth on his
name and bringeth forth fruit meet for repentance” (Alma 12:15).
A 13:23; P 3:20; 1 T 1:15; 4:10;
2T 1:10; H 7:25; 2 P 2:20; 3:18;
1N 21:6; 2 N 31:13; 3 N 5:20;
D C 19:41; 20:1; M 1:6

Qualifying and clarifying descriptions of Jesus’s role as Savior

include:
Saviour, Great God and
 T 2:13

Saviour, Just God and

I 45:21
Saviour, Prince and
A 5:31
Saviour of the Body
E 5:23

Saviour of the World

J 4:42; 1 J 4:14; 1 N 10:4;
D C 43:34
 SWEET

SAVOUR
___________________

In the Old Testament, Jehovah outlines in some detail how the various
offerings called for in the law of Moses were to be made. Never was that
more true than of the principal blood and burnt offerings that were in
similitude of the Lamb of God, He who would be offered as the ultimate
blood sacrifice. When these ancient rites were performed correctly, the smell
of the sacrifice (the significance and meaning of it) was “a sweet savour unto
the Lord” (Leviticus 1:9).
E 5:2
SECOND MAN
___________________

See Adam
1C 15:47
 SERVANT
RIGHTEOUS SERVANT
___________________

In the last evening Jesus would spend with His Apostles, He introduced the
ordinance of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper and then knelt to wash the
feet of these devoted men who were about to face far more challenges than
they could have possibly imagined. As resistant as some were to this humble,
self-effacing act, Jesus nevertheless taught, “The servant is not greater than
his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him” (John 13:16). He
was giving them the example of the greatest among them being the servant of
all, a lesson they were to learn and demonstrate in their own ministries.
I 42:1; 53:11; M 12:18; 20:27–28;
P 2:7; M 2:17–19
 SHEEP
___________________

See Lamb
I 53:7
 SHEPHERD
GOOD SHEPHERD
___________________

It has been said that the most familiar verses of scripture in all of the Old and
New Testaments are those in Psalm 23, which begins, “The Lord is my
shepherd” (Psalm 23:1). A shepherd knows his sheep, and they know him.
He provides good pasture for them and protects them against predators. He
knows their names and, if one is missing, he immediately seeks that stray or
endangered animal. He leads that wanderer back to safety and, if necessary,
he carries the lame or wounded one on his shoulders until it can be healed
and healthy again. Jehovah is the Good Shepherd of the Old Testament and
Jesus is the Good Shepherd of the New. At some time in life all will feel the
need—and be grateful for—the shepherding guidance Christ gives to those
who are lost or straying.
G 49:24; M 15:24; 18:12–13;
J 10:11, 14; 1 N 13:41; A 5:38;
D C 50:44

Additional emphasis on Jesus as shepherd is included in these

verses:
Shepherd and Bishop of your Souls
1P 2:25
Shepherd, Chief
1P 5:4

Shepherd, Great and True

H 13:20; H 15:13
Shepherd of Israel
P 80:1
 SHILOH
___________________

In the book of Genesis, the coming of the Lord is referred to as the coming of
“Shiloh” (Genesis 49:10). That reference might be unclear were it not for the
Joseph Smith Translation, which offers this interpretation, “Messiah who is
called Shilo” (JST, Genesis 50:24). Although the actual meaning of the word
Shiloh is debated, we know it was the name given to an ancient city in
Samaria, the major Israelite worship center before the building of Solomon’s
temple. Some linguists think the word means “peace.”
 SON OF GOD
SON OF MAN
___________________

Several of the titles given to the Savior are obvious, and to those who accept
the scriptural description of Jesus’s birth, Son may be the most obvious of
all. It is the belief of the faithful that this baby boy born in Bethlehem was the
son of Mary, a mortal woman more highly favored by that role than any
mother could possibly be favored in any other way. But more singular than
the motherhood of a mortal woman was the fatherhood of an immortal,
divine, glorified Man—Elohim, God the Eternal Father, the Man of Holiness.
In the New Testament Gospels alone, as written by Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John, the title “the Son of Man” appears eighty-three times. Furthermore,
throughout all scripture this title for Jesus is by far the most common. “Son of
God,” used less often but sometimes with more impact, was so sacrosanct
that His claim of that relationship was used against Jesus in the people’s
condemnation of Him as a blasphemer.
Inasmuch as the Savior’s humility is one of the most inspiring aspects of
His character, always deferring to His Father’s counsel and always obedient
to His Father’s will, it would seem that the title Son perfectly captures both
the deference and the dignity that characterized Jesus all of His mortal life.
Surely no higher tribute could possibly be paid than to have this Father
repeatedly say of this Offspring, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased; hear ye him” (Matthew 17:5).
M 3:17; J 5:27; A 3:13;
R 1:3; 8:32; G 2:20; 4:4;
C 1:13; 1 T 1:10;
 H 1:2; 4:14; 10:29; 2 P 1:17;
2N 31:13; M 15:2–8; E 3:14;
D C 58:65; 76:73; 93:15; M 6:57; J S —H 1:17

