The Brother of Jared, the First Gazelem?

            I recently wrote an article for a magazine that publishes papers related to the different Book of Mormon topics. The article was ultimately not accepted for publication, so I thought I would add it to my blog. I hope you enjoy it.

The Brother of Jared, the First Gazelem?

Abstract: In Alma 37:23, we read: “The Lord said: I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light.” It has already been suggested that Gazelem may be a word play for both the stone and the servant. It has also been suggested that Gazelem may be a title/symbol for the “means” the Lord has provided for interpreting languages. As such, these “means” may refer to both the instrument used to interpret languages as well as the person who uses the instrument. I will endeavor to strengthen the case that Gazelem is in fact a title for the gift of divine translation. I will also propose that the brother of Jared was the first “Gazelem,” since he was the first known person who wrote a record in a time when multiple languages existed and translations across languages were needed. He is also the first known person to receive an instrument from the Lord specifically designed for interpreting languages. As a result, both he and the two interpreting stones he received may rightly be considered the first Gazelem. As a final speculative note, when the brother of Jared received the two interpreting stones, he may have gone through a temple-like experience in which he received a new name, Gazalem. 

In Alma 37, Alma the Younger discusses the interpretation of the ancient Jaredite records. He then introduces us to the word Gazelem:

“The Lord saw that his people began to work in darkness… And the Lord said: I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, … that I may discover unto [my people] the works of their brethren… And now, … these interpreters were prepared that the word of God might be fulfilled, which he spake, saying: I will bring forth out of darkness unto light all their secret works and their abominations ... unto every nation” (Alma 37:23–25).

This scripture has been the source of much discussion over the years, because there is a certain level of ambiguity regarding who or what Gazelem is. This is the first and only time the name is mentioned. Perhaps Mormon explained who Gazelem was in the lost 116 pages of the Book of Mormon, but we simply don’t know. Because of this ambiguity, there are many theories about the identity of Gazelem.

1.    Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet have suggested that Gazelem “may well be a play on words. Is Gazelem the seer stone or the servant? It is difficult to tell from the passage and depends very much on the placement of a comma in the sentence. Perhaps it could refer to both.”[1]

2.  On a similar note, McConkie and Millet have also suggested that Gazelem may be more of “a title … used in regard to any seer who utilizes seer stones.”[2]

3.   McConkie and Millet have also suggested that Gazelem could “be a direct reference to Joseph Smith the Prophet,” who translated part of the Jaredite record.[3] It seems possible that Joseph Smith also saw himself as the Gazelem referenced in Alma 37, or at least a Gazelem. He used “Gazalem” (spelled slightly differently) as a code name for himself in the early editions of the Doctrine and Covenants, as a means of protecting his own identity. It is also noteworthy that Alma 37 seems to mention both a singular “stone” as well as “these interpreters” (Alma 37:23–24). This would further bolster the case that Joseph Smith is Gazelem, because he apparently used two different interpreting tools for at least some portion of the translation of the Book of Mormon, both a singular chocolate-colored seer stone as well as two stones joined together in some fashion, which were included with the gold plates.

4.   Wilford Woodruff seemed to believe that Gazelem was the name of the single chocolate-colored seer stone that Joseph Smith used to translate portions of the Book of Mormon. He wrote: “The seer stone known as ‘Gazelem’ … was shown of the Lord to the Prophet Joseph to be some thirty feet under ground, and which he obtained by digging under the pretense of excavating for a well.”[4]

5.   Stan Spencer has suggested that “Gazelem could refer to the brother of Jared, who received the interpreters from the Lord, or to Mosiah, who used them to translate the Jaredite record for the benefit of the Nephites.”[5]

6.   Elliott Jolley has suggested that Gazelem was a Jaredite prophet who came after the brother of Jared.[6] Part of the reasoning for this position is because of the future-tense language used in Alma 37:23. “I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a stone” to reveal the secret works of the Jaredites (italics added).

Gazelem and Joseph Smith

To me, the interpretation that makes the most sense is regarding Joseph Smith and the interpreting tools he used to translate the Book of Mormon, both the one chocolate-colored seer stone he found underground, and the two stones joined together that were included with the gold plates. To me, it appears that Alma may have referenced both interpreting tools in these verses. I would read Alma 37:22–25 in this manner:

“The Lord saw that his people [the Jaredites] began to work in darkness, yea, work secret murders and abominations; therefore the Lord said, if they did not repent they should be destroyed from off the face of the earth.

