“He Shall Be Called by the Name of Christ”

Brant Gardner

Benjamin has linked the name of Yahweh-Messiah with future salvation (and has implied a temporal salvation—at least from contention). Here that promise is made explicit. Benjamin realizes that this is a voluntary covenant and that the individual making the covenant is the most important focal point; the communal covenant is the collective manifestation of the individual covenants. Thus, when the individual abides by the covenant, he occupies a place on Yahweh’s right hand.

Significantly, he is on the right hand because “he shall be called by the name of Christ.” This name carries with it a genuine identity. In Benjamin’s world, one may not be called by that name unless he fulfills the covenant. The two cannot be separated. For Benjamin, living a Christian life was taken for granted with the bearing of the name.

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 3

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