An ETYMOLOGICAL Study of SIGNIFICANT words in SCRIPTURE

1. An ETYMOLOGICAL Study of SIGNIFICANT words in SCRIPTURE

2. Word Power “A word is chosen for its particular meaning; inspiring and noble thoughts elevate our souls to a new level of understanding. We truly have expressions and examples of divine language. One word—just a single, simple word—can bring a variety of thoughts and influences. Words can get things done, fulfill commitments or accomplish miracles. We may, because of words, be moved to tears or to laughter, feel great or miserable, be exalted or condemned. Language is divine.” (Elder Charles Ditier, October 1979)

3. Word Power “The scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off, and they that make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of naught.”  (JST Isa  29:20-21) “We should not make an individual ‘an offender for a word’ (Isa. 29:21; 2 Ne. 27:32), as if a single communication could set aside all else an individual may have communicated or stood for!” (Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "Out of Obscurity", Ensign (CR), November 1984, p.8)

4. ABIDE “Abide in me” is an understandable and beautiful, but “abide” is not a word we use much anymore. In Spanish that familiar phrase is rendered “permaneced en mi.” Permanecer means “to remain, to stay,” but even gringos like me can hear the root cognate there of “permanence.” The sense of this then is “stay—but stay forever.” That is the call of the gospel message. Come, but come to remain. Come with conviction and endurance. Come permanently.” (Elder Holland, April 2004).

5. Agony Who, in the scriptures, uses the word agony? "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 24:39) Greek agonia. “A mental struggle for victory.” From agon "a contest," and agein "to lead or to wrestle.”

6. AGONY “Empathy during agony is a portion of divinity.” (Elder Maxwell, April 1978).

7. ANXIOUS Latin (adj.) From angere, “to choke, squeeze, constrict; cause tightness” meaning, ‘a breathing challenge.’

8. Apostasy Why did the Apostasy occur? Did the Lord causes an apostasy?   APOSTASY: Literally "to stand off“; from apo- "away from" + stenai "to stand." When people apo-stenai (when they don't take a stand for things or when they're standoff-ish about convictions), the Lord withdraws.

9. BLESS We hear this word twice each Sacrament meeting It means “To consecrate and make holy.” From Proto-Germanic blodison: “Hallow with blood or mark with blood”

10. Charity Try to guess this word: Same roots as char (literally seared within one's soul), character, charisma ~People are often drawn others because of their goodness.

11. CHARITY “"Real charity is not something you give away; it is something that you acquire and make a part of yourself...."Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt. Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other" (Ensign, May 1992, 18). Marvin J. Ashton

12. Comfort • Ephesians 6:10 - “Be ye comforted in the Lord.”  • 1 Timothy 1:12 - “I do thanksgiving to him who comforted me.”  • Comfort (Greek) Endunamoun (root word dunamis, or ‘power’, from which the word dynamite comes) • The Comforter comforts us with a power like spiritual dynamite.  The Holy Spirit does not simply come and wipe our tears away; he gives us a dynamic power to cope with life. [Nielsen, Donna, Beloved Bridegroom, p.123-124.]

13. Compassion This word means “to suffer together” (from com- "together" + pati "to suffer“)

14. COMPASSION “Jesus provided us many examples of compassionate concern. The crippled man at the pool of Bethesda; the woman taken in adultery; the woman at Jacob’s well; the daughter of Jairus; Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha. Each needed help.  To the cripple at Bethesda, Jesus said, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.”To the sinful woman came the counsel, “Go, and sin no more.”To help her who came to draw water, He provided a well of water “springing up into everlasting life.”To the dead daughter of Jairus came the command, “Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.”To the entombed Lazarus, “Come forth.” The Savior has always shown unlimited capacity for compassion. (President Monson, April 2001).

15. Complain Which word, used in 1 Nephi 5 to describe Nephi’s mother’s feelings about his father, originally meant “to beat one’s self”? From Latin com- (with) + plangere (to strike or beat one’s self)

16. COMPLAIN “Fourteen years ago the Lord took my wife beyond the veil. I love her with all my heart, but I have never complained because I know it was His will. I have never asked why but rather what is it that He wants me to learn from this experience. I believe that is a good way to face the unpleasant things in our lives, not complaining but thanking the Lord for the trust He places in us when He gives us the opportunity to overcome difficulties.” (Elder Scott, April 2009)

17. COMPLAIN “Yes, life has its problems, and yes, there are negative things to face, but please accept one of Elder Holland’s maxims for living—no misfortune is so bad that complaining (whining) about it won’t make it worse.” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, April 2007)

18. CONVERT Latin convertere "turn around.” From com "with/together" + vertere "to turn" Old English cierran "to return." 

