Mormon Interpreter's “Most Desirable Above All Things”: Onomastic Play On Mary And Mormon In The Book Of Mormon By Mathew L. Bowen

[Darren10]

Here's what I just posted on my facebook wall:

From reading a couple of Mathew L. Bowen's (Matt Bowen's) articles and from chatting with him directly on facebook, I can say that Bowen is a master at breaking down words to their etymological roots. He also implements onomasticon usage in order to find deeper meaning behind proper names. In one article, Founded Upon a Rock: Doctrinal and Temple Implications of Peter’s Surnaming, at Mormon Interpreter, Bowen used a wide range of scriptures in order to demonstrate the meaning behind Peter being the rock upon which Jesus Christ would found His church. In his most recent article at mormon Interpreter, called, “Most Desirable Above All Things”: Onomastic Play on Mary and Mormon in the Book of Mormon, Bowen continues this task with the Book of Mormon on the names Mary and Mormon.

Nephi's vision of the tree of life in the Book of Mormon has always stood out to me as one of the most honorary passages in all of scripture regarding Mary the mother of God. Bowen points to an Egyptian origin of the name Mary as deriving from the word "mr" - "mr(y)" or "mr(i)". "mr" in ancient Egyptian means desire, love, or wish. In Nephi's vision of the tree of life, the fruits represent God's love to the world through giving the world his Son, Jesus Christ. Nephi describes the fruit as being the "most desirable" over anything else. And in order to explain the tree and its fruit, Nephi had a vision of "a virgin". This virgin was described by Nephi as, "A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins". The spirit of the lord then explains to Nephi that this virgin [is to be] the mother of the Son of God. It is striking that Mary means desire or love and was chosen by God to give birth to Him whose love should be desired above everything else.

Bowen then focuses on the name Mormon. Bowne cites Hugh Nibley who originally proposed that Mormon is derived from the Egyptian "mr" + "mn". As noted beforehand, "mr" means, desire, love, wish and "mn" means enduring, firm, established. This is very interesting since of the most significant baptismal events noted in the Book of Mormon took place at the "waters of Mormon". Furthermore, Mormon, more than anyone else in the Book of Mormon narrative, details love and charity. Mormon pronounces charity as "the pure love of Christ" and that it is absolutely necessary to obtain charity and "endure to the end" with it. The Book of Mormon also connects baptism as a conversion of oneself into a new person. this new person should obtain the love of Christ and a love of / for their fellow man. I was pretty much stunned by what is a new scriptural insight for me.

Bowne connects Mary and Mormon together and demonstrates how the principle authors of the Book of Mormon knew precisely the meaning of these two names and used them to teach gospel truths to their audiences. this happened in their own ancient settings and I am thankful that Mathew Bowen has pointed this out for Book of Mormon readers today.

http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/most-desirable-above-all-things-onomastic-play-on-mary-and-mormon-in-the-book-of-mormon/

[LinuxGal]

Bowne connects Mary and Mormon together and demonstrates how the principle authors of the Book of Mormon knew precisely the meaning of these two names and used them to teach gospel truths to their audiences. this happened in their own ancient settings and I am thankful that Mathew Bowen has pointed this out for Book of Mormon readers today.

 

 

Alma 7:10 says: "And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God."

 

It is interesting (and coincidental) in that the prophesy this is based upon hinges on a Hebrew word "Alma" in Isaiah 7:14 which means simply "young woman" but not necessarily a virgin, as it also applies to newlyweds.  In Alexandria, the Greek translation of this passage was rendered with "parthenos" which definitely does mean virgin.  So we end up with an anachronism in the Book of Alma, because the Lehi project would have only had access to the original Hebrew, not the Greek distortion. 

[carbon dioxide]

Alma 7:10 says: "And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God."

 

It is interesting (and coincidental) in that the prophesy this is based upon hinges on a Hebrew word "Alma" in Isaiah 7:14 which means simply "young woman" but not necessarily a virgin, as it also applies to newlyweds.  In Alexandria, the Greek translation of this passage was rendered with "parthenos" which definitely does mean virgin.  So we end up with an anachronism in the Book of Alma, because the Lehi project would have only had access to the original Hebrew, not the Greek distortion. 

How exactly is Alma 7:10 use of the word "virgin" based on Isaiah 7:14 when Alma 7:9 says that the "Spirit" is telling him this and not Isaiah and the fact that she would have been known to be a virgin based on what Nephi was told hundreds of years earlier?  Nephi did not use Isaiah 7:14 either.  The Spirit told Nephi that she was a virgin and not Isaiah and Nephi was very willing to cite Isaiah without reservation.  I don't think Isaiah 7:14 plays any role in these BOM passages.

Edited November 28, 2014 by carbon dioxide

[LinuxGal]

How exactly is Alma 7:10 use of the word "virgin" based on Isaiah 7:14 when Alma 7:9 says that the "Spirit" is telling him this and not Isaiah...

 

Why would they need the spirit to tell them what was already recorded on the plates in 2 Nephi 17:14?

 

Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign -- Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

[Calm]

The Spirit is not restrained by what he has previously shared....

[LinuxGal]

The Spirit is not restrained by what he has previously shared....

 

I kind of gleaned that already:

 

Alma 34:36

And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb.

 

D&C Section 130:3

John 14:23—The appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man's heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false.

[pogi]

Why would they need the spirit to tell them what was already recorded on the plates in 2 Nephi 17:14?

 

You mean the spirit whispered the same truth to two different prophets?  How absurd!  This kind of thing never happened with Biblical prophets   

In the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses...

 

I kind of gleaned that already:

 

Alma 34:36

And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb.

 

D&C Section 130:3

John 14:23—The appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man's heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false.

 

Why do I get the feeling that you are not going to stay on topic?

 

Joseph Smith is explaining here that John 14:23 is speaking of a literal visitation and not a figure of speech.  Alma 34:36 is a figure of speech which sectarians falsely took literally. 

 

Which anti-Mormon site are you pulling this stuff from?  I highly doubt you are well enough versed in LDS scriptures to cross reference this stuff on your own.

Edited November 29, 2014 by pogi

[Mike Reed]

"parthenos" which definitely does mean virgin.

Actually, the word was also applied to rape victims.

http://culturalmormoncafeteria.blogspot.com/2009/12/hieros-gamos.html?m=1