 “And the Lord said: I will prepare unto my servant [Joseph Smith] Gazelem, a stone, [the single chocolate-colored stone] which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may discover unto my people who serve me, that I may discover unto them the works of their brethren, yea, their secret works, their works of darkness, and their wickedness and abominations.

“And now, my son, these interpreters [the two stones given to the brother of Jared] were prepared that the word of God might be fulfilled, which he spake, saying:

I will bring forth out of darkness unto light all their secret works and their abominations; and except they repent I will destroy them from off the face of the earth; and I will bring to light all their secrets and abominations, unto every nation that shall hereafter possess the land” (Alma 37:22–25).

In these verses, Alma appears to reference two different interpreting tools, “a stone” and “these interpreters” (Alma 37:23–24). As far as I can tell, Joseph Smith is the only person among the list of potential Gazelem candidates who used multiple interpreting tools. Because of this, I tend to think that these verses are speaking specifically about Joseph Smith and the interpreting tools he used to translate the Book of Mormon. To me, the other possible interpretations for Gazelem don’t tend to fit the language of Alma 37 quite as well as the Joseph Smith theory.

However, with that said, I also believe these verses probably have multiple meanings and fulfillments, as discussed below.

Gazelem: A Word Play and a Title/Symbol for the Gift of Interpreting

A Word Play

Alma’s ambiguous use of the word Gazelem caused McConkie and Millet to ask: “Is Gazelem the seer stone or the servant?” I propose that it is both. In the English language, there are many times when a word could be used to reference either a person or an object. For example, consider this sentence: “The Lord has given us interpreters so that we can translate ancient records.” The word “interpreter” could refer to either a person or an object. On that same note, isn’t it possible that “Gazelem” could refer to both a person and an object? Couldn’t it refer to the “interpreter” as both the tool for interpreting as well as the person who interprets? Is there much difference between Gazelem as a seer or as a seer stone? This seems to be what McConkie and Millet are implying when they said that Gazelem “may well be a play on words.”

A Title/Symbol for the Gift of Interpreting

In addition, McConkie and Millet have also suggested that Gazelem is not just a word play, but may also be a title for “interpreters” themselves, both the tool as well as the person. In connection with this, consider Joseph Smith. As he progressed in his spiritual journey, he no longer felt the need to use his “Gazelem” chocolate-covered seer stone. Even though the “Gazelem” title no longer applied to his seer stone, the “Gazelem” title still applied to Joseph Smith himself. If Gazelem is supposed to be a title for someone who will (1) be given an interpreting tool, and (2) translate spiritual records, then Gazelem could reference a number of people, including the brother of Jared and subsequent Jaredite prophets, Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, and Joseph Smith.

When using Gazelem as a title, it is somewhat analogous to the gifts of the Spirit that the Lord has given us. “To some it is given to have faith to be healed; and to others it is given to have faith to heal… And to another is given the interpretation of tongues” (Doctrine and Covenants 46:19–25). Gazelem may be a symbol for the gift of being able to interpret languages. When the word is used in Alma 37, it is in connection with translating the Jaredite record. Joseph Smith’s seer stone was used to translate the Book of Mormon. The brother of Jared’s seer stones were given to translate his record, to “magnify to the eyes of men these things which [he should] write” (Ether 3:24). All the proposed theories surrounding Gazelem center around the concept of translating and interpreting languages. As a result, it seems possible that Gazelem may be a title/symbol for the means the Lord has given us to interpret languages in a divinely inspired way.

Unifying the Many Theories

Given this proposal, consider the current theories regarding Gazelem once more.

1.  Gazelem may be a play on words for both the person and the object of interpretation.

2.  Gazelem may be a title for any seer who interprets languages.

3.  Gazelem may reference Joseph Smith, the person.

4.  Gazelem may reference Joseph Smith’s seer stone, the object.

5.  Gazelem may reference the brother of Jared, the person, as well as the two stones he received from the Lord.

6.  Gazelem may reference a Jaredite prophet who came after the brother of Jared and inherited the two interpreting stones.

To me, the concept of Gazelem as a title and symbol for interpreting languages seems to unify and harmonize these theories in a unique and interesting way.