Some of the specific roles as Son that Jesus played are:

Son Ahman
D C 78:20; 95:17

Son of Abraham
M 1:1
Son of David
M 1:1; 9:27
Son of God Most High
L 8:28

Son of Joseph
L 4:22; J 1:45
Son of Righteousness
3N 25:2; E 9:22
Son of the Blessed
M 14:61
Son of the Eternal Father
2J 1:3; 1 N 11:21

Son of the Highest

L 1:32
Son of the Living God
M 16:16; 2 N 31:16; M 5:14;
D C 55:2
Son of Thy Bosom
D C 109:4
 SPIRIT OF TRUTH
___________________

Referring to an embodied being as a spirit is not common in the scriptures.

However, because the body and the spirit constitute the “soul of man”
(Doctrine and Covenants 88:15) and because in the Godhead the Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost are, except for their physical distinctiveness, completely
united, it is certainly appropriate to interchange descriptive appellations
given to divine Beings. This is especially true in this instance, inasmuch as it
was Jesus Himself who said, “I am the Spirit of truth” (Doctrine and
Covenants 93:9, 26).
 BRIGHT AND MORNING

STAR
___________________

Stars are frequently used as symbols in the gospel of Jesus Christ, not the
least incident of which was a new star signaling His birth in Bethlehem.
Stars represent light, guidance, hope, and the glory of God’s celestial
handiwork. John’s reference in the book of Revelation to Christ as the “bright
and morning star” suggests that He is the last star visible in the heavens
before dawn, constantly in place through the dark night. He will stay with us
through even our darkest hours and then bring those nights to an end when His
role changes to “the Sun of righteousness,” with the warmth, radiance, and
redemption that title implies.
M 4:2; R 22:16
 STEM OF JESSE
___________________

See also Branch; David

Jesse was the father of David, he who became Israel’s greatest king. Christ
was variously both a branch and a stem in this royal lineage.
I 11:1;
D C 113:1–2
 STONE
___________________

See also Rock

In a lyrical description of Christ’s undergirding strength to all, Isaiah wrote,
“Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a
stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation” (Isaiah
28:16). Later Peter would call Him “a living stone, . . . chosen of God, and
precious” (1 Peter 2:4). In a metaphor that appears one way or another in
each of the standard works, Christ is described as a foundational Stone for
those who will believe in Him. Indeed, He is the Chief Cornerstone of
individual lives, of the true Church, and of the great plan of salvation, the
Stone upon which all can build safely.
However, for many He has been and will be not a stone to build upon but
one to stumble over, a burdensome impediment that many would-be builders
“refused” (Psalm 118:22), “disallowed” (1 Peter 2:4, 7), or “set at nought”
(Acts 4:11). To these, Christ would be “a rock of offense” (2 Nephi 18:14).
Nevertheless, in the end He is for all humankind “the stone upon which they
might build and have safe foundation . . . [the] stone [that] shall become the
great, and the last, and the only sure foundation” (Jacob 4:15–16).
G 49:24; L 20:18; E 2:20;
D C 50:44
Christ (Jehovah) is our “everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:4). As such He is
not only “the Strength of Israel” (1 Samuel 15:29) but the “strength and . . .
song” (Isaiah 12:2) of each individual.
 SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
___________________

In the English language it is impossible to resist the word association of

“sun” and “Son” as they apply to Jesus. He is the Bright and Morning Star
still shining at night, the Day Star and the Dayspring coming brightly with the
dawn. As “the sun of righteousness” He is “in the sun, and the light of the sun,
and the power thereof by which it was made” (Doctrine and Covenants
88:7). To all who look to Him, He is a “sun and shield” (Psalm 84:11), the
Light of the World that will never be darkened.
M 4:2; M 16:9
 SUPREME BEING
___________________

This is another of the titles that can be equally and appropriately applied to
both the Father and the Son. With the resurrected Jesus standing on the right
hand of Elohim, these two are united in their glory at the pinnacle of the
universe.
A 30:44; D C 107:4
 TABERNACLE OF GOD
___________________