19. CONTEMPLATE From Latin templum, meaning “a place to meditate.” (it is the root from which the word temple comes) If we contemplate (especially in the temple), sacred covenants will be better remembered and kept.

20. Criticize Name this word: “To pass judgment on something” From krinein “to separate”; same root as crisis. Crisis is from Greek meaning “the turning point (in a disease).”

21. CRITICIZE “Murmurers make good conversational cloak holders. Though picking up no stones themselves, they provoke others to do so.” (Elder Neal A. Maxwell, October 1989)

22. DECISION Latin decisionem: "to cut off." (from de "off" + caedere "to cut”) President Thomas S. Monson: “We become so caught up in the busyness of our lives. Were we to step back, however, and take a good look at what we’re doing, we may find that we have immersed ourselves in the ‘thick of thin things.’ spending most of our time taking care of the things which do not really matter much at all in the grand scheme of things, neglecting those more important causes” (“What Have I Done for Someone Today?” Oct. 2009 general conference). Productivity isn’t about deciding to get more done, it’s about deciding to get the right things done.

23. DESIRE Desire (v).  From Latin desiderare "long for, wish for; demand, expect, to look at closely" What significant scripture account uses the word ‘desire’?

24. DESIRE Gensis 3:16 “…thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” Genesis 4:6-7 (speaking to Eve, the Lord said, “And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire...” The Lord told Eve that her desire would be to dominate her husband. In place of the family structure God calls us to, there would now be a power struggle - a struggle to dominate.  A woman’s desire to push him out of his place of leadership.

25. DESIRE NOTE: Yes, Adam in the man with authority – but he’s the man UNDER authority. “I would not have you spend five minutes with someone who belittles you, who is constantly critical of you, who is cruel at your expense and may even call it humor. Life is tough enough without having the person who is supposed to love you leading the assault on your self-esteem, your sense of dignity, your confidence, and your joy. In this person’s care you deserve to feel physically safe and emotionally secure.” (Elder Holland, How do I love thee? Feb. 15, 2000 • Devotional

26. DEVIL • Revelation 12:7-11 • Dragon (vs7). Greek drákōn: "to see," or "seeing one". • He is accomplishing his agenda from "behind the scenes.” • Satan (vs 9).  Greek “the adversary” or “opposition.” • Lucifer (vs 9) “Light Bearer” (see Bible Dictionary, Devil).   • Devil (vs 9) “Slanderer” (see Bible Dictionary, Devil). • “One who throws something across the path of another” • “We call him the devil. Just imagine his name as being written upon the wall here. It is bad in all its parts: Strike off the d, and it is evil, and that is bad; strike off the e and it is vile; strike of the v and it is il (ill), and that is bad, too; then strike off the i, and give it a little English accent, and it is hell! And that is just where he will take you, if you listen to his voice.” (Elder Rulon S Wells, October 1904 General Conference)

27. Endow Luke 24:49 “Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” Endue“to put on, to put on something; to invest; to clothe; to put on as a garment; to clothe or cover - to sink into a garment.” Also, “to take on characteristics and virtues of another.”

28. ENDOW “Let me give you a definition in brief. Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, selected by John A. Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1941, page 416.)

29. FORTY • Quarantine comes from the French "qarante" for 40. • “A period of isolation” • Whenever a ship arriving in port was suspected of being infected it had to forego contact with the shore for a period of about 40 days. • Great Flood: 40 days (Gen. 7:17). • Children of Israel: 40 years in the wilderness (Num. 32:13) • Jesus (Matt. 4:1–11) and Moses (Ex. 34:28) fasted 40 days.

30. FRAME Old English, “To profit, be helpful, benefit.” Influenced by  fremman  “forward, promote, accomplish." “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God…” Hebrews 11:3 “He knoweth our frame” (Psalm 103:14)  “Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?" (Job 1:10-11). "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” (see Acts 9:4-5). “Hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever” (see D&C 122:9).

31. GARNISH Middle English: Equip for defense; arm for battle; prepare to defend. “Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God…” (D&C 121:45

32. Good In Genesis, God calls his creations “tov” or "good". In Hebrew, the word is better translated as “being functional.” God also uses “good” in naming a tree in the Garden of Eden: The Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil. The tree of tov and ra. The Hebrew word "ra" means “dysfunctional”.

33. GOOD “The Lord said to Adam, here is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you want to stay here, then you cannot eat of that fruit. If you want to stay here, then I forbid you to eat it. But you may act for yourself, and you may eat of it if you want to. And if you eat it, you will die.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, “Fall—Atonement—Resurrection—Sacrament,” in Charge to Religious Educators, 124).