The Brother of Jared, the First Gazelem?

If Gazelem is a title and symbol for a seer who interprets as well as the means by which they interpret, then it seems plausible that the brother of Jared was the first Gazelem. The brother of Jared lived in the time of the tower of Babel. According to the scriptures, before the tower of Babel, all people spoke “one language” (Genesis 11:1). As a result, there would have been no need to translate records across languages. There also would have been no need to have an instrument like the Urim and Thummim to translate. However, after the tower of Babel, the Lord confounded the language of the people, and multiple languages began to form. Soon after, the Lord visited the brother of Jared on Mount Shelem and commanded him to write a record of his spiritual experiences: “Ye shall write them and shall seal them up, that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot be read. And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write” (Ether 3:22–23).[7]

Given all of this, it seems possible that the brother of Jared and the two stones he received may be considered the first Gazelem, the first divinely-inspired interpreters used for translating across languages.

There is at least one significant hurdle to this theory. The language in Alma 37 (the only place where the name Gazelem is used) seems to reference a person who would come after the brother of Jared. In this chapter, Alma is transferring many sacred relics and records to his son Helaman. Among these are the “twenty-four plates” which contain a history of the Jaredites, as well as some “interpreters” (Alma 37:21). The Book of Mormon describes how the Nephites came into possession of the twenty-four plates (see Mosiah 8:7–9; 21:25–28), but it does not describe the history behind these interpreters. In his book The Lost 116 Pages: Reconstructing the Book of Mormon’s Missing Stories, Don Bradley discusses an interview given by Fayette Lapham with Joseph Smith, Sr. wherein Smith explains the missing backstory behind the interpreters. During the time when King Mosiah and his people traveled from the land of Nephi to the land of Zarahemla, they found the interpreters in the wilderness. These interpreters were identified as the same interpreters that were given to the brother of Jared.[8]

As Alma is preparing to deliver the 24 plates and the interpreters to his son Helaman, he declares:

And now, I will speak unto you concerning those twenty-four plates, that ye keep them, that the mysteries and the works of darkness, and their secret works, or the secret works of those people who have been destroyed, may be made manifest unto this people; yea, all their murders, and robbings, and their plunderings, and all their wickedness and abominations, may be made manifest unto this people; yea, and that ye preserve these interpreters.

For behold, the Lord saw that his people began to work in darkness, yea, work secret murders and abominations; therefore the Lord said, if they did not repent they should be destroyed from off the face of the earth.

And the Lord said: I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may discover unto my people who serve me, that I may discover unto them the works of their brethren, yea, their secret works, their works of darkness, and their wickedness and abominations.

And now, my son, these interpreters were prepared that the word of God might be fulfilled, which he spake, saying:

I will bring forth out of darkness unto light all their secret works and their abominations; and except they repent I will destroy them from off the face of the earth; and I will bring to light all their secrets and abominations, unto every nation that shall hereafter possess the land” (Alma 37:21–25).

Elliot Jolley has suggested that Gazelem does not likely refer to the brother of Jared or the two stones he received, because the language in these verses seems to indicate that Gazelem will come at a later time in the Jaredite history.[9] In other words, it is only after the Jaredites begin to “work secret murders and abominations” that the Lord declares, “I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may [reveal the Jaredites’] works of darkness, and their wickedness and abominations.”

A Rebuttal

The strict reading of this verse would seem to support this interpretation. This creates a “future-tense” problem if the Gazelem prophecy were referencing the brother of Jared. However, I would counter this argument with three points.

Point 1: Latitude for Multiple Interpretations

As already mentioned earlier in this paper, to me, the truest interpretation of these verses is in relation to Joseph Smith. As a result, any other interpretations should be given a small amount of leeway in the exact wording of these prophecies, since other interpretations might not perfectly fit the original language used to describe the truest interpretation.

For example, the Lord could have said to the brother of Jared: “I will prepare unto my servant Joseph Smith, Gazelem, a stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, so that he may translate your writings. And you also are a Gazelem, brother of Jared.”

Additionally, consider 2 Nephi 17:14–16; 18:4:

“Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel…

For before the child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings…

For behold, the child shall not have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, before the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria” (2 Nephi 17:14–16; 18:4).

