Jeremiah (Book of Mormon)

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Jeremiah (Book of Mormon) is a Nephite disciple who, in Latter-day Saint belief, was called by Jesus Christ during His visit to the ancient Americas. He joined the Quorum of the Twelve early and taught a group of Nephites the message of Jesus’s sermon at the temple. He was baptized by Nephi, confirmed, and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. He and the others were blessed with a transfiguration, a sign of their calling.

He began his missionary work while Christ was still among them and achieved great success. The exact circumstances of his death are unknown. Theories and debates continue among Mormon scholars about whether Jeremiah was truly an apostle, whether he was rebaptized during a church reorganization, and his direct prayer to Christ.

Jeremiah is sometimes cited by church apologists and also appears in critical discussions of the Book of Mormon. The name Jeremiah is given to many children in Latter-day Saint families, including Māori Mormons. The pronunciation of Jeremiah has attracted study; the church provides a pronunciation guide in English editions since 1981, though there are differences between earlier and later usages. Some sources note that the original pronunciation and how Smith handled unknown words are debated; early scribes often spelled unknown words rather than pronouncing them. In Mormon theology, the names in the Book of Mormon are not known to have been spoken aloud to Joseph Smith, except perhaps for Moroni in a vision, making exact pronunciation uncertain.

The name Jeremiah was known to the Nephites from the brass plates, which were written in Egyptian rather than Hebrew. The brass plates, the Book of Mormon’s larger scriptural record, and the Joseph Smith Translation are all connected to Smith’s prophetic authority. The text places Jeremiah among the larger plates of Nephi and the abridged portions made by Mormon; the official edition of the Book of Mormon has his direct reference in 3 Nephi 19:4 and appears in other sections as part of the Twelve.

It is thought that Jeremiah and the twelve were called early, perhaps on the first day of Jesus’s visit. They had the authority to baptize and lead the church among the Nephites, and they may have baptized about 2,500 people. They also partook of the sacrament first and helped distribute it to others. After Jesus’s visit, their ministry continued with zeal, and church leaders have suggested the gospel spread rapidly across Nephite lands, though exact details are not provided.

The date of Jeremiah’s death is not certain; some scholars place the last Nephite death between 79 and 100 CE, and it is debated whether he was one of the legendary three Nephite survivors. Some early accounts claim he taught Joseph Smith, but these reports lack solid verification.

Scholars discuss whether Jeremiah and the other Nephite disciples had the same status as the apostles of Palestine; some church leaders describe their ministry as apostolic, and later writings describe their authority as part of the dispensation of the fulness of times. In modern culture, Jeremiah appears in church media and resources, and the name is used by Māori Latter-day Saints as Ihaia.