In his writings, Nephi uses ten names for Christ that no one else uses. This list provides an interesting reflection of his religious sensitivities. For example, Nephi calls Jesus "the Son of the Most High God," "the Son of the Everlasting Father," "the Son of Righteousness," "the Beloved Son," "the Very God of Israel" and "the Mighty One of Israel." Here is a whole cluster of son names that only Nephi uses, in all the Book of Mormon. I have wondered if this use of son names is because Nephi had a unique understanding of what it means to be an obedient son, to show ultimate respect to his father. He has been there and done that, and so he would have appreciated, of all things, the son-ship of Jesus Christ. Even though Jesus was a God and had descended from heaven, He still was an obedient son.
In contrast, when Benjamin talked about the Messiah, he refers to the "Heavenly King." He calls him "the Lord God Omnipotent." Well, who was Benjamin? He saw himself predominantly as a king. So naturally, he would see attributes of kingship much more readily because they were personally meaningful to him. While Nephi also was a king, he was a reluctant king. He was prepared to do what he could to help his people, but he was not eager to extend himself into the mold of ancient demi-god kings. Instead, I see the element of son-ship going deep into the heart of Nephi, into his spirit, his soul, and his very being.
I wonder what it would be like to have some of these Nephite prophets come and speak at a BYU Devotional? How would you describe some of these men if you were asked to introduce them to an audience of 20,000? More than that, how might they introduce themselves? I thought in particular of how Nephi might introduce himself. "I Nephi, having been born of goodly parents," he would have said, "I am the son of Lehi." That was who he was. I think we see this coming through in the story of the broken bow, even when his father was in a weakened position and his faith was pushed to the limit. Nephi was still there, the faithful son.
John W. Welch and J. Gregory Welch, "Names Used for Christ by Major Book of Mormon Authors" in Charting the Book of Mormon: Visual Aids for Personal Study and Teaching (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1999), chart 44.