This prophecy found its purest fulfillment in Jesus Christ. But it also found fulfillment in Isaiah’s day. Isaiah had a son named Maher-shalal-hash-baz. Before the child could know the difference between good and evil, before he could learn to say father and mother, before “the age of two, … Syria and the northern part of Samaria (Israel) were destroyed by Assyria.”[10]  However, Isaiah’s wife was not a virgin at the time of delivery. Still, some latitude in exact wording and some understanding in precise application must be applied in order for this prophecy to find multiple fulfillments. The same might also be said of the Gazelem prophecy and the brother of Jared.

Because of this, perhaps we should not assume that the future tense nature of the Gazelem prophecy immediately eliminates the brother of Jared as a possible candidate for its fulfillment.

Point 2: Alma Himself References the Brother of Jared

Secondly, Alma himself already seems to reference the brother of Jared in these verses. He offers two direct quotes from the Lord.

Quote 1:

“I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may discover unto my people who serve me, that I may discover unto them the works of their brethren, yea, their secret works, their works of darkness, and their wickedness and abominations” (Alma 37:23).

Quote 2:

“I will bring forth out of darkness unto light all their secret works and their abominations; and except they repent I will destroy them from off the face of the earth; and I will bring to light all their secrets and abominations, unto every nation that shall hereafter possess the land” (Alma 37:25).

Alma connects these two quotes by reciting them together. Perhaps they were even spoken by the Lord at the same time. In any case, Alma declares that the Jaredite interpreters directly fulfilled the second quote. “And now, my son, these interpreters were prepared that the word of God might be fulfilled, which he spake, saying: I will bring forth out of darkness unto light all their secret works…” (Alma 37:24–25).

Both quotes seem to reference the secret works and abominations of the Jaredites. These secret works did not begin until after the brother of Jared. And yet, Alma references the interpreters given to the brother of Jared as a direct fulfillment of the second quote. As a result, if these quotes do in fact reference the secret works of the Jaredites, then Alma himself has already seemed to create some sort of minor “future tense” conflict in the timeline of these prophecies.

In addition, much of the language in Alma 37 seems connected to the language in Ether 3 (which describes the brother of Jared’s experience in receiving the interpreting stones). For example, the only time that the scriptures use the phrase “shine forth in darkness” is in these two chapters (see Alma 37:23 and Ether 3:4).

The language in these chapters emphasizes bringing things from darkness unto light, including ancient Jaredite records. In Alma 37, the Lord declares: “I will bring forth out of darkness unto light all [these things]” (Alma 37:25). In Ether 3, the Lord told the brother of Jared: “I will cause in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men these things which ye shall write” (Ether 3:24).

Don Bradley discussed the significance of light and darkness in Ether 3. “On Shelem, the Lord touched two sets of stones—one set provided by the prophet (v. 1), the other by the Lord (v. 23). The first of these sets of stones would shine physical light for the Jaredites on their journey, … the second set, the stones of the interpreters used by Nephite prophets and Joseph Smith to translate sacred texts, would shine spiritual light, revealing ‘secret things’ and ‘hidden things’ (Mosiah 8:17, Alma 37:23).”[11]

To me, it seems clear that Alma was in some way referencing the brother of Jared in these verses. Why would he do that if these quotes did not find at least partial fulfillment in the brother of Jared?

Because Alma (1) references the interpreting stones given to the brother of Jared, and (2) uses similar language from the brother of Jared’s experience, it seems like the brother of Jared should not be eliminated as a possible candidate for a partial fulfillment of the Gazelem prophecy.

Point 3: These Things May Have Been Spoken Before the Brother of Jared

Thirdly, because we do not know where either quote came from, it is possible that these words were spoken at a time before the brother of Jared was born. We are told by Moroni that the 24 plates contained a record of “the creation of the world, and also of Adam, and an account from that time even to the great tower” (Ether 1:3). As a result, if one or both of the quotes came from the 24 plates, then the quotes could have been written by a number of people, including Adam or Enoch or Noah. In addition, we know from the Book of Ether that “the record which [the brother of Jared] brought across the great deep” already contained “an account concerning them of old, that they by their secret plans did obtain kingdoms and great glory” (Ether 8:9). As a result, these two prophecies from Alma could have been given at a time before the brother of Jared was born.

