“My Jesus” – 2 Nephi 33:6

In the last chapter of his writings, the prophet Nephi refers to the Savior in a striking way which appears no where else in the scriptures. He says:

I glory in plainness;
I glory in truth;
I glory in my Jesus,
for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.
(2 Nephi 33:6, italics added)

I was intrigued by the phrase “my Jesus” and spent some time pondering it this morning. This use of the singular possessive to refer to God shouldn’t be surprising. After all:

• Nephi has previously referred to “my God” multiple times (1 Nephi 18:16, 2 Nephi 4:20, 30, 35, 2 Nephi 5:1, 2 Nephi 26:7).
• He has quoted Isaiah saying “my Lord” and “my God” (1 Nephi 21:4-5, 2 Nephi 17:13).
• Nephi, Enos, Alma, and Lamoni all referred to the Savior as “my Redeemer” (2 Nephi 11:2, Enos 1:27, Mosiah 27:30, Alma 19:13).
• Mormon expresses his gratitude to “my Savior Jesus Christ” (3 Nephi 5:20)
• Job testified, “I know that my Redeemer liveth” (Job 19:25). He didn’t say “our Redeemer” or “the Redeemer.”
• The apostle Paul frequently opened his epistles by saying “I thank my God” (Romans 1:8, 1 Corinthians 1:4, Philippians 1:3, Philemon 1:4).
• The Savior Himself, as he suffered on the cross, quoted the following phrase from a psalm: “My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, Psalm 22:1).

But there is something particularly personal, something uniquely intimate about Nephi’s use of the word “my” with the given name of the Savior.

In the last general conference, Lisa L. Harkness shared an experience she had with this verse:

Not long ago, I was listening to the Book of Mormon. In the last chapter of 2 Nephi, I heard Nephi say something that I had never read the same way before. All throughout his record, he teaches and testifies of the “Redeemer,” the “Holy One of Israel,” the “Lamb of God,” and the “Messiah.” But as he closed his account, I heard him say these words: “I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul.” When I heard these words, my heart rejoiced and I had to listen over and over again. I recognized and responded to that verse just as I recognize and respond to my own name.
(“Honoring His Name,” General Conference, October 2019)

Today, I will remember the personal nature of my relationship with the Savior. I will be grateful for the opportunity to take upon myself His name. Like Nephi, I will “glory in my Jesus.