A tabernacle is a dwelling place or house of habitation. The more sacred the

purpose of the tabernacle, the more it takes on the significance of a sanctuary.
The human body is considered a tabernacle in which the person’s divine
spirit dwells. John called Christ the “tabernacle of God,” meaning that He is
a sanctuary from the world, and the spiritual power of the Godhead dwells in
Him (Revelation 21:3).
 TEACHER
___________________

See also Rabbi

As honest as he was in his declaration, Nicodemus dramatically understated
the truth when he said of Jesus, “We know that thou art a teacher come from
God” (John 3:2). There are three things necessary for great teaching—a
profound message, an inspired and inspiring instructor to deliver it, and an
audience eager to hear and learn from it. Jesus provided the first and second
of these requirements in abundance wherever and whenever He taught. What
remained in question in His time and our own is the third element. “He that
hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15). Only we can provide that
last ingredient in the teaching and learning formula.
J 35:11
 THAT WHICH I HAVE CHOSEN
___________________

It is not often a pronoun becomes a noun, much less a title. But such is the
case in the passage from the book of Moses that reads: “And that which I
have chosen hath pled before my face. Wherefore, he suffereth for their sins”
(Moses 7:39).
 THRONE
___________________

Isaiah said this of the Lord’s future Atonement: “I will fasten him as a nail in
a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house”
(Isaiah 22:23). The image of a glorious throne is the image of majesty and
rulership, which will be the eternal right of the resurrected Christ.
 TOWER
___________________

Jesus is a Tower of strength and salvation, rising above and standing

preeminently over His people. As a tower is of distinct advantage in seeing an
enemy “when he is yet afar off” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:54), so too is
Christ an advantage in giving us both protection and a far-reaching view of the
plan of salvation. He is a high tower, a strong tower, and ultimately a tower of
salvation.
2S 22:3, 51; P 18:2; 61:3; 144:2; P 18:10
 TRUTH
___________________

The book of Revelation declares that in the hour of the Apocalypse Jesus
will be called True. During His mortal life the Savior said of Himself, “I am
. . . the truth” (John 14:6). In the simplest of declarations, Jesus was “He that
is true” (Revelation 3:7).
R 19:11

That description is applied in at least these many ways:

True and Living God
J 10:10; 1 J 5:20;
1N 17:30; H 13:18

True, Holy and

R 6:10

True Light
J 1:9;
D C 88:50; 93:2
True Messiah
2N 1:10

True Shepherd
H 15:13
True Vine
J 15:1–5; 1 N 15:15
True Witness
R 3:14
Truth, Lord God of
P 31:5

Truth of the World

E 4:12
 UNCHANGEABLE ONE
___________________

The prophets have taught that in order for us to have faith in God and trust in
His judgments, He must be consistent. He is. His course is one eternal round.
He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is unchanging and
unchangeable.
1N 10:18; 2 N 27:23; M 9:19; M 10:19; D C
20:17
 VINE
___________________

One of the most poignant scriptural images of our relationship to Christ is the
beautiful, organic analogy of precious fruit growing from the life-giving
influence of vine to branch to blossom, all watched over and nurtured by a
loving, attentive gardener. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the
husbandman,” Jesus taught His disciples, “[and] ye are the branches: He that
abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me
ye can do nothing” (John 15:1, 5).
1N 15:15
 WAY
WAY OF SALVATION
A MORE EXCELLENT WAY
NEW AND LIVING WAY
___________________

The journey toward exaltation is frequently likened to walking a path.

Nephi’s great concluding testimony described repentance and baptism as the
“gate by which [one enters the] . . . strait and narrow path” (2 Nephi 31:17–
18). If we press forward faithfully on that path and endure to the end place to
which it leads, we will have eternal life. “This is the way; and there is none
other way,” Nephi concluded (2 Nephi 31:21). Christ knew that same
doctrine of salvation regarding His mission in life when He said, “I am the
way” (John 14:6)—in short, that way Nephi referred to, besides which there
is no other. He is the “way of salvation” (Acts 16:17) and one whom the
writer of Hebrews called a “new and living way” (Hebrews 10:20).
M 7:14; 2 N 31:17–21; E 12:11
 WELL BELOVED
___________________

In one of the movingly powerful but seldom-cited miracles of the Book of

Mormon, the later Nephi and Lehi are imprisoned and threatened with the
loss of their lives. Into that setting the Holy Spirit comes and the voice of the
Father whispers, “Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well
Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world” (Helaman 5:47).
 WITNESS
___________________

