The Title Christ in the

Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon uses the term “Christ” but this word is of Greek derivation and ancient Israelites would not have used it. Moreover, it is used as a “name” in the Book of Mormon, though it is really a title.

The title “Christ” may have a Greek origin, but it has been part of the English language for centuries. English has many terms borrowed from foreign languages (the word “language” itself comes from the French word meaning “tongue”), but this does not invalidate their use. In Greek, “Christ” means “anointed one” and corresponds to the Hebrew “Messiah,” which has the same meaning. Indeed, the New Testament, written in Greek, adopted the term from the Old Testament. Both terms are used in English, though “Christ” is more common. The Nephites, having their origin in Jerusalem, probably used the Hebrew word, which Joseph Smith rendered by the term more familiar to English readers.

In Hebrew, nouns and names (and some other parts of speech, such as adjectives and participles) are substantives, and the term shem (“name”) means both “name” and “title.”