The Lord has well over one hundred known names and titles. These appellations, like all others given by the Father, both describe how he is different from us and how we can become more like him. You take upon yourself a name or title by adopting the character qualities that correspond to it, changing the choices you would otherwise make to match those someone with those qualities would make. You take upon yourself the names of Christ by adopting his character qualities and living as he would in your place.
Many of today’s professed Christians would consider the ability for any other person to obtain the same titles as Christ to be blasphemous in the same way and for the same reasons that the Jews crucified Christ.3 Here, two key distinctions might reduce the controversy.
First, there is a big difference between reducing God down to man by diminishing his character and raising man up to God by rising up to his character. It is not blasphemous to suggest that God gives men the capability, opportunities, and reasons to become more like him. Showing how man can be more like God is, in fact, the epitome of glorifying him. Like any good father, God’s greatest glory, principal purpose, and utmost joy is the advancement of his children beyond where they would be without his continual, consummate sacrifice on their behalf. Every individual improvement that brings any person closer to being like God increases the evidence of his goodness and power.
Second, even when names and titles are the same, they can feature gradations. Appellations can have multiple levels of fulfillment, just as some military awards do.4 In the gospel, two people who have received the same name will overlap in at least some qualities, and yet can have notable differences as well. For example, consider the differences between the various men called Elijah/Elias. John the Baptist was an Elijah/Elias even if he wasn’t the Elijah/Elias who had come before him or would come after him.
The scriptures are replete with examples of titles popularly thought of as unique to the Lord being given by God to others. His shared titles include even the most seemingly exclusive. Consider just a few:
- God. As offensive as it is for mainstream Christians to acknowledge, Christianity is unavoidably polytheistic even beyond the three individuals that form the godhead (or, more accurately, head of the gods)5. This should not come as a surprise to anyone who has bothered looking up the word God in Hebrew.6 Though the definition of what it means to be a god lies beyond the scope of this book, a sufficient argument that this is a title that God applies to some men exists in the story of Moses, whom God appointed to be a god over Israel,7 Aaron,8 and Pharaoh.9
- Messiah. The title messiah literally means “one who has been anointed by God.” Many prophets, priests, and kings have been anointed by God, both literally and figuratively. For example, God commanded10 that all priests11 in Israel were to be anointed with consecrated oil as part of their setting apart. God commanded his prophets to anoint at least some of Israel’s kings, including Saul, David, Solomon, and Joash. Elijah anointed Elisha figuratively by covering him in his robe after the Lord commanded Elijah to appoint Elisha to take his place. All of these actions were symbolic gestures pointing to the overflowing outpouring12 of God’s spirit upon the recipient. Not all people are kings and priests, but all people are called of God13 to receive the anointing of his spirit14 through learning about and living up to the example of Jesus Christ. As Moses said, “would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:29) Why hasn’t he? Because those called prefer the honors of men and treasures of the world above the honor of God and the treasures of eternity (see D&C 121:34-36).
- The Son of God. There is more than one son of God mentioned in the scriptures.15 God specifically referred to Enoch,16 Abraham,17 Moses,18 Solomon,19 and others as his sons. The apostle John explained that God empowers everyone who receives God by believing on his name to become the sons of God.20 The apostle Paul explained the process as becoming different from the world by rejecting what deviates from God.21
- The Lamb of God. God’s many lambs include anyone who continuously obeys God’s voice.22 They “follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth....” (Revelation 14:4)
- Savior. A savior is someone who saves someone from something from which they could not save themselves. Examples of temporal saviors abound in the scriptures. They include Noah, who saved the entire human race, Joseph, who saved the known world from starvation, Moses, who saved Egypt from slavery, and Samson, who saved Israel from the Philistines. Human saviors are not limited to temporal circumstances. For example, Abraham obtained a covenant for the whole world, Moses obtained a covenant for Israel, and anyone who “converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20) Prophecy indicates that the Lord will continue to use people as saviors in his work.23
- King. Jesus is the King of Kings,24 and therefore there are other kings in God’s kingdom besides him, over whom he rules and reigns.25
- Lord. Jesus is the Lord of Lords,26 and therefore there are other lords in God’s kingdom besides him.
- The Alpha and Omega. Besides Jesus Christ, at least one man—Adam—will fulfill the title of Alpha and Omega in this creation. He is the first man and the last man. He governed in the beginning, and he will govern in the end, receiving his kingdom from and returning it to the Alpha and Omega above him—Jesus Christ, who alone came down before Adam and will come down after Adam.
- The Word. All who become like the Lord also become the Word (this topic is more fully expounded in the Chapter: What are the words of eternal life, and how are they obtained? ).
- The Son of Man. The Lord called himself “Son of Man” to demonstrate the Father in fulfillment of the mission Adam failed to achieve. The title is no less applicable to anyone who strives to fulfill their potential as a human being created in the image of God, as we all are. For example, the Lord called Ezekiel “son of man” many times in the Old Testament.
- Light of the World. The Lord said to his disciples: “Ye are the light of the world....” (Matthew 5:14) The Lord is the light in men1470 and was the light of this world while he was living here.1471 He calls all of us to be the light in the world until he returns.1472
If none of the aforementioned titles refer only to Jesus, by what name can he uniquely be described?
Footnotes
- 1. For there is no respect of persons with God. (Romans 2:11) ↩
- 2. For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world. (D&C 132:5) ↩
- 3. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. (John 5:18) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (Philippians 2:6) ↩
- 4. In the US Army, for example, certain commendations have gradations that denote different criteria or successive awards. ↩
- 5. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. (Psalm 95:3) ↩
- 6. Elohim, translated as God, is actually a plural word. ↩
- 7. 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 3:14) And they shall hearken to your voice... (Exodus 3:18) ↩
- 8. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. (Exodus 4:16) ↩
- 9. And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. (Exodus 7:1) ↩
- 10. And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him. (Exodus 29:21) ↩
- 11. And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office. (Exodus 30:30) ↩
- 12. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; (Psalms 133:2) ↩
- 13. For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile. (2 Nephi 26:33) ↩
- 14. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38) And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. (Joel 2:29) Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Psalms 45:7) ↩
- 15. When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:7) ↩
- 16. And he heard a voice from heaven, saying: Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people, and say unto them—Repent, for thus saith the Lord: I am angry with this people, and my fierce anger is kindled against them; for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off; (Moses 6:27) ↩
- 17. And he said unto me: My son, my son (and his hand was stretched out), behold I will show you all these. And he put his hand upon mine eyes, and I saw those things which his hands had made, which were many; and they multiplied before mine eyes, and I could not see the end thereof. (Abraham 3:12) ↩
- 18. And now, behold, this one thing I show unto thee, Moses, my son, for thou art in the world, and now I show it unto thee. (Moses 1:7) ↩
- 19. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: (2 Samuel 7:14) ↩
- 20. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12) ↩
- 21. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:17-18) ↩
- 22. And he that will hear my voice shall be my sheep; and him shall ye receive into the church, and him will I also receive. (Mosiah 26:21) But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:26-27) ↩
- 23. And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s. (Obadiah 1:21) ↩
- 24. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords. (Revelation 19:16) ↩
- 25. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. (1 Peter 5:4) Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (James 1:12) And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. (1 Corinthians 9:25) ↩
- 26. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. (Revelation 17:14) ↩