Often when we think of those whose ministry it is to bear witness of the

gospel of Jesus Christ, we fail to remember that He too is a witness of the
same truths—a “faithful and true witness” (Revelation 3:14). He said of
Himself, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world,
that I should bear witness unto the truth” (John 18:37).
I 55:4; R 1:5
 WONDERFUL
___________________

That title originated by the prophet Isaiah (with the help of the scholars who
translated the King James Bible) to celebrate in prophecy the birth of the baby
Jesus means literally that which astonishes, fills with surprise, or at which
one marvels. We experience all of that and more when we feel the wonder of
Christ’s role in our salvation.
I 9:6; 2 N 19:6
 WORD
___________________

“The apostle whom Jesus loved”—John the Apostle—was able to use words
very skillfully in describing the Word. Indeed, perhaps it was because of his
literary duties that John seems particularly taken with this title for his Lord
and Master. In the introduction of the Gospel that bears his name, John wrote:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God.
The same was in the beginning with God. . . . And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us” (John 1:1–2, 14). This metaphor for Jesus was
expanded in John’s epistles, wherein he wrote, “Our hands have handled . . .
the Word of life” (1 John 1:1) and “there are three that bear record in heaven,
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost” (1 John 5:7).
John the Baptist appears to have used the title of Word for the Savior
before any other did so (see JST, John 1:15–16; Doctrine and Covenants
93:6–18). It is instructive that Christ Himself used words as His principal
tool in His role as “the Word, even the messenger of salvation” (Doctrine
and Covenants 93:8). Even the Father acknowledged this distinctive element
of the Savior’s ministry when He referred to Jesus as “the word of my
power” (Hebrews 1:3).
JST, J 1:14; R 19:13;
D C 29:30; M 1:32
 EPILOGUE

P erhaps in a book devoted to the names and titles of Christ it is

appropriate that the final entry be the Word. I have filled a number of
pages with many words in an effort to sketch even the briefest
dimensions of Jesus Christ’s mission and majesty. But ultimately words fail
us, and, in that sense, I have failed the Word. No matter how much we write
or how many titles we apply, mortal man and the human vocabulary will
never do justice to Him whose impact and power, whose importance and
presence, are “clear as the moon, and fair as the sun, and terrible as an army
with banners” (Doctrine and Covenants 5:14; 105:31). I have loved writing
about this greatest of all men; nevertheless, I admit failing in my effort to
capture on paper the proper respect and admiration that should be given the
living Son of the living God. Even if I were better at using them, there aren’t
words precise enough, or grand enough, or plentiful enough to praise
adequately the Redeemer of our souls. As the frustrated Ammon said, so say
I: “I cannot say the smallest part which I feel” (Alma 26:16). But what I feel
is worth everything I possess. After all the titles and testimonies noted here
are tallied up, “this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That
he lives!” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:22). It is an unmerited, unanticipated,
and unspeakable privilege to be a witness for His names.
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I n seeing this little project through to completion, I am indebted to many