34. GOOD “You are good. But it is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others.” (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

35. GLORY Think of scriptural passages that contain the word “glory”

36. GLORY • Hebrew Kavod.   • Psalm 24:8 - “[The Lord] is this king of kavod, mighty in battle." • In Psalm 3:3 the kavod of God is comparable with his shield; in Job 29:20 kavod is compared with a bow. • Kavod: “battle equipment”. Literally “heavy weapons and defenses for battle”. • D&C 93:2-27 “The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one.”

37. GLORY “You have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike--and they will--you remember that if our eyes could be opened, we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection." (Elder Holland, BYU Speeches, 1980)

38. GOD • Immanuel, means “God with us,” • Elohim, the plural form for God, or Gods.  • Ishmael and Israel, • Names ending in iah for Jehovah, such as Isaiah and Jeremiah. • Elijah (“My God is Jehovah”) • See “The Name Melchizedek, Ensign, October 1980

39. HELPMEET Where is this word used? Genesis 2:18

40. HELPMEET • Greek: ezer 'k’enegdo • Ezer “to rescue”, “to save”, “strength”. • K’enegdo “exactly corresponding to,” • Eve was designed to be his mirror opposite, possessing the other half of the qualities, responsibilities, and attributes which he lacked. • Genesis 2:18 “It is not good that man should be alone. I will make him an equal companion of strength with power to save.”

41. HUMILITY From Latin humilis "lowly, humble," literally "on the ground," from humus  “earth” Mosiah 4:2 And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ Helaman 12:7 O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth. The meek shall inherit the earth…

42. Infallable Proofs “Jesus presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days” (Acts 1:3).  Tekmerion;“a sure sign,” “a mark,” “a token”.

43. Signify Revelation 1:1  "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and **signified** it by his angel" The Greek word for signify is “semaino:” to show by signs or tokens.” See D&C 129:4-5. 

44. INSTANT Romans 12:12:  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. Latin instantem "pressing, urgent," literally "standing near"

45. MEDIOCRE Mediocre: From Latin mediocris "of middling height or state."   Originally "halfway up a mountain," from medius "middle"+ ocris "jagged mountain"

46. MEDIOCRE Alma 47 10 When it was night, Amalakiah sent a secret embassy … to Lehonti that he should come down to the foot of the mount.  11 When Lehonti received the message he durst not go down. And it came to pass that Amalickiah sent again the second time, desiring him to come down. And it came to pass that Lehonti would not; and he sent again the third time.  12 And it came to pass that when Amalickiah found that he could not get Lehonti to come down off from the mount, he went up into the mount, nearly to Lehonti’s camp; and he sent again the fourth time his message unto Lehonti, desiring that he would come down.  13 And it came to pass that when Lehonti had come down …that Amalickiah caused that one of his servants should administer poison by degrees to Lehonti, that he died.

47. MEDIOCRE “Half obedience will be rejected as readily as full violation, and maybe quicker, for half rejection and half acceptance is but a sham, an admission of lack of character, a lack of love for Him. It is actually an effort to live on both sides of the line” (Mark E. Petersen, in Conference Report, Apr. 1982, 21; orEnsign, May 1982, 16).

48. MEEK What is the only word that Jesus used to describe himself? Greek: Controlled strength

49. MEEK • President Kimball:  ”Meekness is boldly denouncing evil, bravely advancing righteous works, courageously meeting every problem, becoming the master of himself and being near oblivious to personal credit. It is not weak, vacillating, nor servile submissiveness.” (Address Given to the Brigham Young University Student Body January 16, 1963) • Moroni: “None is acceptable before God, save the meek.” (Moroni 7:43–44) • Elder Maxwell:  “Meekness is the subtraction of self.” • “A meek man is like water, which when it meets an obstacle, rises slowly and patiently and ultimately runs over the obstruction and wears it away. The meek man is submissive only in the sense that he accepts the inevitable; because he submits to the will of God, he gains new strength, a new power.“ (Leland S. Monson, Look to the Mount)

50. MORIAH God commanded Abraham to go to the “Land of Moriah” to a certain mountaintop. Over a thousand years later, King Solomon built the temple on this very site.  King Nebuchadnezzar’s armies destroyed it sometime in 587 B.C. Rebuilt 70 years later by the Jews returning from their captivity in Babylon. Today, it is known as “The Wailing Wall“. Mount Moriah is where Christ was crucified. The name Moriah has the same root as Messiah (Yahweh).