Why is the Book of Mormon called the Book of Mormon?

Why is the Book of Mormon called the Book of Mormon? Why not the Book of Moroni or some other name? After all, it is Moroni who finished his father, Mormon's, brief, self-titled book near the end of the overall Book of Mormon, writing the last two chapters (8 & 9) to wrap it up. After doing so, he goes on to insert a condensed history of the Jaredite civilization in the remaining space. Moroni finishes with ten chapters of concluding thoughts bearing his own name to round out the overall book that Nephi began 1,000 years before his time.

But that wasn't all Moroni did for the Book of Mormon. For a period of at least 36 years (see this Attention Activity section on how to derive that number!), Moroni's mission was to lug around the heavy, metallic record without getting caught by blood-thirsty enemies who wished extinction upon his race. He managed to find a good location for the record along with several other heavy items. And 1,400 years later as a glorified angel "sent from the presence of God" (v.33), Moroni played the principal role of instructing a young Joseph Smith on his latter-day mission, with specific guidance on how to retrieve the same record Moroni had buried as a mortal.

Yes, Mormon compiled the majority of the book, where in the "Words of Mormon," a transition chapter near the beginning of the record, he calls it his record and his book, but there is no indication that he intends to name the book after himself. So the question becomes, was it Mormon who named the book after himself, or did his son, Moroni, name it after his father?

The often skipped-over Title Page of the Book of Mormon offers clues that Moroni named the book after his father (see an analysis of that theory by BYU's Maxwell Institute here). If true, the significance of Moroni naming the book after his father shows an act of selflessness, love, devotion, and honor. All available evidence points to Moroni naming the great work, "The Book of Mormon."

I would take it a step further by saying that Moroni's naming the Book of Mormon is yet another witness of the book's divinity. If concocting a great fictional tale of multiple civilizations chronicled by multiple writers, Joseph Smith could have named the book anything he wanted. It would have made more sense for him to claim an angelic visitation from Mormon rather than Moroni, or to name the book after Moroni if he stuck to the Moroni visitation claim. But no, both father and son play primary roles in bringing the book to Joseph, just as Nephi begins the book, but not without first acknowledging his "goodly parents" and then proceeding to first give an account of why his parents are so good (a possible example of chiasmus).

Out of all of the things we learn from the Book of Mormon, it is this small detail that fits so comfortably with the Gospel and the purposes of the restored Priesthood. A devoted son endures great hardship for nearly four decades after his father's death, in order to honor his father's magnum opus, the purpose of which is to bring all living and those who have passed on, to Christ. Moroni finishes his father's work by writing the Title Page, naming the great record after his father.

There is something deeply moving about the story behind the naming of the book. It is therefore no surprise that after three distinct visitations in one night to young Joseph, Moroni strikes on this theme by commanding Joseph in a fourth visit the following morning that Joseph should tell his father of the visit. Joseph then states:

"I obeyed; I returned to my father in the field, and rehearsed the whole matter to him. He replied to me that it was of God, and told me to go and do as commanded by the messenger." Joseph Smith - History 1:50

In each of four visits on this occasion, Moroni is uniquely qualified to instruct Joseph this sweet truth, having lived it in mortality and perfected by it in immortality: "Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet...And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers."

We, too, bear the name of his father when we are called, "Mormons." I have a feeling that Moroni would have it no other way.

Zenos on prayer

Like most people, I usually read silently, however reading the Book of Mormon out loud as a family has its perks. What jumped out to me this evening was the words of a prophet named Zenos, who apart from the few verses quoted to us by Nephi, Jacob, Alma, Helaman, and the Lord in 3 Nephi, we know very little.

I guess we know enough to say confidently that he lived either during or prior to the time of Lehi, with enough time to have made it on to the brass plates retained by Laban. I haven't done much research on the man but FARMS may have looked at his words, his name, and delved into his possible origins.

What was pleasing to me tonight is the structure of Zenos' prayer.

First, Alma asks his audience what they remember of the Zenos scripture on prayer/worship (I like how to Alma, prayer and worship are virtually interchangeable):

Alma 33:3 Do ye remember to have read what ^aZenos, the prophet of old, has said concerning prayer or ^bworship?

Now, Zenos is quoted:

4 For he said: Thou art merciful, O God, for thou hast heard my prayer, even when I was ^ain the wilderness; yea, thou wast merciful when I prayed concerning those who were mine ^benemies, and thou didst turn them to me.

My take away: God heard me in the WILDERNESS

5 Yea, O God, and thou wast merciful unto me when I did cry unto thee in my ^afield; when I did cry unto thee in my prayer, and thou didst hear me.

God heard me in the FIELD

6 And again, O God, when I did turn to my house thou didst hear me in my prayer.

God heard me in my HOUSE

7 And when I did turn unto my ^acloset, O Lord, and prayed unto thee, thou didst hear me.

God heard me in my CLOSET

A small thing, but nonetheless a simple way of outlining how the Lord hears us. Zenos prays in each example, yet the setting changes from a wide-open expanse (wilderness) to the smallest possible space (closet) in four quick illustrations and through each one, he represents how the Lord can hear us in any possible setting.

In verse 9 below, he mentions another unique setting, where he prays, "in the midst of thy congregations," which congregations I interpret to be the Lord's church-goers. All of whom are likely praying to the Lord at the same time, and yet Zenos shows that the Lord still heard Zenos, even while tending to the rest of his flock.

8 Yea, thou art merciful unto thy children when they cry unto thee, to be heard of thee and not of men, and thou ^awilt hear them.

9 Yea, O God, thou hast been merciful unto me, and heard my cries in the midst of thy congregations.

Then he turns again to the original prayer, which is "concerning his enemies."

10 Yea, and thou hast also heard me when I have been ^acast out and have been despised by mine enemies; yea, thou didst hear my cries, and wast angry with mine enemies, and thou didst ^bvisit them in thine anger with speedy destruction.

Even during the times of great sorrow was he heard. And why was he heard?

11 And thou didst hear me because of mine afflictions and my ^asincerity; and it is because of thy Son that thou hast been thus merciful unto me, therefore I will cry unto thee in all mine ^bafflictions, for in thee is my joy; for thou hast turned thy judgments away from me, ^cbecause of thy Son.

He was heard because of his afflictions and his sincerity, because of the Savior.