—both in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and those of
other faiths—who have written on this subject. It has been a topic of
great interest for centuries, and I have benefited by reviewing the work of
many who wrote well before the days of computers and word-search
capabilities. I have included a very brief bibliography listing a handful of
these sources for those readers who may want to delve deeper into this
rewarding subject.
As always, I thank my friends at Deseret Book Company for their interest
in, encouragement for, and professional preparation of this manuscript. As
with virtually every book I have ever written, this did not start out to be a
book. Like most of the others, this was intended to be a personal study
project for me and my family. But our friend of many years, Sister Sheri
Dew, somehow heard of such a study project. Before I knew it, we were
talking about graphic design and manuscript deadlines. Pat and I are grateful
to Sheri for her friendship, her devotion to the kingdom, and her impact on
Deseret Book Company. In addition to Sheri, I wish to express appreciation
for Emily Watts’s always keen editorial touch and buoyant disposition. Both
have been needed. I thank Laurel Day for her oversight of the project and
Sheryl Dickert Smith and Richard Erickson for their remarkable creative
work on the book’s design. Given the unusual nature of the text, including the
many variations of a single title in some cases, I felt I handed them an
impossible graphic challenge. I could not have been more pleased with their
ordering and designing of the contents.
I am particularly indebted to Janice Stringham LeFevre for her assistance
with this project. Janice is as gifted in her research and technical capability
as anyone with whom I have worked over the years. To say she was
prodigious in her research and documentation would be a severe
understatement; it was clear from the outset that Janice could not do anything
by halves.
 I am also grateful to my wonderfully able executive assistant and secretary,
Lisa Beth Atkin. Lisa lives daily with the impossibility of my calendar but
was somehow able to block out time for me to work on this book—even if
that turned out to be primarily holidays, airplane travel, and late nights. In
addition to all else she does to manage the complexity of my apostolic life
and duties, she gave valuable insight and editorial advice during preparation
of the endless drafts it takes for me to write anything. I am totally dependent
on Lisa’s exceptional managerial skills for the smooth running of a very busy
office.
Finally and always, I express thanks to my beloved wife, Pat, to whom the
book is dedicated. Due to a cryptogenic illness that struck her down at the
very time I was starting to do more with this book, there was every
possibility—indeed, every probability—that she would not survive, and I
would be left to fulfill the remainder of my apostolic calling alone. Knowing
I could never do that, the Lord fulfilled in my behalf what is perhaps His
most oft-repeated scriptural promise—“Ask, and it shall be given you.” He
restored her to my side just short of the full dimension of the miracle that
restored Lazarus to his sisters Mary and Martha. I realize it is not always His
will that such a miracle be performed, and others have made similar pleas
that were not answered as they hoped. For some grand and unknown reason, I
was granted this most urgent of all supplications. In a very real sense, this
book has its most precious meaning for me in that frightening experience we
had together while I was writing it.
As with every private piece of writing I have ever undertaken, I alone am
responsible for any doctrinal errors or inaccurate commentary that may
appear in this book. I realize how difficult it is for a lay reader to separate
my personal expressions from the official declarations of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of
which I am a member, but separate them you must. Not the First Presidency
of the Church, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, nor Deseret Book Company are in any way
responsible for the content and opinions expressed in this book. I hope these
pages are error-free to every reader and inspiring to at least a few of those
readers, but if neither of these hopes is realized, it is my fault and mine
alone.
 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Albright, William Foxwell, and David Noel Freedman. The Anchor Bible, vol. 27, Mark: A New
Translation and Commentary. Edited by C.S. Mann. New York: Doubleday, 1986.
Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Edited by Walter A. Elwell. Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Books, 1996.
Bible Dictionary. In Latter-day Saint edition of the King James Version of the Bible. Salt Lake City: The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2013.
ChurchofJesusChrist.org (website). Produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
2019. https://churchofjesuschrist.org.
The Complete Joseph Smith Translation of the New Testament: A Side-by-Side Comparison with
the King James Version. Edited by Thomas A. Wayment. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2005.
Derk, Francis H. Names and Titles of Christ. Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship, Inc., 1969.
Easton, M.G. Illustrated Bible Dictionary. New York: 1893.
Gaskill, Alonzo L. The Lost Language of Symbolism: An Essential Guide for Recognizing and
Interpreting Symbols of the Gospel. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003.
Hitchcock, Roswell D. Hitchcock’s Bible Names Dictionary. New York: A.J. Johnson and Sons, 1878.
Holland, Jeffrey R. Christ and the New Covenant. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1997.
Horton, T. C., and Charles E. Hurlburt. Names of Christ. Edited by James S. Bell Jr. Chicago: Moody
Press, 1994.
International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia. Chicago, IL: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915.
LeFevre, Janice Stringham. “I Am the Nail: Exploring a Metaphor for Christ.” Unpublished manuscript,
last modified December 2017. Pages for Mac.
Linford, Richard. “Jesus Christ is The Son, Jehovah, The Messiah, the Living Christ, the Savior of the
World.” Unpublished manuscript.
McConkie, Joseph Fielding. Gospel Symbolism. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985.
McConkie, Joseph Fielding, and Donald W. Parry. A Guide to Scrip tural Symbols. Salt Lake City:
Bookcraft, 1990.
Meeks, Wayne A., et al. The HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version. New York:
HarperCollins, 1993.
Millet, Robert L. “A Different Jesus? The Christ of the Restoration.” In Jesus Christ: Son of God,
Savior. Edited by Paul H. Peterson, Gary L. Hatch, and Laura D. Card. Provo, Utah: Religious
Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2002.
Oaks, Dallin H. His Holy Name. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1998.
———.“Taking upon Us the Name of Jesus Christ.” Ensign, May 1985.
Smith, William. Smith’s Bible Dictionary. Philadelphia, PA: A.J. Holman & Co., 1901.
Stone, Nathan J. The Names of God in the Old Testament. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1944.
Talmage, James E. Jesus the Christ. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1915.
Vine, W.E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House
Publishers, 1984.
Welch, John W., and John F. Hall. “Names and Titles of Christ.” Chart 8-16 in Charting the New
Testament. Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2002.
https://byustudies.byu.edu/new-testament-charts.