For example, Enoch could have received a vision similar to the one recorded in Moses 7, in which he saw the people of the brother of Jared. He could have seen that the Jaredites began to engage in secret works of darkness, at which point the Lord could have spoken to him: “I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may discover unto my people who serve me, that I may discover unto them the works of their brethren, yea, their secret works, their works of darkness, and their wickedness and abominations” (Alma 37:23).

Because of this, the future tense nature of these prophecies should not eliminate the brother of Jared as a possible candidate for their partial fulfillment.[12]

Hopefully, these three points present some compelling evidence to overcome the “future tense” hurdle to the theory that the brother of Jared could have been the first Gazelem, the first divinely chosen interpreter to use interpreting tools provided by the Lord.

Conclusion

Because the word Gazelem is used in connection with translating ancient records (and the instruments provided by the Lord for doing so), it seems possible that Gazelem may be a title for the “interpreters” of the Lord, both the person as well as the instrument. If so, it also seems possible that the brother of Jared and his interpreting tools were the first Gazelem, the first “interpreters” provided by the Lord for translating records across languages. This would seem like a logical conclusion, since the brother of Jared was the first known seer to receive interpreters, write a divine record which would require interpreting, and live in a time when multiple languages existed.

Additional Speculation

As a final note, consider this highly speculative theory regarding Gazelem as a new name. The brother of Jared’s original name was Mahonri Moriancumer. When he received the two interpreting stones known as the Urim and Thummim, he went through a temple-like experience. Perhaps as part of this experience, he was given a new name, Gazalem.

In an interview with Stephen Jones, Don Bradley discussed the temple-like nature of the experience of the brother of Jared. “In ancient times, mountain tops served as temples where people could receive ordinances. The brother of Jared's ... mountain top ... is a temple setting. He's conversing with the Lord .. through the veil, and the Lord puts His hand through the veil to touch the stones. The brother of Jared sees the Lord's hand, and the Lord asks him a series of questions to test his faith and knowledge, beginning with a question about His hand. And once the brother of Jared has passed the test, the Lord admits him into His presence and tells him, 'You've been redeemed from the Fall,' which evokes the whole backstory of the Creation and Adam and Eve. And then [the Lord] gives [the brother of Jared] these white stones, which is [connected to the white stone with a new name written on it from] Revelation 2:17… Then the brother of Jared is given a revelation that is so high, so great that he can't share it with others... This is [just like] the temple, this is the apex of the endowment.” [13]

Given this, it seems possible (though highly speculative) that the brother of Jared had a temple-like experience on Mount Shelem, during which time he was given sixteen lighted stones, two interpreting stones known as the Urim and Thummim, and a new name, Gazalem.

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[1] McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, p. 278.

[2] McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, p. 278.

[3] McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, p. 278.

[4] In George Albert Smith Family Papers, MS 0036, box 174, folder 26, Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City. See also Gerrit Dirkmaat, The Miraculous Translation of the Book of Mormon, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/03/united-states-and-canada-section/02-the-miraculous-translation-of-the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng

[5] Stan Spencer, “Reflections of Urim: Hebrew Poetry Sheds Light on the Directors-Interpreters Mystery,” Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture, 14 (2015): 187–207, note 18.

[6] Elliott Jolley, “Gazelem the Jaredite,” Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture, 27 (2017): 85-105.

[7] In a latter-day revelation, the Lord called these two stones “the Urim and Thummim” (Doctrine and Covenants 17:1). This Urim and Thummim should not be confused with the Urim and Thummim used by Moses.

[8] Don Bradley, The Lost 116 Pages: Reconstructing the Book of Mormon’s Missing Stories, p. 252–257.

[9] Elliott Jolley, “Gazelem the Jaredite,” Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture, 27 (2017): 85-105.

[10] Book of Mormon Student Manual, 2009, Salt Lake City, Utah, p. 84

[11] Don Bradley, The Lost 116 Pages: Reconstructing the Book of Mormon’s Missing Stories, p. 236.

[12] To me, the first point is the strongest. That is, the scriptures are often worded in a way to provide multiple interpretations, but there must be a small amount of latitude in exact wording for multiple meanings to be possible. When I read Alma 37:23-25, the “future-tense” wording does not need to be perfectly accurate in order for the scriptures to be speaking about the brother of Jared, especially since so little is known about the context of the two quotes Alma provides.

[13] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNIOmH7RV2I